Director of Business Development – Drug Product & Formulation Services

Location: United States

Market: North America

Role type: Individual contributor; new business development plus growth within existing accounts

Key Corporate Services is conducting a confidential search for an experienced business development professional to grow the North American business of an established pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). The role suits a scientifically trained professional who understands formulation and drug product development and has a record of winning business through consultative, technically informed selling. You will build relationships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, understand the challenges facing their development programs, and work with internal scientific teams to propose solutions that move those programs forward.

The Opportunity

You will develop new customer relationships and expand opportunities within existing accounts, engaging formulation, R&D, CMC, procurement and outsourcing leaders. Success requires uncovering a customer need, establishing technical credibility and guiding the opportunity through evaluation, proposal development and commercial agreement. A broad portfolio of development services, technologies and pharmaceutical ingredients gives you multiple ways to engage customers and build long-term relationships. This role calls for an entrepreneurial approach. You will take existing capabilities and technologies and find where they fit, both in established applications and in new markets and customer segments where they can create business.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Identify, develop and win new business for drug-product development and formulation solutions, drawing on the company’s services, technologies and complementary offerings.
• Match the company’s technologies and capabilities to customer needs, pursuing clear-fit opportunities while identifying new applications and markets where the portfolio can expand.
• Build relationships with pharmaceutical, specialty pharma, generic and biotech customers across North America.
• Engage formulation scientists, CMC leaders, R&D teams, procurement and the executives who make outsourcing decisions.
• Understand customers’ development objectives, technical challenges, timelines and commercial priorities.
• Work with internal scientific and technical teams to assess opportunities, shape proposals and communicate the value of the proposed approach.
• Guide opportunities from initial discussion through technical evaluation, negotiation and agreement.
• Develop long-term customer relationships that generate additional programs and broader collaboration.
• Maintain a qualified pipeline, accurate forecasts and clear account priorities.
• Travel as needed for customer meetings, industry events and work with internal teams.

You’ll Be a Great Fit If

• Scientific Foundation: You hold a degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering or a closely related scientific discipline. This is required.
• Pharmaceutical Business Development: You have a successful record selling pharmaceutical development services, with experience in formulation, drug delivery or related CDMO capabilities. Additional experience commercializing pharmaceutical technologies or ingredients is valuable.
• Drug Product Knowledge: You understand formulation and how drug products progress from development toward clinical and commercial manufacturing.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: You see possibilities in a technology or capability beyond its current use, and you have opened new applications, markets or customer segments.
• New Business Record: You have developed new customer relationships and can point to technically complex opportunities you personally converted into awarded business.
• Technical Credibility: You discuss customer needs credibly with scientists and technical stakeholders, and you know when to bring in internal experts.
• Commercial Discipline: You manage extended sales cycles, negotiate agreements and keep momentum across multiple stakeholders. Experience in formulation, pharmaceutical development, technical service or project management before moving into business development is particularly valuable.
• Candidates may currently hold Business Development Manager, Senior Manager, Director or Senior Director titles. Your technical credibility and demonstrated success building customer relationships matter more than your title.

About Key Corporate Services, LLC

Key Corporate Services, LLC is an executive recruiting firm specializing in chemicals and pharmaceutical services, including CDMOs, pharmaceutical ingredients and fine chemicals. Visit www.kcsllc.net to view additional opportunities.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply for a confidential discussion. Not the right fit for this specific role? We regularly work on confidential searches for commercial, technical and operations leaders across CDMOs, pharmaceutical ingredients and specialty chemicals. Please submit your resume to [email protected] to be considered confidentially for current and future opportunities.