Business Development Associate

Biosphere; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Unlimited vacation

Health insurance

Paid family leave

Gym membership

Job summary

Biosphere in Oakland, CA is seeking a Business Development professional to drive contract manufacturing sales and expand our customer base in food, agriculture, and specialty chemicals. You will lead market research, generate leads, and close LOIs and manufacturing agreements with key customers.

You will collaborate with R&D, Regulatory, Supply Chain, and Legal to draft commercial terms, manage the sales pipeline, and develop go-to-market strategies to scale Biosphere's production capacity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Microbiology.
• 1–2 years of sales or business experience.
• Self-starter with entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to hustle for deals.
• Understanding and interest in negotiation, market dynamics, and customer needs in fermentation/biomanufacturing.
• Willingness to travel within the US.

Responsibilities

• Sell Biosphere's CM services into industries including food, agriculture, and speciality chemicals.
• Establish and cultivate long term relationships with key customers and partners including the Dept. of War.
• Develop go-to-market strategies for Biosphere's production capacity.
• Develop relationships with supply chain managers and distributors in different application and ingredient verticals.
• Lead the entire sales cycle from market research, lead generation, and initial contact, through LOI and contract manufacturing agreements.
• Understand and communicate quality standards, both internally and with / from partners.
• Lead and oversee interactions between R&D, Regulatory, Supply Chain, and Legal, including drafting of commercial agreements.
• Maintain an up to date pipeline of sales leads.

Skills

Sales experience

Negotiation

Lead generation

Entrepreneurial mindset

Travel flexibility

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Microbiology

Job description

You will support Biosphere's business development efforts, focused on contract manufacturing. As part of the commercial team, you will be responsible for lead sourcing, engaging with potential and existing customers, communicating customer feedback, and selling the company's production services. You will collaborate closely with the company's executive team and be a key part of Biosphere's strategy to scale revenue using its new class of bioreactors.

Responsibilities

• Sell Biosphere's CM services into industries including food, agriculture, and speciality chemicals
• Establish and cultivate long term relationships with key customers and partners including the Dept. of War
• Develop go-to-market strategies for Biosphere's production capacity
• Develop relationships with supply chain managers and distributors in different application and ingredient verticals
• Lead the entire sales cycle from market research, lead generation, and initial contact, through LOI and contract manufacturing agreements
• Understand and communicate quality standards, both internally and with / from partners
• Lead and oversee interactions between R&D, Regulatory, Supply Chain, and Legal, including drafting of commercial agreements
• Maintain an up to date pipeline of sales leads

Qualifications

• College degree in a related technical field, such as Chemical Engineering or Microbiology
• 1-2 years of sales or business experience
• Self starter with an entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrated willingness to cold call and hustle for deals
• Understanding and interest in negotiation, market dynamics, industry trends, and customer needs in fermentation / biomanufacturing
• Willingness to travel within the US

Preferred Skills

• Background in contract manufacturing, speciality chemicals, ag biologicals, and/or human nutrition sales
• Technical understanding of synthetic biology and fermentation derived ingredients
• Knowledge of QC/QA, product qualification, and regulatory environment for ingredients in feed and food

At Biosphere, our goal is to empower talented individuals who are driven by the desire to work on tackling society's biggest challenges. To that end, we take pride in striving to be an equal opportunity employer with a healthy work culture, creating an environment where high performers can thrive. We currently offer the following benefits:

• Competitive compensation through a mix of salary and equity.
• Unlimited paid vacation and sick/leave days + public holidays.
• Comprehensive health insurance for employees and their dependents, including dental and vision.
• Paid family leave.
• Membership at Pacific Pipe Climbing gym next door.

Expected Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, normal working hours. Occasional weekend work may be required. We are an in-person company, located in Oakland, California.

Other names this role might have: Partnerships, Sales, Sales Development, Commercial Development

Biosphere is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.