Business Development Director II - Early Phase

FTINC Fortrea Inc.; North Carolina; On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life insurance

STD/LTD

401(k) plan

ESPP

Job summary

Fortrea is seeking a Business Development Director II, Early Phase to drive growth by leading high-value sales pursuits with strategic accounts. You will shape client-centric solutions and coordinate across functions to deliver integrated offerings, strengthening senior client relationships and accelerating opportunity progression.

The role requires 5+ years in BD within clinical research/pharma, strong negotiation and strategic selling skills, and willingness to travel up to 50%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent and related formal academic qualification; experience may substitute.
• Proven ability to acquire, retain and expand strategic client portfolios, driving revenue growth.
• Strong negotiation, executive presentation, and financial judgment capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute account plans and strategic partnerships within large, complex accounts.
• Lead client calls, proposals, and presentations; manage opportunity pipeline and forecasting.
• Collaborate across business units to position Fortrea’s offerings and win multi-unit opportunities.

Skills

Strategic selling

Negotiation

Executive presentations

Financial acumen

Customer relationship mgmt

Executive presence

Organizational agility

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Job Overview

The Business Development Director II, Early Phase advances growth by leading complex, high-value sales pursuits and shaping client-centric solutions, focused on strategic accounts with greater deal complexity. The role partners across functions to deliver integrated offerings, strengthening senior client relationships and expanding account value through proactive pipeline leadership. The Director II is accountable for accelerating opportunity progression, converting high-value pursuits, and delivering consistent commercial results.

Summary of Responsibilities

• Commercial Strategy Development
  • Develop and execute account plans and strategic partnerships within assigned accounts of greater size and complexity.
  • Provide competitive intelligence and identify cross-business-unit opportunities.
  • Partner with Client Services to support pricing, margin, and deal-structure decisions.
  • Collaborate across business units to identify, position, and win multi-unit opportunities.
  • Participate in corporate account teams to strengthen key client relationships.
• Sales Targets & Client Acquisition
  • Achieve or exceed annual sales targets for assigned accounts.
  • Establish, grow, and manage client relationships at appropriate decision-making levels.
  • Execute client call plans, follow up on leads, and support an established client base.
  • Effectively position the business unit's capabilities and differentiation.
  • Manage opportunity pipeline, forecasting, and required territory documentation.
  • Set and manage customer expectations to drive satisfaction and retention.
  • Lead client presentations, support proposal development, and host client visits.
  • Provide regular sales activity updates to management.
  • Perform all other duties as needed or assigned.
• Qualifications (Minimum Required)
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent and relevant formal academic qualification. Fortrea may consider relevant and equivalent experience in lieu of educational requirements.
  • Proven ability to acquire, retain, and expand a strategic client portfolio, driving sustained revenue growth.
  • Demonstrated skills in strategic selling, negotiation, executive presentations, and financial/business acumen.
  • Growing understanding of business strategy with the ability to translate strategy into measurable commercial results.
  • Working knowledge of drug discovery and development principles to strategically identify, qualify, and advance leads.
  • Strong customer relationship management capabilities and commercial judgment.
  • Strong negotiation skills, with direct face-to-face negotiating experience with major clients, achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.
  • Demonstrated executive presence with the ability to influence senior client stakeholders and internal leaders.
  • Demonstrated organizational agility and consistent delivery of results within a matrixed environment.
  • Frequent travel is required based on business need.

Experience (Minimum Required)

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in business development within the Clinical Research, Pharma, or Biotech industry, selling services directly to pharmaceutical and biotech clients.
• A minimum of 4 years of experience engaging directly with mid-level and executive-level decision makers.
• Proven track record of achieving significant sales targets.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

Standard office environment Flexibility to participate in meetings across various time zones outside core working hours. Occasionally working extended hours in order to adhere to client deliverable timelines or attend client meetings. Travel up to 50%

Pay Range

$120,000-$140,000 (The range does not include benefits, and if applicable, bonus, commission, or equity)

Benefits

All job offers will be based on a candidate's skills and prior relevant experience, applicable degrees/certifications, as well as internal equity and market data. Regular, full-time or part-time employees working 20 or more hours per week are eligible for comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life
• STD/LTD
• 401(K)
• ESPP
• Paid time off (PTO) or Flexible time off (FTO)
• Company bonus where applicable

Application deadline

September 30, 2026

Company Culture

At Fortrea, we're all about turning the "impossible" into "I'm possible." Together, we break barriers to deliver exceptional service to our patients, fueled by a shared commitment to teamwork and excellence. Regardless of your role, we're all family, working together to achieve extraordinary results. At Fortrea, your career isn't just a job – it's a journey of making the exceptional possible, every day.