Scientific Business Development Specialist
Location: Remote (West Coast strongly preferred)
Territory: United States (excluding Northeast) + Canada
Travel: ~30%, including scientific conferences and client visits
Reports To: Head of Business Development
Seniority Level: Mid-Senior Level (Associate or Senior title based on experience)
Compensation: Base salary + Uncapped Commission + Tiered Accelerator
About the Company
Our organization is a UNC spinout biotech that has redefined preclinical gastrointestinal modeling through its proprietary RepliGut® Systems — a human stem cell-derived, physiologically relevant in vitro model of the intestinal epithelium.
Whether in kit form for internal use or offered via contract research services, RepliGut® enables drug developers to model intestinal responses without animal models — saving time, cost, and increasing clinical translation. Applications include:
- DMPK: Absorption and permeability assessments for oral drugs
- Toxicology: Detection of GI-specific liabilities often missed in animal studies
- Inflammation: Mechanistic studies and efficacy testing in IBD, IBS, and microbiome-related disease
Role Overview
We are seeking a mission-aligned Scientific Business Development Specialist who can marry scientific credibility with commercial execution. You’ll play a central role in driving adoption of human-relevant GI models in pharma, biotech, and academic research — serving both inbound interest and generating new demand through strategic outreach.
This is not a catalog-sales position — your ability to interpret experimental design challenges and recommend customized solutions will determine your success.
Key Responsibilities:
Consultative Sales & Client Engagement
- Serve as a technical liaison to scientists evaluating human GI models for absorption, metabolism, toxicology, or disease modeling
- Lead discovery calls to qualify project needs, study endpoints, and research timelines
- Translate client objectives into solutions using RepliGut® kits or custom CRO service offerings
- Propose study designs in collaboration with Client Services Team (CST), ensuring scientific feasibility and commercial fit
- Create and deliver customized pitch decks, SOWs, and proposals
Account Management & Customer Success
- Cultivate long-term relationships with clients by tracking ongoing study progress and aligning future pipeline opportunities
- Maintain scientific credibility throughout the project lifecycle — from proposal to data delivery
- Champion customer feedback internally to guide product roadmap, assay development, and support materials
Territory & Pipeline Development
- Own and execute a sales plan focused on biotech, pharma, and translational academic labs across your U.S. territory
- Attend 10–12 targeted scientific conferences per year (e.g., AAPS, SOT, DDW, FASEB) to present Company offerings and identify new leads
- Partner with internal marketing to identify passive outreach gaps and co-develop messaging strategies
- Maintain accurate CRM records and forecast reports via HubSpot
Scientific & Market Expertise
- Stay up to date on emerging trends in organ-on-a-chip, human-relevant modeling, 3Rs initiatives, and GI drug development
- Understand competitive landscape including models from relevant competitors.
- Deliver insights back to internal R&D and manufacturing teams to inform future innovation
The Science You’ll Represent
RepliGut® Systems provide a human primary cell-based model of the intestinal epithelium with:
- Tight junction formation and barrier integrity (TEER monitoring)
- Polarized transport mechanisms
- Drug metabolism enzyme expression (e.g., CYP3A4)
- Inflammatory cytokine response modeling (e.g., TNF-, IL-6)
Use Cases Include:
- Evaluating GI permeability in drug candidates
- Detecting off-target intestinal toxicity earlier in development
- Simulating human inflammatory responses for IBD therapeutics
- Screening drug formulations to reduce adverse GI side effects
- Supporting IND-enabling studies and regulatory submissions
You Might Be a Fit If You:
- Have 2–5+ years in preclinical biotech/pharma or scientific CRO business development
- Hold a BS/MS/PhD in biology, pharmacology, toxicology, or a related discipline
- Can read a paper and pitch the implications to a PI or translational director
- Enjoy “hunter-style” sales — energized by finding and closing new opportunities
- Understand how pharma scientists think, because you used to be one
- Thrive in early-stage environments with evolving processes
- Want to sell a product with scientific integrity, clinical potential, and global relevance
Compensation & Perks
- Uncapped commission structure with accelerator tiers:
- Flexible remote work (West Coast time zone preferred)
- Opportunity to work alongside scientists and founders who are shaping the next generation of preclinical models
- Direct mentorship from BD leadership and cross-functional exposure
Why This Role, Why Now?
You’re not just selling — you’re shaping the future of how drugs are evaluated before they reach patients. Regulatory shifts like the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 are pushing the industry toward human-relevant systems. We are leading the way in GI modeling, and you can lead the charge commercially.
Ready to put your scientific insight back into action — and get rewarded for it?
Let’s talk.