Strategic Business Development Manager CDMO

Executive Talents; Zaventem; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Bonus scheme

Hybrid working model

Benefits package

Job summary

Sumitomo Chemical Europe SA/NV seeks a Strategic Business Development Manager for CDMO activities in Europe. You will manage a portfolio of biotech and pharma clients, identify opportunities, and lead from lead generation through negotiations to closure.

Travel roughly 30% across Europe and occasionally to Japan. The role requires strong technical and commercial hybrids, fluent English, and the ability to translate complex tech into value propositions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's or equivalent degree in Chemistry, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, Life Sciences or related field.
• Master's or PhD is considered an asset.
• Experience in pharma/biotech or CDMO sector is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a portfolio of biotech, pharma, CDMO clients across Europe.
• Identify and secure new business opportunities with pharmaceutical and biotech customers.
• Lead the full business development cycle from lead generation to deal closure.

Skills

Business development

Strategic sales

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Communication

English fluency

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor's/Master's or PhD in Chemistry/Life Sciences

Job description

Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. is one of the world's leading chemical manufacturers, conducting business across four sectors: Agro & Life Solutions, ICT & Mobility Solutions, Advanced Medical Solutions, and Essential & Green Materials. Through a global network of approximately 30,000 employees across more than 50 countries, the company supplies innovative products and solutions serving a wide range of industries worldwide.

Sumitomo Chemical Europe SA/NV headquartered in Zaventem, Belgium, is the European Sales & Marketing office responsible for Europe and Turkey.

Since more than 50 years, Sumitomo Chemical’s Pharma Solutions Business, known for its quality, reliability, and excellent service, is supplying the global pharmaceutical industry with regulatory starting materials, GMP intermediates, and APIs, and our offering spans small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides. Over the last years, Sumitomo Chemical has emerged as the world-leading commercial supplier of high-purity gRNA for genome-editing.

To further expand its Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) activities across Europe, Sumitomo Chemical is looking for a passionate and entrepreneurial Strategic Business Development Manager CDMO.

• You will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of biotech, mid-sized and large pharmaceutical companies across Europe.
• You will identify, develop and secure new business opportunities with new and existing customers active within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CDMO and advanced therapeutics markets.
• You will manage the full business development cycle, from lead generation and opportunity qualification through proposal development, contract negotiation and deal closure.
• You will identify customer needs and translate complex technical requirements into creative and value-adding commercial solutions in close collaboration with technical teams in Europe and Japan.
• You will prepare commercial proposals, pricing strategies, supply agreements and customer contracts while leading related negotiations.
• You will coordinate customer projects from A to Z, ensuring effective collaboration between customers, commercial teams and technical stakeholders across Europe, Japan and the United States.
• You will utilise market intelligence tools, industry databases and networking activities to identify promising projects, emerging technologies and market opportunities.
• You will organise customer visits, technical discussions, due diligence activities and commercial follow-up meetings involving international stakeholders.
• You will coordinate closely with technical, operational and commercial teams in Europe, Japan and the United States to ensure successful project execution.
• You will develop and execute strategic account plans and commercial growth initiatives aligned with Sumitomo Chemical's European business objectives.
• You will represent Sumitomo Chemical at major industry exhibitions, conferences and networking events such as CPHI, TIDES and other advanced therapeutics forums.
• You will maintain a thorough understanding of market developments, outsourcing trends, CDMO dynamics and emerging technologies within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology landscape.
• You will report directly to the Head of Advanced Medical Solutions Europe.

Profile

• You hold a Bachelor's, Master's or equivalent degree in Chemistry, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, Life Sciences or a related field. A Master's degree or PhD is considered an asset.
• You have several years of successful business development, commercial or strategic sales experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CDMO or advanced therapeutics sector.
• You possess a strong understanding of organic chemistry and are capable of discussing complex technical concepts with both scientific and commercial stakeholders.
• You are familiar with pharmaceutical development processes, GMP environments and the dynamics of long and highly consultative sales cycles.
• You have experience building new business opportunities from scratch and enjoy a hands-on commercial and strategic approach.
• You combine strong hunting capabilities with the ability to develop long-term customer relationships.
• You are highly entrepreneurial, self-driven and comfortable operating with significant autonomy.
• You possess excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills.
• You are able to translate complex technologies into compelling and commercially relevant customer value propositions.
• You are culturally sensitive and enjoy working within highly international environments involving European, Japanese and American stakeholders.
• You demonstrate resilience, patience and perseverance in managing complex sales processes with multiple decision-makers and long lead times.
• You are fluent in English, both spoken and written. Additional European languages are considered an advantage.
• You are willing to travel throughout Europe on a regular basis (approximately 30%) and occasionally to Japan.
• You are preferably based in Belgium or willing to relocate.

Offer

Sumitomo Chemical Europe offers you the opportunity to join a globally recognized organization operating at the forefront of pharmaceutical innovation and next-generation therapeutic solutions.

You will become part of a strategically important growth initiative and have the unique opportunity to contribute to building the Advanced Medical Solutions business in Europe from an early stage.

You will join an international and entrepreneurial environment where autonomy, ownership and initiative are highly valued. The role offers broad exposure to customers, technologies and stakeholders across Europe, Japan and the United States.

In addition, Sumitomo Chemical offers a competitive compensation package including company car, bonus scheme and a comprehensive range of extra-legal benefits, combined with a hybrid working model and a healthy work-life balance.

Take the opportunity to join a global organization investing heavily in innovation, technology and people, while helping shape the future of Advanced Medical Solutions in Europe.