Director of Business Development

Stanley Cowton International; Basel; On-site; CHF 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

International exposure

Job summary

Stanley Cowton International is seeking a Director of Business Development for Life Sciences Engineering in Switzerland, based around Basel with regular travel to client sites. This senior role leads the Swiss engagement, expanding into new accounts and broadening services including EPC delivery.

The candidate will deepen pharma/biotech relationships, lead cross-functional teams, and work with European leadership on strategy and order intake goals.

Qualifications

• Degree in a scientific or technical discipline.
• Experience in sales, business development or a customer-facing role within life sciences, chemicals or a related process industry.
• German at mother-tongue or C2 level, with professional English; French is an advantage.
• Willingness to travel and work across a matrix organisation.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and deepen relationships with pharma and biotech clients across Switzerland.
• Identify and develop new customer opportunities, ideally before formal tenders.
• Lead cross-functional teams to shape and win engagements (engineering design, EPCM, EPC).
• Lead pursuit of engineering services opportunities with strategic customers.
• Represent the business at industry events and Swiss life sciences networks.
• Collaborate with European commercial leadership on account strategy and targets.

Skills

Strategic sales

Key account management

Stakeholder engagement

German (C2)

English (professional)

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Science/Engineering degree

Job description

Director Business Development

Life Sciences Engineering, Switzerland

Role Overview

Our client is one of the leading engineering and construction service providers to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. They holds a strong, long standing position in the Swiss market, with established customer relationships and a mature regional organisation.

They are now appointing a senior business development professional to lead client engagement across Switzerland. The role will be based around Basel, with regular travel to customer sites.

Why the Role Exists

The previous holder of the Swiss business development remit has stepped up into a wider European leadership role. Swiss clients need consistent, senior attention, and the business wants to keep its leading position while growing into new accounts and broadening its service offering, including EPC delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and deepen relationships with existing pharma and biotech clients across Switzerland.
• Identify and develop new customer opportunities, ideally before formal tenders are issued.
• Bring together engineering, project management and proposal teams to shape and win engagements.
• Lead the pursuit of engineering design, EPCM and EPC opportunities with strategic customers.
• Represent the business at industry events and within Swiss life sciences networks.
• Work closely with European commercial leadership on account strategy and order intake goals.

Candidate Profile

• Degree in a scientific or technical discipline such as chemistry, engineering or a related field.
• Background in sales, business development or a customer-facing role within life sciences, chemicals or a related process industry. Experience in engineering services or project management on the provider side is also relevant.
• Mother-tongue or C2-level German, with professional English. French is an advantage.
• Comfortable spending most of the working week with customers and on the road.
• A proactive, personable and accountable approach, with the confidence to work effectively across a matrix organisation.
• The ability to learn new technical subjects quickly and engage credibly with senior client stakeholders.

What the Company Offers

• A role with real visibility and influence in a market where the business already holds a strong position.
• A defined path to a broader leadership remit for the right candidate.
• Development opportunities across a large international organisation, spanning commercial, project and leadership routes.
• A salary package aligned to experience, with a company car.