Inside Sales Executive

Baker Finn Recruitment; Leinster; On-site; EUR 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Baker Finn Recruitment partner with a specialist Irish pharmaceutical consultancy to recruit an Inside Sales & Business Development Executive. You will manage leads from identification through conversion, coordinating tailored proposals and commercial documentation, and growing both new and existing client accounts.

You will work with the Commercial Director, technical consultants and the innovation team to translate client needs into commercially sound solutions.

Qualifications

• Experience in inside sales, business development or sales support in B2B.
• Proven ability to manage leads and opportunities through a sales process.
• Experience preparing proposals, quotations and commercial documents.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with client engagement confidence.
• Experience using CRM systems and maintaining pipeline records.
• Excellent organisation and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Lead management and business development across pharma and life sciences sectors.
• Coordinate tailored proposals, quotations, and responses to client requests.
• Define scope, timelines and pricing with technical consultants and Finance.
• Own proposal administration, version control and submission deadlines.
• Track status, client feedback and next steps to improve future submissions.
• Maintain accurate commercial documentation and CRM records.
• Develop client relationships and identify opportunities for repeat business.

Skills

Inside sales

Lead management

Proposal preparation

Communication skills

CRM knowledge

Organisational skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Third-level qualification in Business/Marketing/Life Sciences

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office suite

Job description

ABOUT THE COMPANY

My client supports pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies—including emerging, virtual and established organisations—seeking to develop, import, release and supply medicinal products in the EU, EEA and UK. Through its regulatory authorisation framework and specialist teams, providing clinical and commercial Qualified Person services, batch certification and release, importation and wholesale distribution support, Marketing Authorisation Holder services, regulatory affairs, GxP compliance and auditing, quality-management systems, storage, training, and programme and project management across products ranging from conventional medicines and biologics to vaccines, radiopharmaceuticals and cell and gene therapies.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Inside Sales & Business Development Executive will help drive sustainable revenue growth by managing leads from identification through conversion, coordinating high-quality proposals and commercial documentation, and developing both new and existing customer accounts. The role will work closely with the Commercial Director, technical consultants, the innovation team and colleagues across the company to translate client needs into compelling, commercially sound solutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead Management and Business Development

• Support the identification, research and qualification of new business opportunities across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and wider life sciences sectors.
• Contribute to lead-generation activity through targeted research, referrals, professional networks, digital outreach, campaigns and events, working with the Commercial Director and relevant colleagues.
• Respond promptly and professionally to inbound enquiries, establishing client needs, urgency, decision criteria and commercial potential.
• Arrange and participate in discovery and scoping calls, bringing in the appropriate technical consultant or subject-matter expert at the right stage.
• Maintain disciplined follow-up plans and actively progress opportunities through every stage of the sales cycle.
• Keep the CRM accurate and current, recording contacts, activities, opportunity values, next actions, expected close dates and outcomes.
• Monitor pipeline health, conversion, ageing and sales-cycle speed; highlight risks and recommend actions to improve performance.

Proposal and Commercial Support

• Coordinate and prepare tailored proposals, quotations, capability statements, commercial presentations and responses to RFPs, tenders and client questionnaires.
• Work with technical consultants, the innovation team, Finance and operational colleagues to define scope, resources, timelines, assumptions, pricing and delivery approach.
• Own proposal administration and version control, ensuring reviews and approvals are completed and submissions meet client deadlines and the Pharma standards.
• Support contract and commercial documentation, including project agreements, extensions, change requests, signatures, filing and handover to delivery teams.
• Track proposal status, client feedback, win/loss reasons and next steps, using the insight to improve future submissions.
• Ensure commercial documentation is accurate, clear, professional and consistent with applicable company and quality requirements.

Account Development and Client Experience

• Develop trusted relationships with existing clients through regular, relevant and professional engagement.
• Identify opportunities for repeat business, project extensions, upselling and cross-selling.
• Coordinate client reviews and follow-up activity, resolve commercial queries promptly and help maintain a high standard of customer experience.
• Support key account plans with clear growth objectives, stakeholder maps, opportunity actions and measurable outcomes.

Initiative and Continuous Improvement

• Bring visible energy, urgency and ownership to lead follow-up, proposal delivery and sales execution.
• Act proactively: anticipate next steps, remove avoidable delays and progress opportunities without waiting for direction.
• Identify and implement practical improvements to CRM use, lead qualification, pipeline reporting, proposal workflows, templates and sales performance.
• Use activity and conversion data to test new approaches, share learning and continuously improve individual and team results.
• Take accountability for commitments, communicate risks early and maintain momentum in a fast-moving, collaborative environment.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance will be assessed against agreed targets and the quality, consistency and commercial impact of activity, including:

• Sales meetings and calls arranged.
• Proposal submissions completed accurately and on time.
• New business revenue generated.
• Conversion rate from enquiry to contract award.
• Speed from lead identification to conversion.
• Growth of existing customer accounts.
• CRM accuracy, completeness and activity management.
• Achievement of individual and team sales targets.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Relevant experience in inside sales, business development, sales support, account management or another customer-facing B2B commercial role.
• Demonstrated experience managing leads and opportunities through a structured sales process.
• Experience preparing proposals, quotations, presentations or other commercial documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage clients and collaborate with technical specialists.
• Experience using CRM systems and maintaining accurate pipeline and activity records.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

Desirable

• Experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, consultancy or another regulated industry.
• Experience selling technical, consultancy or professional services.
• Awareness of GMP, GDP, quality systems, validation, regulatory compliance or pharmaceutical operations.
• Experience supporting tenders, RFPs, multi-party proposals or cross-company commercial initiatives.
• A third-level qualification in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences or a related discipline.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS

• Energy and initiative: Brings enthusiasm, acts without prompting and looks continually for better ways to deliver results.
• Commercial judgement: Understands value, priorities and trade-offs, and focuses effort on opportunities with the strongest potential.
• Customer focus: Listens carefully, responds promptly and builds confidence through relevant, reliable support.
• Collaborative working: Works constructively with technical consultants, the innovation team, Finance, operations and colleagues.
• Communication: Explains services and commercial propositions clearly in writing, by telephone, virtually and in person.
• Planning and execution: Organises work effectively, meets deadlines and maintains momentum across multiple opportunities.
• Attention to detail: Produces accurate CRM records, proposals and commercial documentation.
• Results orientation: Takes ownership, follows through and remains resilient when handling setbacks or competing demands.
• Continuous improvement: Uses evidence and feedback to improve processes, conversion and performance.

THE ROLE OFFERS

• A visible role supporting the growth of a specialist Irish pharmaceutical consultancy.
• Close collaboration with experienced technical consultants and the innovation team.
• Access to the capabilities, networks and career opportunities within the wider company group
• The opportunity to develop cross-selling initiatives and joint proposals across group businesses.
• A flexible, collaborative environment in which initiative and process improvement are encouraged.