Business Development Manager (Crop Sciences)

Future Fields; Alberta; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading agricultural biotechnology company is seeking a Business Development Manager specializing in Crop Sciences. This role is pivotal in executing the go-to-market strategy and acquiring new clients. Ideal candidates should have over 6 years of B2B experience, particularly in a hunting role, with proven success in securing high-value deals. The position offers significant rewards but requires travel and strong networking capabilities.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in a B2B business development role, specifically in a 'hunter' capacity.
• Experience driving high-value deals, $100k+ TCV.
• Familiarity with regulatory science and product development timelines.

Responsibilities

• Execute comprehensive strategies to acquire new customers in Crop Sciences.
• Manage and forecast pipeline of business opportunities.
• Proactively support complex sales cycles for high-value deals.

Skills

B2B business development

Strategic selling

Technical/scientific selling

Relationship building

Job description

About the role

Business Development Manager (Crop Sciences) will execute the go-to-market strategy and new logo acquisition for our Crop Sciences vertical. This is a hunting-only role that is focused on opening new accounts. You will work closely with our CEO, VP Sales & Marketing, and Scientific Team for the ultimate impact of establishing Future Fields as the premier partner for recombinant protein supply in the Crop Sciences industry. This role requires travel, with several conferences spread throughout the year. This is a high-expectation, high-reward role.

This role will own:

• Executing a comprehensive “hunting” strategy to acquire new customers in the Crop Sciences sector (e.g., Pesticide lead optimization, Ag Biologicals, Bt Tox Regulatory Science).
• Building, managing, and forecasting a robust pipeline of new business opportunities from prospecting to qualified meetings in order to drive initial R&D projects with high potential for follow-on manufacturing cycles in the crop sciences and ag biotech industry.
• Executing a clean handoff for closing, supporting this process where needed.
• Initiating and proactively supporting the complex sales cycle for high-value deals with large corporate accounts.
• Representing Future Fields as a primary commercial and technical point of contact at industry conferences and client meetings.

This role will assist by:

• Translating customer needs and market feedback into actionable insights for our BD, Executive, and Marketing teams.
• Collaborating with the executive team to refine commercial strategy and inform future resource allocation.
• Supporting the development of marketing collateral and case studies based on customer successes.

About you

You are a seasoned and strategic hunter who thrives on the challenge of building a new market and multiplying network connections. You are an executor who can initiate a go-to-market strategy and follow through, but can adapt as new learnings emerge. You are as comfortable discussing the commercial value of technical challenges to PhD decision makers as you are negotiating business terms with a C-suite executive. You’re familiar with bottom-up and top-down development tactics and are capable of multithreading efficiently with both cold and warm accounts. You tackle ambiguity by systematically pursuing target accounts and building on the insights that arise from each conversation. You can manage your time and work effectively with a nimble but growing team. Whatever knowledge you may lack, you aren’t afraid to ask for help or insights from our in-house subject matter experts.

Must haves

• 6+ years of B2B business development experience in the science services industry, with a demonstrable track record in a “hunter” role, focused on new logo acquisition.
• Proven experience driving high-value ($100k+ TCV) deals with long sales cycles (7 – 12 months).
• Experience selling a technical/scientific product, service, or platform into R&D-heavy organizations in the AgTech / Crop Sciences industry.
• Demonstrated examples of strategic selling and/or solutions selling.
• Working methodology knowledge (ie. Strategic Selling, Solutions Selling, MEDPICC, SPIN, or Challenger, etc.).
• Ability to travel as needed to meet with clients and attend industry events.

Bonus points

• Working knowledge of regulatory science and product development timelines in commercial Bt-tox or similar crops.
• An existing network of contacts within the Crop Sciences industry.
• 10+ years in B2B experience across multiple hunting roles with emphasis on manufacturing in the sciences.
• A scientific background in cell biology, protein science, or a related Ag-science field.
• Experience navigating language, culture, and geography challenges in international selling.
• Experience selling directly into crop science market leaders such as Bayer (Monsanto), Syngenta, Corteva, FMC, or BASF.
• Previous experience in a venture-backed, high-growth startup environment.

Your future (with Future Fields)

This roadmap outlines the impact you’ll make as you grow with us. We’ll use this as a guide for your first year, knowing that in a fast-paced environment, we’ll adapt and evolve these goals together.

Within 1 month, you will:

• Onboard with the science and commercial teams to deeply understand our platform.
• Leverage your skills and network to map the Global Crop Sciences market, identify an initial 10 target accounts, and secure your first prospect meetings.

Within 3 months, you will:

• Be actively managing a pipeline of qualified leads, with multiple concurrent conversations at various stages.
• Provide concrete market feedback that helps shape our R&D priorities for the Crop Sciences vertical.

Within 6 months, you will:

• Have one or more opportunities you sourced have advanced to the technical evaluation and proposal stage at a near closing state.
• Have established a repeatable outreach and qualification process for the Crop Sciences market.
• Completely own this vertical for BD in our business.

Within 1 year, you will:

• Have closed additional keystone accounts in the Crop Sciences vertical, proving the market viability and building a foundational book of business for the company’s future revenue goals.

About our team

Our story and approach to science is anything but conventional. Matt (co-founder/CEO) was a touring punk rock musician who dropped out of University before returning to complete his PhD in cell biology. Jalene (co-founder/COO) is a social researcher by training, previously working on issues from the right to affordable housing to harm reduction. The spark of an idea for our technology came while waiting in line for tiny, Canadian donuts. Our broader team of scientists, engineers, circus performers, restaurateurs, dancers, music aficionados, kid parents, pet parents, cyclists, and artists hail from every corner of the world – from small town Alberta to Poland, India, Vietnam and Pakistan. We credit our diverse team and experiences as the key to our success – and we encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply.

Location

In Person or Remote (North America), with travel as needed.