Senior Manager- CDMO Business Development (Small Molecule Drug Substances/NCEs)

Job Title

Senior Manager / DGM CDMO Business Development (Small Molecule Drug Substances/NCEs)

Job Summary

This role of Business Development is responsible for driving revenue growth and long-term strategic partnerships for the company's small-molecule drug substance (RSM/Intermediate/API) CDMO services. This role focuses on acquiring, managing, and expanding relationships with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients across early- to late-stage development and commercial manufacturing.

The position requires deep technical understanding of small-molecule API development and manufacturing, strong commercial judgment, and the ability to navigate complex customer decision-making processes.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Sales Leadership

Develop and execute global business development strategies to grow the small-molecule drug substance pipeline across discovery, development, and commercial stages.

Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities with biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Own the full sales lifecycle: lead generation, opportunity qualification, proposal development, negotiation, and contract closure.

Achieve annual revenue, pipeline, and booking targets aligned with company objectives.

Client Relationship Management

Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key decision-makers, including C-suite, R&D, CMC, sourcing, and procurement leaders.

Drive account growth through cross-selling and upselling of development, scale-up, and commercial manufacturing services.

Serve as the primary commercial point of contact

Technical & Strategic Engagement

Demonstrate strong understanding of small-molecule drug substance development, including route scouting, process development, scale-up, GMP manufacturing, and regulatory requirements.

Translate client technical needs into viable CDMO solutions in collaboration with technical, manufacturing, and project management teams.

Support preparation and presentation of technical proposals, RFP responses, and client meetings.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, project management, and legal teams to ensure aligned and executable customer solutions.

Provide market and customer feedback to internal teams to support capacity planning, capability development, and investment decisions.

Participate in pricing strategy and contract negotiations in alignment with company margins and risk policies.

Market Intelligence & Strategy

Monitor industry trends, competitive landscape, and customer outsourcing strategies in the small-molecule CDMO market.

Identify emerging opportunities (e.g., high-potency APIs, Peptides, Oligos, Payload Linkers etc.,).

Represent the company at industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events

Qualifications & Experience

Education

Master's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field required

Experience

10+ years of experience in business development, sales, or commercial roles within small-molecule drug substance CDMOs, CROs, or pharmaceutical manufacturing organizations.

Proven track record of closing complex, high-value CDMO deals.

Strong understanding of API development and manufacturing processes under GMP.

Experience working with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.

Key Competencies

Strategic selling and negotiation skills

Strong technical and scientific acumen

Executive-level communication and presentation skills

Ability to manage long, complex sales cycles

Commercial judgment and financial awareness

Collaborative, results-driven mind-set

Travel Requirement

Willingness to travel internationally (typically 30 - 40%)