Business Development Manager - Clinical Research

LinQ Research LLC; Pearland (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

LinQ Research LLC in Pearland, Texas, seeks a Manager, Business Development to lead the department, grow sponsor and CRO partnerships, and expand the PI network. You will recruit, coach, and manage the BD team, drive quarterly strategies, and ensure timely feasibility and study opportunities.

The role requires autonomy, resilience, and a proven ability to generate new pipeline. The ideal candidate has 6+ years in clinical research/business development, strong communication, and a track record of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Marketing, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• 4+ years of business development experience.
• 6+ years of experience within clinical research, clinical trial, healthcare/pharmaceutical, or related research industry.
• Demonstrated experience generating new business opportunities and building a consistent pipeline.
• Experience developing professional relationships within the clinical research or healthcare industry.
• Strong understanding of clinical research operations.
• Strong relationship management, sales, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Business Development department.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop Business Development Associates.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports.
• Hold recurring team meetings to communicate priorities, expectations, and departmental initiatives.
• Delegate responsibilities appropriately while maintaining accountability for results.
• Monitor employee performance and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and performance evaluations.
• Identify staffing needs and participate in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and training new employees.
• Foster a collaborative, professional, accountable, and high-performing team culture.
• Develop and execute annual and quarterly business development strategies.
• Establish measurable departmental goals and KPIs.
• Proactively identify new Sponsors, CROs, healthcare organizations, physician practices, referral sources, and strategic partners.
• Develop and execute strategies to expand LINQ Research's clinical trial opportunities across priority therapeutic areas.
• Maintain and expand relationships with existing Sponsors and strategic partners.
• Analyze market trends, competitor activity, and emerging business opportunities.
• Proactively identify and engage new physician prospects across priority specialties.
• Expand and manage the PI pipeline across target therapeutic areas.
• Build and maintain relationships with prospective and existing physicians and Principal Investigators.
• Identify qualified physicians and investigators who may be appropriate for current and future clinical research opportunities.
• Develop strategies to expand LINQ Research's investigator network.
• Maintain consistent follow-up with physician and PI prospects to advance relationships and opportunities.
• Develop a strong network within the clinical research and site-management community.
• Build and grow relationships with pharmaceutical companies and CROs.
• Generate new meetings, introductions, partnership opportunities, and clinical trial opportunities.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of Sponsor and CRO opportunities.
• Conduct proactive outreach rather than relying solely on inbound opportunities or existing relationships.
• Coordinate Sponsor introductions and feasibility opportunities.
• Prepare presentations, proposals, capability statements, and other business development materials.
• Track Sponsor communications and follow-up activities.
• Maintain professional relationships that support long-term partnerships and future study opportunities.
• Represent LINQ Research during Sponsor meetings, networking events, conferences, and industry functions.
• Own the feasibility questionnaire (FQ) process end-to-end, ensuring accurate and timely submission.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to collect required feasibility information.
• Track feasibility opportunities and follow up on outstanding items.
• Ensure feasibility questionnaires are completed and submitted within required timelines.
• Coordinate with internal teams to evaluate study opportunities and site capabilities.
• Communicate study opportunities and requirements to appropriate stakeholders.
• Support the advancement of qualified opportunities from initial contact through study award.
• Represent LINQ Research at PSVs, SIVs, Sponsor meetings, conferences, networking events, and other industry functions.
• Develop professional relationships with Sponsors, CRO representatives, physicians, Principal Investigators, and other industry stakeholders.
• Identify new business opportunities through conferences, networking, and industry relationships.
• Follow up consistently with contacts and opportunities developed through industry events and meetings.
• Present LINQ Research's capabilities and value proposition to prospective partners.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date CRM and pipeline records for all prospecting and relationship activity.
• Review and audit lead pipelines for quality, completeness, and appropriate follow-up.
• Monitor outreach activities, conversion rates, feasibility submissions, and awarded studies.
• Ensure Business Development Associates maintain accurate and timely CRM records.
• Develop dashboards and reports measuring departmental performance.
• Identify pipeline gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Improve business development workflows and eliminate operational inefficiencies.
• Ensure business development processes remain standardized, organized, and scalable.
• Evaluate departmental performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Analyze business development metrics and prepare reports for executive leadership.
• Monitor progress toward departmental KPIs and business objectives.
• Recommend improvements that enhance productivity, pipeline development, and organizational growth.
• Use business development data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas requiring additional focus.
• Collaborate with executive leadership on strategic initiatives and organizational planning.
• Lead by example.
• Demonstrate professionalism and integrity.
• Build trust across departments.
• Communicate effectively with all organizational levels.
• Make sound business decisions.
• Hold employees accountable while supporting professional growth.
• Promote collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Resolve conflicts professionally and objectively.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Skills

Relationship management

Sales

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Project management

Organizational skills

CRM proficiency

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Marketing, Life Sciences, or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The ideal candidate is highly motivated, results-driven, self-directed, assertive, persistent, and comfortable operating with significant autonomy. This individual should be proactive, resilient under pressure, and target-driven when opportunities move slowly or prospects decline, consistently generate new pipeline rather than simply maintain existing relationships, and bring either an established network or a demonstrated ability to rapidly build one within the clinical research and site-management industry.

• Direct and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Business Development department.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop Business Development Associates.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports.
• Hold recurring team meetings to communicate priorities, expectations, and departmental initiatives.
• Delegate responsibilities appropriately while maintaining accountability for results.
• Monitor employee performance and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and performance evaluations.
• Identify staffing needs and participate in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and training new employees.
• Foster a collaborative, professional, accountable, and high-performing team culture.

Business Development Strategy

• Develop and execute annual and quarterly business development strategies.
• Establish measurable departmental goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Proactively identify new Sponsors, CROs, healthcare organizations, physician practices, referral sources, and strategic partners.
• Develop and execute strategies to expand LINQ Research's clinical trial opportunities across priority therapeutic areas.
• Maintain and expand relationships with existing Sponsors and strategic partners.
• Analyze market trends, competitor activity, and emerging business opportunities.
• Proactively identify and engage new physician prospects across priority specialties.
• Expand and manage the Principal Investigator (PI) pipeline across target therapeutic areas.
• Build and maintain relationships with prospective and existing physicians and Principal Investigators.
• Identify qualified physicians and investigators who may be appropriate for current and future clinical research opportunities.
• Develop strategies to expand LINQ Research's investigator network.
• Maintain consistent follow-up with physician and PI prospects to advance relationships and opportunities.
• Develop a strong network within the clinical research and site-management community.

Sponsor & CRO Business Development

• Build and grow relationships with pharmaceutical companies and CROs.
• Generate new meetings, introductions, partnership opportunities, and clinical trial opportunities.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of Sponsor and CRO opportunities.
• Conduct proactive outreach rather than relying solely on inbound opportunities or existing relationships.
• Coordinate Sponsor introductions and feasibility opportunities.
• Prepare presentations, proposals, capability statements, and other business development materials.
• Track Sponsor communications and follow-up activities.
• Maintain professional relationships that support long-term partnerships and future study opportunities.
• Represent LINQ Research during Sponsor meetings, networking events, conferences, and industry functions.

Feasibility & Study Opportunities

• Own the feasibility questionnaire (FQ) process end-to-end, ensuring accurate and timely submission.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to collect required feasibility information.
• Track feasibility opportunities and follow up on outstanding items.
• Ensure feasibility questionnaires are completed and submitted within required timelines.
• Coordinate with internal teams to evaluate study opportunities and site capabilities.
• Communicate study opportunities and requirements to appropriate stakeholders.
• Support the advancement of qualified opportunities from initial contact through study award.

PSVs, SIVs & Industry Representation

• Represent LINQ Research at Pre-Study Visits (PSVs), Site Initiation Visits (SIVs), Sponsor meetings, conferences, networking events, and other industry functions.
• Develop professional relationships with Sponsors, CRO representatives, physicians, Principal Investigators, and other industry stakeholders.
• Identify new business opportunities through conferences, networking, and industry relationships.
• Follow up consistently with contacts and opportunities developed through industry events and meetings.
• Present LINQ Research's capabilities and value proposition to prospective partners.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date CRM and pipeline records for all prospecting and relationship activity.
• Review and audit lead pipelines for quality, completeness, and appropriate follow-up.
• Monitor outreach activities, conversion rates, feasibility submissions, and awarded studies.
• Ensure Business Development Associates maintain accurate and timely CRM records.
• Develop dashboards and reports measuring departmental performance.
• Identify pipeline gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Improve business development workflows and eliminate operational inefficiencies.
• Ensure business development processes remain standardized, organized, and scalable.

Strategic Planning & Analytics

• Evaluate departmental performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Analyze business development metrics and prepare reports for executive leadership.
• Monitor progress toward departmental KPIs and business objectives.
• Recommend improvements that enhance productivity, pipeline development, and organizational growth.
• Use business development data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas requiring additional focus.
• Collaborate with executive leadership on strategic initiatives and organizational planning.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Marketing, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• 4+ years of business development experience.
• 6+ years of experience within clinical research, clinical trial, healthcare/pharmaceutical, or related research industry.
• Demonstrated experience generating new business opportunities and building a consistent pipeline.
• Experience developing professional relationships within the clinical research or healthcare industry.
• Strong understanding of clinical research operations.
• Strong relationship management, sales, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years of supervisory or management experience.
• Existing network of physicians, Principal Investigators, Sponsors, CROs, or clinical research industry professionals.
• Experience negotiating with Sponsors and CROs.
• Previous business development experience within a research site, SMO, site network, CRO, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare organization.
• Experience with clinical trial feasibility and site selection.
• Experience representing a clinical research organization at conferences, networking events, PSVs, or SIVs.
• Experience managing or developing Business Development Associates or similar sales/business development professionals.
• Experience developing departmental KPIs, dashboards, and performance reports.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be:

• Highly motivated and self-directed, with the ability to operate effectively with significant autonomy.
• Assertive and persistent when pursuing new physician, PI, Sponsor, and CRO relationships.
• Resilient under pressure and comfortable with a fast-paced, target-driven environment.
• Results-driven, with a demonstrated track record of consistently generating new business pipeline.
• A proactive prospector, rather than someone primarily focused on maintaining existing relationships.
• A strong relationship builder with an established clinical research network or the demonstrated ability to rapidly build one.
• Strategic and commercially minded, with the ability to identify opportunities aligned with LINQ Research's growth objectives.
• An effective people leader who can coach, develop, motivate, and hold team members accountable.
• Analytical and accountable, with the ability to use pipeline data and KPIs to drive performance.
• Professional and credible when representing LINQ Research to physicians, Sponsors, CROs, and other industry stakeholders.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be measured by the Manager's ability to:

• Develop new CRO partnerships.
• Expand the physician and Principal Investigator pipeline.
• Consistently generate new business pipeline through proactive prospecting.
• Increase meaningful Sponsor and CRO meetings.
• Maintain a strong and accurately documented CRM pipeline.
• Complete feasibility questionnaires accurately and on time.
• Increase study opportunities and study awards.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships.
• Establish and achieve departmental KPIs.
• Develop and retain a high-performing Business Development team.
• Improve business development processes and operational efficiency.
• Provide executive leadership with accurate and actionable business development reporting.

The Manager, Business Development, is expected to:

• Lead by example.
• Demonstrate professionalism and integrity.
• Build trust across departments.
• Communicate effectively with all organizational levels.
• Make sound business decisions.
• Hold employees accountable while supporting professional growth.
• Promote collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Resolve conflicts professionally and objectively.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Work Environment & Travel and Schedule

Occasional evening/weekend work and local travel required. Prolonged computer use and lifting up to 20 lbs. may be necessary. Monday–Friday, 8AM–PM.