Executive Director, CRO Partnerships & Growth

Certara; Paris; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Certara is seeking a Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships & Growth to lead the strategy for building and scaling relationships with CROs and related drug development partners globally. You will work with regional accounts and global portfolios to identify high-value opportunities, mobilize Certara capabilities, and drive new-logo acquisition and revenue growth.

The role requires 15+ years in life sciences commercial leadership, strong executive presence, and a proven ability to translate

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive commercial, business development, strategic partnerships, or related experience within life sciences/biopharma/consulting.
• Bachelor's degree in life sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, business, economics, finance, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong understanding of the biopharmaceutical development ecosystem, CRO market, and sponsor needs.
• Proven track record of translating strategic relationships into measurable commercial growth.
• Exceptional executive presence, communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Build strategic partnerships by developing executive relationships with high-value CROs and related drug development partners.
• Create commercial opportunities by developing pathways from CRO relationships to sponsors and new business.
• Drive growth by generating qualified pipeline and cross-sell opportunities across Certara's services and software.
• Orchestrate Certara by coordinating regional Account teams and global Portfolio teams to assemble the right capabilities.
• Develop scalable CRO partnership strategies, engagement models, and playbooks for the region.
• Provide market intelligence on CRO market trends, sponsor needs, and therapeutic priorities to inform Certara's strategy.
• Build Certara's market position as a trusted development partner across CRO and biopharma ecosystems.

Skills

Executive presence

Relationship management

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Entrepreneurial mindset

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Certara is seeking a Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships & Growth to lead the strategy for building and scaling relationships with CROs and related drug development partners globally. You will work with regional accounts and global portfolios to identify high-value opportunities, mobilize Certara capabilities, and drive new-logo acquisition and revenue growth.

The role requires 15+ years in life sciences commercial leadership, strong executive presence, and a proven ability to translate