Business Development Director – EMEA

About the Role

We are hiring a Business Development Director to lead our commercial expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) . Reporting to senior business leader, you will own the full BD cycle — from regional strategy and market-entry planning, to distributor and partner development, key-account acquisition, and brand building — with the goal of building a sustainable revenue pipeline and establishing our presence across the region.

This is a builder role, not a maintainer role. The ideal candidate combines a strategic hunter mentality with hands-on execution discipline, has deep familiarity with molecular diagnostics / IVD / life-science tools markets , and thrives in a multi-cultural, cross-functional environment.

Key Responsibilities

You will own four core workstreams for EMEA:

1. Market Expansion & Business Opportunity Development

• Proactively identify, evaluate, and pursue new business opportunities across the EMEA region — balancing direct sales to strategic accounts and channel-based growth.
• Develop and execute regional sales strategies aligned with global commercial objectives, including country-by-country market-entry plans.
• Identify, qualify, and manage distributors, channel partners, and strategic alliances to accelerate market penetration in priority countries.

2. Customer & Partner Engagement

• Build and own a robust pipeline of prospects, KOLs, hospital systems, reference laboratories, and research institutions across EMEA.
• Lead commercial negotiations and deal structuring , including pricing frameworks, distribution contracts, and partner economics.
• Coordinate closely with local stakeholders, in-country sales teams, and channel partners to ensure consistent execution.

3. Brand Building & Operational Setup

• Build brand awareness of the company and its product solutions across EMEA through targeted campaigns, key conferences (e.g., ESMO, ECCMID, regional IVD expos), and KOL engagement.
• Collaborate cross-functionally (Marketing, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, Supply Chain, Customer Service) to set up the operational processes required for EMEA market entry and sustainable growth.
• Deliver excellent customer experience by responding to all customer inquiries with timely, professional solutions.

4. Market Intelligence & Strategic Reporting

• Gather and synthesize market intelligence, competitive analysis, and customer insights to inform global strategic decisions.
• Track regional regulatory developments ( IVDR / CE-marking, GDPR, country-specific reimbursement frameworks ) and translate them into actionable commercial recommendations.
• Report progress, risks, and opportunities to global headquarters on a regular cadence.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Life Sciences, Molecular Pathology, Clinical Medicine , or a related field; MBA and/or PhD preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of business development and/or sales experience in the molecular diagnostics, IVD, or life-science tools market , with a proven track record across the EMEA region.
• Deep understanding of the EMEA molecular pathology / IVD market landscape , including key stakeholders, regulatory pathways (IVDR), reimbursement dynamics, and competitive dynamics.
• Demonstrated success in distributor and partner identification, qualification, and management .
• Hands-on experience in commercial negotiation, deal structuring, and pipeline management .
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to represent the company credibly with C-level, clinical, and scientific stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline — comfortable balancing long-range planning with hands-on hunting.
• Self-starter with high energy, resilience, and intrinsic motivation to grow new markets from the ground up.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken); additional European languages (German, French, Italian, Spanish) strongly preferred.
• International and multi-cultural work experience; comfortable operating across diverse geographies and cultures.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the EMEA region.

Nice to Have

• Prior experience launching a product into EMEA from a non-European headquarters.
• Existing network of KOLs, hospital systems, and reference labs across the region.
• Familiarity with country-specific reimbursement systems (e.g., NHS, GKV, Sécurité Sociale, regional tenders).