Senior Business Developement Manager - Manchester

Lab Innovations; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Lab Thread is seeking a Senior Business Development Manager in Manchester to drive field-based growth beyond London, Oxford and Cambridge, expanding into the UK and US markets.

You will own the full sales cycle—from prospecting and tailored product demonstrations to closing, onboarding and renewals—and travel at least twice weekly, with occasional trips to the United States. Operate autonomously with strong team backing.

Qualifications

• Degree in life sciences with lab experience.
• 3+ years of proven SaaS sales experience.
• Established academic and industry network.
• Strong negotiation skills and driving licence required.

Responsibilities

• Deliver territory growth and meet sign-ups and revenue targets.
• Host seminars and conduct consultative sales and events.
• Provide user/market insights to product and marketing teams.

Skills

SaaS sales

Negotiation

Public speaking

Networking

Driving licence

Education

Life sciences degree

Tools

ELN/LIMS

Job description

Senior Business Developement Manager - Manchester

About Lab Thread

Founded in 2024, Lab Thread creates all-in-one lab management SaaS (ELN, LIMS, molecular biology suite, project management) for academic research to enterprise pharma.

Role Overview

A field-based market-building role expanding Lab Thread beyond London, Oxford, and Cambridge into the UK and US. You will own the full sales cycle—prospecting, tailored demos, closing, onboarding, and renewals—securing both free academic users and revenue-generating customers. Expect field travel at least twice weekly plus occasional US travel.

Responsibilities

• Deliver territory growth and meet target metrics for sign-ups and revenue.
• Host seminars, run consultative sales, and represent Lab Thread at events.
• Provide user/market insights to product and marketing teams.

Requirements

• Life sciences degree with lab experience.
• 3+ years in SaaS sales (preferably ELN/LIMS)
• Established industry/academic network and strong negotiation skills.
• Full driving licence.

Position Overview

This is a dynamic, field-based market-building role tasked with driving Lab Thread’s growth beyond the traditional Golden Triangle (London, Oxford, Cambridge) into the broader UK and US markets. Operating with autonomy and strong team backing, you will take complete ownership of the end-to-end sales lifecycle—from initial prospecting and custom product demonstrations to closing, onboarding, customer retention, and renewals.

Strategic Focus & Engagement

• Dual Acquisition Strategy: Secure both free academic accounts (to expand user base and brand reputation) and paying commercial accounts (to drive scalable revenue growth).
• Field Presence: Actively represent Lab Thread in the field at least twice per week through site visits, host seminars, lunch-and-learns, and industry exhibitions, alongside occasional travel to the US.

Core Responsibilities

• Territory & Pipeline Growth: Develop and execute a targeted territory strategy to meet key metrics for both account sign-ups and new revenue targets.
• Consultative Sales: Lead value-driven sales conversations tailored to labs transitioning from paper systems or legacy platforms, creating custom demo accounts reflecting specific lab workflows.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Gather customer and market insights to directly inform internal product development and marketing strategies while maintaining accurate CRM pipeline forecasting.

Candidate Requirements

• Education & Background: A degree in life sciences backed by practical laboratory experience.
• Sales Track Record: 3+ years of proven SaaS sales experience (preferably with laboratory data software such as ELNs or LIMS).
• Market Expertise: Deep understanding of lab purchasing triggers, budget cycles, and methods to overcome switching friction.
• Key Skills: Established network across academic and industry research, exceptional public speaking and negotiation abilities, self-motivation, and a full driving licence.