Director, Business Development - Discovery (San Diego, Orange County or Los Angeles, CA)

Job title: Director, Business Development - Drug Discovery

Location: Remote in San Diego, Orange County or Los Angeles, CA

Reports to: SVP, Business Development

About Us:

At Evotec, we believe that curiosity is the spark that drives innovation and success. As a forward-thinking team, we thrive on challenging the status quo, learning from each other, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We're on a mission to create a place where curiosity isn't just encouraged, it’s celebrated.

Are you someone who asks questions, seeks answers, and isn't afraid to go deeper? #BeCureious with us and see where your curiosity can take you!

The Role:

We’re looking for a passionate and curious Director of Business Development to join our team. If you’re excited by new challenges, solving complex problems, and learning every step of the way, you might just be the perfect fit. In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to drive impactful projects, collaborate with bright minds, and explore uncharted territories.

As a Director of Business Development at Evotec, you will be responsible for driving new business growth and expanding existing client relationships for Drug Discovery & Pre-Clinical Development services. This role manages the full sales cycle from direct prospecting and lead qualification to contract closure while ensuring high levels of client satisfaction. The Sales Director works closely with Operations, Proposals and Marketing, to deliver tailored solutions that meet the needs of pharmaceutical and biotech clients.

What You'll Do:

• Work with the VP of Sales to drive the overall commercial strategy within the territory.

• Establish Evotec as the partner of choice within the territory

• Maintain high visibility in the territory, spending ~40-50% of time client facing. Focus on new client acquisition, identifying new business opportunities with biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

• Manage the entire sales pipeline, including in territory prospecting, follow-up, client meetings, proposals, contract negotiation and closure.

• Meet or exceed assigned sales targets and quarterly KPIs.

• Maintain a robust and accurate pipeline within the CRM system.

• Develop long-term relationships with key decision-makers in client organizations.

• Conduct capability presentations, introductory calls/meetings, and needs-assessment meetings.

• Serve as the primary point of contact during the pre-award phase and ensure a seamless hand-off to Project Management post-award.

• Manage selected accounts to encourage repeat business and identify cross-sell or upsell opportunities.

• Maintain awareness of CRO industry trends, competitive landscape, regulatory changes, and client R&D priorities.

• Represent the organization at trade shows, conferences, events, and client site visits.

• Provide market feedback to internal teams to support service/product development, commercial strategy, and pipeline planning.

Who You Are:

• Someone who has a passion for innovation and collaboration with the ability to establish both long-term relationships with partners and drive short-term revenue as well.

• Someone who has a thorough understanding of the drug discovery and development paradigm across modalities (including small molecule, mAb, ASO, etc).

• A self-starter with a track record of success identifying, negotiating, and closing deals.

• Demonstrated network, particularly in the West Coast ecosystem, across pharma and biotech.

• Self-motivator and strategic thinker capable of working within a fast pace, global, multi-national, multi-cultural organization.

• An active listener and strong communicator with the ability to assess partner needs and craft recommendations through effective written and oral presentations.

• A team player with a passion for working with diverse teams to deliver results by working collaboratively and influencing both internally and with partners.

• A curious problem-solver with a desire to learn and challenge the status quo.

Education and Qualification Requirements:

• Minimum BSc, MSc or PhD preferable, in a Life Sciences discipline or other advanced degrees (i.e. MBA).

• Greater than 7-10 years of experience in a pharmaceutical/biotech company and/or management consulting and a minimum of 5-7 years proven business development experience with a proven ability to identify, lead, evaluate, and close complex negotiations and collaborations.

• Experience achieving results with and leading cross-functional teams to drive creative solutions.

• Analytical skills; ability to read, analyze, and interpret data and produce reports and documents to support closing arguments.

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be $142,800 to $193,200. This is a salaried exempt position. Base salary offered may vary depending on the individual’s skills, experience and competitive market value. Additional total rewards include discretionary annual bonus, comprehensive benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, short-term and long-term disability, company paid basic life insurance, 401k company match, generous paid time off and paid holiday, wellness and transportation benefits.

Evotec (US) Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, gender, age, disability, genetic information, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.