Global Account Director

Certara; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Certara is seeking a Global Account Director to identify and pursue strategic business with new clients and grow value with existing portfolios. The role requires deep biopharma BD experience, executive-level communication, and the ability to manage complex negotiations and cross-functional teams.

You will liaise between clients and Certara resources, ensuring proposals align with client objectives and that engagements deliver measurable impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a science-related field or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of combined business development in biopharma needed.
• Ability to discuss drug development processes with C-suite executives.
• Strong negotiation, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience leading strategic plans in a matrix organization.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue strategic business with new clients.
• Pursue growth opportunities within assigned clients.
• Conduct discovery to understand client needs and objectives.
• Negotiate contract terms and timelines.
• Lead client meetings and brief internal stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic business development

Contract negotiation

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Overview

Certara is a growing company that provides a dynamic and exciting place to work. Our purpose is to assist in accelerating the development of meaningful medicines that make an impact on our society and the people that need them most. Innovation and creativity are highly valued, and everyone is given the opportunity for training and continuous development. Our portfolio spans the discovery, preclinical, clinical and post-marketing phases of drug development, working with 1,200 commercial companies, 250 academic institutions, and numerous regulatory agencies.

The Global Account Director (GAD) will be working with world class expert drug development consultants in client engagements and be supported during the Business Development process by required expert teams. As a precursor to consultant engagement with the client, our candidates will be responsible for identifying and pursuing strategic business with clients after qualifying them with a needs assessment including, understanding their business model and corporate objectives, understanding their development program focus, objectives and priorities, understanding their critical decisions and challenges and financial position. It is after this qualification process that the appropriate Certara consulting resources are identified for engagement and are introduced to the client as the Certara resource team.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue strategic business with new clients
• Identify and pursue business growth opportunities within assigned clients
• Conduct proper discovery to understand and qualify client needs, including understanding of business model and corporate objectives, development program focus, and priorities
• Negotiate contract terms by understanding critical decision timelines, challenges, and financial position
• Lead and facilitate client meetings with consulting resources, ensure internal stakeholders are properly briefed on client meeting plan and management
• Act as main liaison for client and Certara
• Facilitate execution of CDA/ MSA
• Collaborate with project team to ensure timely delivery and quality of all project deliverables
• Communicate issues, issue status, and issue resolution on a regular basis
• Provide leadership and timely feedback to keep all stakeholders, including senior management, informed of project progress
• Ensure Salesforce is properly updated

Qualifications

• Minimum a Bachelor’s Degree (science related curriculum a plus) with a demonstrated career path in Business Development to support the sought drug development experience and understanding required for this position.
• A seasoned and well-rounded biopharmaceutical executive is required with minimum combined business development experience of 10+ years, in successfully representing drug development related consulting services from preclinical through Phase 4 in the Biopharma space.
• Thorough understanding of the drug development processes, with the ability to converse with C-suite leadership in Biopharma companies, is essential. Thorough understanding of Clinical Pharmacology and Model Informed Drug Development (PK/PD, QSP, PBPK and MBMA) is a plus.
• Possesses broad knowledge of the pharmaceutical space and current macro trends within the industry. Able to lead strategic business planning process based on a thorough understanding of industry trends and opportunities and effectively solve strategic challenges.
• Proven ability to lead initiatives: work collaboratively with teams to achieve objectives. Achieves organizational focus on key priorities. Provides clear direction, delegates, actively communicates. Superior project management skills.
• Proven success in working collaboratively with cross functional commercialization teams with a strong business orientation and ability to view issues from multiple functional perspectives.
• Experienced and adept in a variety of negotiating settings. Able to engage effectively; establishes a clear negotiation strategy and manages a tight process.
• Proven experience in identifying, evaluating and pursuing business development opportunities within new and existing key markets.
• Demonstrated ability to gain credibility through successful leadership in a matrix environment, across a range of functions, position levels and geography
• Strong communication and influencing skills

Certara bases all employment-related decision on merit, taking into consideration qualifications, skills, achievement, and performance. We treat all applicants and employees without regard to personal characteristics such as race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, nationality, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental condition, genetic information, military service, or other characteristic protected by law.