Director, Business Development – CRO Services

SRC-Search; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Meso Scale Diagnostics in San Diego, CA is seeking a Director of Business Development for CRO services in proteomics. You will lead a regional sales strategy, expand the CRO portfolio, and build relationships with pharma and biotech customers to drive revenue growth.

The role requires 5–10 years in life sciences sales, an advanced degree preferred, and a proven record of meeting targets using consultative selling. Travel is required and Salesforce is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences required.
• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) strongly preferred.
• 5 to 10 years of experience in sales or business development for a CRO or life sciences services organization.
• Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and structured opportunity management processes.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets in a consultative, solutions-based selling environment.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery and development workflows.
• Strong business acumen, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Willingness to travel extensively, including overnight stays.

Responsibilities

• Prospect and develop new CRO service opportunities in NA, with emphasis on proteomics.
• Own the full sales cycle, from lead generation through proposal and close.
• Collaborate with regional product sales teams to align service opportunities with instrument placements.
• Develop relationships with scientists, project managers, and procurement professionals.
• Generate competitive SOWs, proposals and quotations for services.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to meet commercial objectives and deliver customer value.
• Achieve quarterly and annual sales targets with accurate CRM forecasting.
• Represent MSD at regional conferences and customer meetings to promote capabilities.

Skills

Sales leadership

CRM proficiency

Strategic account management

Life sciences domain expertise

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office Suite

Job description

Director, Business Development - CRO Services, Proteomics (San Diego, CA)

About Meso Scale Diagnostics

Established in 1995, Meso Scale Diagnostics is a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and commercializing innovative assays and instruments for measuring molecules in biological samples. MSD's proprietary MULTI-ARRAY technology enhances medical research and drug development by enabling researchers to profile many biomarkers simultaneously in a single sample without compromising assay performance. Researchers in pharmaceutical companies, government institutions, universities, and clinical laboratories worldwide have widely adopted MSD's technology.

About this role

The Business Development Director, CRO Services, is responsible for driving sales growth of the company’s contract research service portfolio within an assigned North American territory. This individual will identify, engage, and close new business opportunities with pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers, while also supporting academic and government accounts as secondary segments.

The position collaborates with the broader commercial organization, including product sales teams, field applications, and marketing, to develop integrated account strategies that maximize customer value and revenue growth. The role is based in San Diego, CA.

What you can expect

• Prospect and develop new business within pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, building a qualified pipeline of CRO service opportunities with an emphasis on bioanalytical endpoints, including sample testing and custom assay development.
• Own the full sales cycle, from lead generation and qualification through proposal, negotiation, and contract close.
• Collaborate closely with regional product sales teams to align service opportunities with instrument and reagent placements.
• Develop strong relationships with key decision-makers and influencers, including scientists, project managers, and procurement professionals.
• Work with internal resources to generate strong, competitive SOWs, proposals and quotations for services.
• Partner with internal stakeholders (assay development and sample testing, commercial and company leadership) to meet commercial objectives and deliver an outstanding customer experience.
• Achieve quarterly and annual sales targets for the assigned region, maintaining accurate forecasts, funnels and pipeline reporting in CRM.
• Represent the company at regional conferences, industry events, and customer meetings to promote capabilities and build market awareness.
• Provide market intelligence and competitive insights to inform commercial strategy and new service development.

Who we are looking for

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences required.
• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) strongly preferred.
• 5 to 10 years of experience in sales or business development for a CRO or related life sciences services organization, selling bioanalytical assay method development and testing requiring GLP/GCLP.
• Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and structured opportunity management processes.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets in a consultative, solutions-based selling environment in the life sciences or contract research industry.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery and development workflows and the role of analytical and bioanalytical services.
• Strong business acumen, negotiation and mediation skills, attention to detail and a focus on quality outcomes.
• Ability to build and foster relationships.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to organize, present, and articulate ideas verbally and in writing.
• Entrepreneurial and self-directed, with strong accountability for business results.
• Scientifically literate and commercially astute, able to connect customer needs to technical service solutions.
• Collaborative mindset; works effectively in an overlay structure alongside product sales teams.
• A professional presence and strong interpersonal skills for interacting courteously and diplomatically with customers.
• Driven, persistent, and comfortable navigating complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite and Salesforce.
• Ability to travel extensively, including overnight stays, and to work outside normal business hours as needed.