VP of Business Development, Drug Delivery at Cambridge Design Partnership

Job description

CDP is seeking a Vice President, Business Development to drive growth by selling outsourced insight, design, engineering, development, and manufacturing services primarily to pharmaceutical companies within the East Coast North American territory. This role is built for a senior business development leader with direct experience selling engineering consulting or product development services, not finished medical devices, capital equipment, or software platforms. You will engage client companies that require an external development partner to move from concept through commercialization. As a consultative seller, you will lead complex, scope-based sales cycles, qualify ambiguous and technically nuanced opportunities, and partner closely with CDP engineering and program teams to shape well-defined development programs. You will translate customer needs into clear workstreams, align internal capabilities to client goals, and support the creation of compelling proposals that accelerate decisions and launch readiness. Success in this position depends on the ability to sell custom, project-based development services in a consulting environment, where outcomes, scope, and timelines are co-developed with the client. Job Duties and Responsibilities: • Own new client business development for CDP’s Drug Delivery sector within an assigned target account list. • Consistently generate qualified pipeline through a structured outbound motion (account-based prospecting, referral activation, partner channels, and event-driven follow-up). • Build and maintain disciplined pipeline coverage across all aspects of the sales process. • Identify and engage senior stakeholders at potential client companies seeking an external partner for drug delivery device insights, strategy, design, engineering, development, human factors, regulatory support, verification and validation, and pilot or low-volume builds. • Lead consultative discovery conversations to qualify fit and urgency, needs, technical scope, timeline, budget, decision criteria, and buying process. • Convert ambiguous opportunities into clear pursuit plans, including stakeholder mapping, competitive positioning, qualification checkpoints, and a mutual action plan with the customer. • Collaborate with the market leadership team to shape scopes that are technically sound, commercially viable, and executable. • Maintain accurate CRM records and forecasting discipline, including opportunity staging, next steps, close plans, probability, and weekly forecast updates. • Represent CDP at conferences, industry events, and networking forums with measurable outcomes (meetings booked, opportunities created, and pipeline influenced). • Execute a clean handoff to delivery leadership, ensuring continuity of scope intent and customer expectations, then return focus to new-logo prospecting. Strategy (expected • Assist with annual budgeting and strategic planning activities in-line with overall goals of CDP. • Use domain knowledge to identify opportunity spaces for the sector: where the industry is investing and associated challenge areas. • Identify target clients and prioritise based on CDP’s assessment criteria. • Maintain market intelligence, staying aware of trends, barriers and risks. Marketing (expected • Identify and communicate key market themes/topics based on market and client needs. • Work with marketing to organise specific conferences, generate sales materials, case studies, and website updates. • Engage marketing to help deliver collateral and thought leadership material. • Update and manage sales material and ensure CDP’s capabilities are presented in a compelling way appropriate to the opportunity. • Attend and present at conferences. Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in engineering, life sciences, or a related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. • 10+ years of progressive business development experience, including demonstrated success selling engineering consulting and outsourced product development services (custom, project-based services). • Proven track record of new client acquisition (hunter role), including outbound pipeline generation and closing complex, solution-based sales. • Strong technical aptitude with the ability to explain complex development concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. • Demonstrated ability to manage long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles, including executives, engineering, quality, regulatory, clinical, and procurement contacts. • Familiarity with medical device development and regulatory environments, including working knowledge of applicable requirements/standards (FDA, ISO 13485, IEC 60601). • Strong planning, organization, and communication skills, including CRM discipline and forecast reporting. • Ability to travel within the assigned territory for customer meetings and industry events. • Experience developing scopes of work and proposals in partnership with engineering, program management, quality, and regulatory teams. • A collaborative, team working approach. Benefits We’re an employee‑owned innovation partner with a growing US team. We bring ideas to life-from insight to engineering to pilot manufacture—across consumer and healthcare.

Requirements

Must-haves

Success in this position depends on the ability to sell custom, project-based development services in a consulting environment, where outcomes, scope, and timelines are co-developed with the client.
Own new client business development for CDP’s Drug Delivery sector within an assigned target account list.
Consistently generate qualified pipeline through a structured outbound motion (account-based prospecting, referral activation, partner channels, and event-driven follow-up).
Build and maintain disciplined pipeline coverage across all aspects of the sales process.
Lead consultative discovery conversations to qualify fit and urgency, needs, technical scope, timeline, budget, decision criteria, and buying process.
Convert ambiguous opportunities into clear pursuit plans, including stakeholder mapping, competitive positioning, qualification checkpoints, and a mutual action plan with the customer.
Collaborate with the market leadership team to shape scopes that are technically sound, commercially viable, and executable.
Maintain accurate CRM records and forecasting discipline, including opportunity staging, next steps, close plans, probability, and weekly forecast updates.
Represent CDP at conferences, industry events, and networking forums with measurable outcomes (meetings booked, opportunities created, and pipeline influenced).
Execute a clean handoff to delivery leadership, ensuring continuity of scope intent and customer expectations, then return focus to new-logo prospecting.
Strategy (expected
Assist with annual budgeting and strategic planning activities in-line with overall goals of CDP.
Use domain knowledge to identify opportunity spaces for the sector: where the industry is investing and associated challenge areas.
Identify target clients and prioritise based on CDP’s assessment criteria.
Maintain market intelligence, staying aware of trends, barriers and risks.
Marketing (expected
Identify and communicate key market themes/topics based on market and client needs.
Work with marketing to organise specific conferences, generate sales materials, case studies, and website updates.
Engage marketing to help deliver collateral and thought leadership material.
Update and manage sales material and ensure CDP’s capabilities are presented in a compelling way appropriate to the opportunity.
Attend and present at conferences.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, life sciences, or a related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
10+ years of progressive business development experience, including demonstrated success selling engineering consulting and outsourced product development services (custom, project-based services).
Proven track record of new client acquisition (hunter role), including outbound pipeline generation and closing complex, solution-based sales.

Nice-to-haves

None flagged.

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Platform: workable
Effort: medium