Associate Director Business Development

Associate Director Business Development (West Coast) - Veridix AI

Synopsis

This is a remote role. We are only considering applicants who are presently residing on the West Coast. Ideally located near a major airport, as this role requires travel to customer sites.

We are seeking an experienced business development professional with a successful track record selling SaaS (Software as a Service), AIaaS (AI as a Service), and/or technology-enabled solutions supporting Clinical Trials into the biopharma market.

Veridix AI is the technology, data, and AI arm of the Emmes Group, a leading full-service contract research organization (CRO) with over 47 years of experience supporting clinical research across more than 70 countries. With industry-leading capabilities in cell and gene therapy, vaccines, infectious diseases, and ophthalmology, Emmes is a trusted partner to the U.S. government and is rapidly expanding its presence in commercial biopharma.

Veridix AI develops advanced eClinical solutions that power clinical trials through patient data collection, randomization, biospecimen tracking, and data quality monitoring. Our innovative AI capabilities, including Generative AI (GenAI), are helping transform clinical research by accelerating workflows from document authoring to study build automation.

Our Character Achieves Results culture is driven by five key values that guide how we work: Integrity, Agility, Passion for Excellence, Collaborative Partnerships, and Intellectual Curiosity. If you share our passion for innovation and advancing clinical research, we invite you to join our collaborative and mission-driven team.

Primary Purpose

The Associate Director, Business Development is responsible for driving revenue growth through the identification, pursuit, and acquisition of new business opportunities within the clinical research and life sciences sectors. This role combines strategic account management with new client acquisition, ensuring alignment between customer needs and the CRO's scientific, operational, and technology capabilities.

Operating within a mid-sized global CRO, the Associate Director partners cross-functionally with operational, scientific, and financial teams to develop competitive proposals, strengthen long-term client partnerships, and achieve organizational growth targets.

• Business Development and Client Acquisition.

• Identify, develop, and close new business opportunities across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sectors.

• Build a qualified pipeline aligned with the organization's service offerings and therapeutic areas of expertise.

• Lead proposal strategy, RFI or RFP responses, and bid defense presentations in collaboration with functional experts.

• Negotiate contract terms and ensure successful handover to operational delivery teams.

• Account Management and Relationship Development

• Develop and maintain strong, long term relationships with key clients and decision makers.

• Serve as the primary commercial contact, ensuring client satisfaction and repeat business.

• Partner with operational teams to monitor project delivery and address client feedback proactively.

• Identify opportunities for organic growth, portfolio expansion, and cross selling of services.

• Strategic Planning and Market Intelligence

• Contribute to regional and global business development strategy and annual sales planning.

• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and emerging therapeutic opportunities.

• Provide insights to leadership regarding pricing strategy, client expectations, and market differentiation.

• Represent the company at key industry conferences, networking events, and business forums.

• Collaboration and Cross functional Alignment

• Collaborate closely with Project Management, Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, and Finance to ensure client proposals are accurate, timely, and financially viable.

• Participate in internal business reviews to align sales forecasts with operational capacity.

• Ensure CRM data accuracy and timely reporting of pipeline, forecasting, and activity metrics.

• Leadership and Team Support

• Mentor and guide Business Development Managers or Executives in sales approaches and client management.

• Contribute to business development process improvements and proposal development best practices.

• Support training and onboarding of new commercial team members as required.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in business development, client services, or commercial operations within a CRO, clinical research, or biotechnology environment.

• 4-6 years of demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding annual sales targets.

• 4-6 years of strong understanding of clinical development phases, outsourcing models, and global trial operations.

• Less than 1 year of experience working with CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, or equivalent).

• Strategic business mindset and strong commercial acumen.

• Deep understanding of clinical research processes and customer decision dynamics.

• Exceptional relationship building and consultative selling skills.

• Cross functional collaboration with operational, scientific, and executive stakeholders.

• Strong influencing and negotiation abilities at senior client levels.

• Results oriented with ability to manage multiple priorities and deliverables.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, and integrity in client interactions

Emmes Group: Building a better future for us all.

Emmes Group is transforming the future of clinical research, bringing the promise of new medical discovery closer within reach for patients. Emmes Group was founded as Emmes more than 47 years ago, becoming one of the primary clinical research providers to the US government before expanding into public-private partnerships and commercial biopharma. Emmes has built industry leading capabilities in cell and gene therapy, vaccines and infectious diseases, ophthalmology, rare diseases, and neuroscience.

We believe the work we do will have a direct impact on patients' lives and act accordingly. We strive to build a collaborative culture at the intersection of being a performance and people driven company. We're looking for talented professionals eager to help advance clinical research as we work to embed innovation into the fabric of our company. If you share our motivations and passion in research, come join us!

Why work at Emmes?

At Emmes, your actions and hard work will have a direct impact on public health initiatives, both globally and in our local communities with opportunities for volunteerism through our Emmes Cares community engagement program. We offer a competitive benefits package focused on the health and needs of our growing workforce, including:

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The Emmes Company, LLC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability or protected veteran status.

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