Business Development Director (Team Lead)

Overview:

Element has an opportunity for a Business Development Director, Team Lead to drive commercial growth for our Santa Fe Springs, California laboratory, a leading provider of analytical chemistry, pharmaceutical testing, and regulatory support services.

In this role, you will lead a team of territory-based sales professionals focused on expanding Element’s footprint across pharmaceutical, biotech, and life sciences markets. You will play a critical role in aligning commercial strategy with the laboratory’s advanced capabilities - including method development and validation, extractables & leachables, elemental impurities, and compendial testing - to help customers achieve regulatory compliance and accelerate time to market.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong sales leadership, managerial courage, customer focus, and entrepreneurial drive, while building a high-performance, accountable, and collaborative sales culture.

Pay Range: $130k-$190k (DOE) + Sales Compensation Incentives

Responsibilities:

Lead, coach, and develop a team of outside sales professionals, driving performance against revenue targets

Provide hands-on leadership throughout the full sales cycle, including prospecting, discovery, solution development, negotiation, and closing

Partner with your team in the field to support complex, technical customer engagements

Drive revenue growth across Santa Fe Springs core services, including: Analytical chemistry testing, Pharmaceutical method development and validation, Regulatory and compliance testing

Help identify and position opportunities early in the sales cycle to maximize share of wallet and long-term account growth

Collaborate closely with laboratory operations and technical SMEs to develop strong, feasible customer solutions

Build and maintain executive-level relationships across pharma, biotech, and regulated industries

Represent Element at industry associations, conferences, and client events

Lead pipeline management and forecasting, ensuring CRM accuracy and visibility into key opportunities

Guide development of proposals, scopes of work, pricing, and commercial terms

Ensure team alignment with Element’s quality standards, regulatory requirements, and commercial strategy

Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Skills / Qualifications:

3–5 years of experience managing an outside sales team

5–10 years of technical sales experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences markets

Strong understanding of FDA, cGMP, and global regulatory frameworks

Experience selling analytical testing, laboratory services, or pharmaceutical development solutions

Bachelor’s degree preferred (scientific discipline strongly desired)

Proven ability to lead teams, manage complex technical sales cycles, and influence stakeholders

Ability to interpret testing specifications, contracts, and customer requirements

Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills

Proficiency with CRM systems (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics) and Microsoft Office tools

Ability to travel up to 75%, including overnight travel

Valid driver’s license with acceptable driving record

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Company Overview:

Element is one of the fastest growing testing, inspection and certification businesses in the world. Globally we have more than 9,000 brilliant minds operating from 270 sites across 30 countries. Together we share an ambitious purpose to ‘Make tomorrow safer than today’.

When failure in use is not an option, we help customers make certain that their products, materials, processes and services are safe, compliant and fit for purpose. From early R&D, through complex regulatory approvals and into production, our global laboratory network of scientists, engineers, and technologists support customers to achieve assurance over product quality, sustainable outcomes, and market access.

While we are proud of our global reach, working at Element feels like being part of a smaller company. We empower you to take charge of your career, and reward excellence and integrity with growth and development.

Industries across the world depend on our care, attention to detail and the absolute accuracy of our work. The role we have to play in creating a safer world is much bigger than our organization.

Diversity Statement:

All suitably qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective work related criteria and without regard for the following: age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, race, religion, responsibility of dependents, sexual orientation, or gender identity or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws.