Associate Director, Business Development, Biologics
Software Development
SalesforceExcel
Job Description
Associate Director, Business Development, Biologics – San Francisco / Bay Area
Location
Remotely based out of San Francisco / Bay Area, CA. Note on Travel &Location
This is a field-based, remote position. Candidates must be based within or near the San Francisco Bay Area to facilitate frequent direct travel and face-to-face engagements with clients across the US West territory. We are seeking a high-caliber, commercially astute sales leader to join our global Commercial organization as the Associate Director, Biologics Business Development . Managing the US West territory, this role is directly responsible for proactively identifying, penetrating, and securing new customer relationships to drive year-on-year revenue and pipeline opportunity growth for Lonza Pharma & Biotech. Focused on hunting and closing new clinical development business, you will effectively promote Lonza’s comprehensive Biologics portfolio—including Early Development services as well as Mammalian and Drug Product service offerings . Operating in a highly dynamic market, you will serve as a primary brand ambassador, navigating complex matrix structures internally while establishing trust-based partnerships with biotech and pharma clients from technical scientists up to C-suite executives. What you will get: The full-time base annual salary for this position is expected to range between $158,000 to $205,000 . Compensation within this range will be determined by the successful candidate’s qualifications, skills, experience, and job-related knowledge. In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package: Performance‑related bonus program Corporate car allowance Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) plan with competitive company matching Company-paid life insurance, alongside short‑term and long‑term disability coverage Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and retirement options Paid Time Off (PTO) Our full list of global benefits can be found here: https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits .What you Will Do
New Business Generation: Hunt and secure new clinical and commercial contracts from prospective customers through intensive market penetration, frequent face-to-face customer visits, and extensive executive networking. Strategic Territory Planning: Develop, own, and execute a comprehensive commercial territory plan across the US West region, defining specific technology focus areas to maximize market share. Technical Portfolio Promotion: Differentiate Lonza from competitors by articulately pitching current technical capabilities and emerging modalities via tailored presentations, technical consultations, and high-impact value propositions. Executive Relationship Building: Establish and maintain trust-based, long-term commitments across target accounts, seamlessly bridging technical dialogues with scientists and commercial negotiations with C-suite leaders. Cross-Functional Strategy Collaboration: Partner closely with Global Marketing, Account Management, and Product Development teams to align commercial offerings with emerging customer needs and position Lonza as the premier solutions provider. Matrix Interface & Support: Navigate internal networks efficiently, interfacing with technical Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Proposals, and Operations to design winning technical proposals and ensure flawless customer support. Pipeline Management: Maintain absolute accuracy within SalesForce.com (SFDC), tracking customer contact histories, managing deal stages, and forecasting sales metrics transparently.What we are Looking For
Experience: Proven, successful track record of delivering year-on-year business targets by identifying, structuring, and closing complex, high-value outsourcing or service deals within the life sciences sector. Technical & Industry Intelligence: Deep, foundational understanding of the drug development, clinical manufacturing, and commercialization pathways for biological therapeutics. Commercial Presence & Gravitas: High level of professional gravitas, with a customer-facing attitude built on trust. Exceptional presentation skills with a proven ability to independently generate and deliver technical sales decks. Matrix Navigation & Influence: Adept at building a strong internal network and navigating a complex, multi-site global matrix organization to optimize technical and executive support for regional opportunities. Digital Tools: Practical, hands-on proficiency utilizing SalesForce.com (or equivalent CRM platform) for robust opportunity and pipeline management. Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Life Sciences or Engineering (specifically Biology, Biochemistry, or a related Technical degree) is required. Advanced technical degrees or an MBA are a distinct advantage. About Lonza At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of. Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board. Ready to shape the future of life sciences? Apply now.How to Stand Out
- Highlight your Salesforce expertise with concrete metrics: in your résumé and interview, cite specific numbers (e.g., “managed a pipeline of $45 M in Salesforce, increasing qualified opportunities by 32% YoY”) and be ready to walk through a live or screenshot‑based demo of your customized dashboards, forecasting models, and territory‑segmentation reports that mirror Lonza’s US West focus.
- Build a “Biologics Business Development” mini‑portfolio: assemble 2–3 case studies (PDF or short slide deck) that showcase how you identified, qualified, and closed deals with pharma/biotech clients, emphasizing the use of Excel for financial modeling (NPV, ROI, pricing scenarios) and any biologics‑specific regulatory or manufacturing knowledge you leveraged. Share this portfolio in your cover letter link and reference it during the interview.
- Tailor your cover letter to Lonza’s remote‑field hybrid model: explicitly mention that you are based in the Bay Area (or within a 2‑hour commute) and outline a weekly travel‑to‑client plan (e.g., “3 on‑site visits per week covering San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles”) that demonstrates you understand the need for face‑to‑face engagement while maintaining remote productivity.
- Prepare to demonstrate strategic territory planning: before the interview, draft a one‑page “US West Biologics Opportunity Map” using Excel (heat‑map of key biotech clusters, existing Lonza customers, and untapped prospects). Bring this to the interview and be ready to discuss how you would prioritize accounts, set quarterly revenue targets, and align with Lonza’s global commercial goals.
- When negotiating salary, reference Lonza’s market position and the cost‑of‑living differentials between the Bay Area and remote locations: research comparable Associate Director BD salaries (e.g., $150‑$180 k base + 30‑40% OTE) and frame your ask around the revenue you plan to generate (e.g., “My target pipeline of $75 M in the first year justifies a base of $165 k with a 35% commission structure”). Include a brief “value‑add” clause that ties a performance‑based bonus to hitting specific pipeline milestones.
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