Vice President, Efficiency in Pharmaceutical Innovation Center (EPIC)

KC BioHub; Kansas City (MO); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

BioNexus KC seeks an accomplished sales executive with CRO/CDMO experience to accelerate growth of a national biomanufacturing and bioservices cluster. This Vice President will shape and execute an industry strategy that drives commercial activity for a consortium of regional bioservices firms—positioning EPIC member firms to win high-value contracts across the biopharma value chain.

This external-facing leader builds credibility with sponsors, translates regional capabilities into revenue

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years in biomanufacturing, bioservices, or life sciences business development.
• Proven revenue growth, partnerships, or market expansion in outsourced biopharma services.
• Strong network with sponsors, CROs, CDMOs, and industry stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Drive market demand for regional biomanufacturing and bioservices providers.
• Originate and cultivate sponsor relationships with biopharma and biotech firms.
• Position the region as a capable, execution-ready partner in global value chains.
• Lead a five-person team, set metrics, and report progress to funders.
• Adopt AI-driven workflows to improve productivity and outcomes.

Skills

Senior leadership

Business development

Market strategy

Biomanufacturing

Networking

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences or business

Job description

We are seeking an accomplished sales executive with experience in CRO and/or CDMO settings to accelerate the growth of a nationally competitive biomanufacturing and bioservices cluster. This Vice President will shape and execute a focused industry strategy that drives commercial activity to a consortium of regional bioservices firms—positioning EPIC member firms to win high-value contracts across the biopharma value chain, from preclinical services though scale-up manufacturing.

This is an external-facing role for a leader who brings credibility within the bioservices ecosystem, understands the needs and requirements of sponsors, and can translate regional capabilities into revenue-generating opportunities.

What You Will Do

Drive Market Demand to the Region

• Lead proactive business development efforts that generate qualified customer demand for regional biomanufacturing and bioservices providers (e.g., CDMOs, CROs, cell and gene therapy services, bioanalytical services and fill-finish capabilities).
• Originate and cultivate relationships with biopharma sponsors, emerging biotech firms, and outsourced services for decision makers and influencers.
• Position and elevate the region as a differentiated, execution-ready partner within global value chains.
• Maintain senior-level relationships with sponsors, service providers, biotech investors, accelerators, and ecosystem partners influencing the purchasing process.
• Serve as a visible, trusted representative of the region in industry forums and engagements.

Enable Regional Firms to Win Work

• Act as a strategic connector between external demand and regional supply, accelerating deal flow to regional companies.
• Track deals from qualified leads through handoffs to closing, building systems to ensure attribution of leads and collect referral fees when appropriate.
• Surface and qualify opportunities, support matchmaking, and help regional firms compete effectively for contracts.
• Provide supportive and clear feedback that improves member firms’ ability to win work in new markets and from new customer personas.

Lead a High-Performing, Expert Team

• Build, direct, and develop a team of five over a two-year period, fostering a performance-driven, externally oriented culture.
• Set clear priorities, metrics, and accountability aligned with measurable economic outcomes. Provide strategic direction to marketing leadership to ensure messaging, targeting, and campaigns resonate with technical and commercial buyers.
• Support organization-wide efforts to track, measure, and communicate execution and progress to grant funders.
• Provide support and feedback for colleagues leading other KC BioHub projects and programs providing feedback as a subject matter expert on the bioservices industry
• Lead your team in adoption of AI-driven workflows that increase productivity and efficiency

Who You Are

• A senior leader with 10-15+ years of experience in biomanufacturing, bioservices, or life sciences business development leader with experience in animal or human health.
• Demonstrated success driving revenue, partnerships, or market expansion within outsourced biopharma services.
• Deep understanding of the bioservices landscape, including CDMOs, CROs, advanced therapies, and bioprocessing.
• Well-connected robust networked with decisionmakers across biotech, pharma, and service providers.
• Commercially astute, with the ability to navigate complex, technical value propositions and translate them into business opportunities.
• Experienced in leading teams and operating in cross-sector environments involving industry, academia, and government.
• Demonstrated understanding (through past employment, volunteer, or board service) of the non-profit sector, and genuine dedication to the mission of the organization.
• An enthusiastic AI adopter, with a track record of using ChatGPT, Claude, or similar models to improve capacity and productivity of business development systems.
• A true believer in the importance of markets like Kansas City to build our national bioeconomy and a willingness to become a booster for the region (the term "flyover country" should not be in your vocabulary).

Location and Travel Requirements

This role may work remotely from Boston, the Bay Area, San Diego, North Carolina, or may join our hybrid team in Kansas City. This role will require regular travel between Kansas City and these markets.

Salary Range: $180,000 - $220,000

Apply By: November 18 | Interviews Start: November 23

FLSA Status: Exempt

BioNexus KC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

BioNexus KC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Duties may change at any time with or without notice. This description does not constitute an employment contract; employment with BioNexus KC is at-will.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.