Senior Business Development Manager - CRO
Company: Avion CRO
Reporting Line: Reports directly to the Commercial Director
Location: Hybrid / Remote based in Melbourne
1. Role Purpose & Strategic Importance
The Senior Business Development Manager (BDM) is a core revenue-generating role within Avion, responsible for driving new business acquisition and strategic client partnerships across clinical trial services. This role is critical to executing Avion's growth strategy, particularly in supporting early-stage biotech sponsors progressing into First-in-Human (FIH) and Phase 0/I studies, including those developing radiopharmaceuticals and other complex therapies. The SBDM will drive the development of end-to-end commercial engagement, from early market analysis and sponsor identification through to contract execution and transfer to clinical operations and will play a key role in continuing to establish and position Avion as the trusted partner of choice for efficient, high-quality early-phase trials in Australia and beyond. The SBDM is a high performing, self‐motivated role that requires close collaboration with senior leadership to develop new growth and revenue opportunities and deliver prospective customers for clinical development services.
2. Key Responsibilities
A. New Business Development
* Identify and engage early‐stage biotech and emerging pharma companies entering clinical development
* Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of opportunities aligned with Avion's strategic focus (early‐phase, radiopharmaceuticals, complex studies)
* Lead outbound business development efforts, including direct outreach, referrals, and conference engagement
* Qualify opportunities based on timeline, budget, and probability of close
* Own and drive proposal strategy in collaboration with internal teams
* Identify industry‐specific landscapes and trends and use this intelligence to inform and build differentiation into Avion
B. Account Growth & Relationship Management
* Establish and manage strong connections with new sponsors and understand and help define client requirements to build long‐lasting, customer‐focused relationships.
* Act as the primary commercial contact and continue as the relationship manager throughout the clinical development lifecycle
* Identify follow‐on opportunities across programs and indications
* Support clients through study progression and expansion, ensuring high satisfaction and repeat business
* Build and maintain engagement with key industry stakeholders
C. Commercial Execution & Deal Closure
* Lead the full sales lifecycle, including:
* Initial engagement and capabilities discussion
* Proposal development and positioning
* Bid defence presentation and close‐out follow‐up
* Budget negotiation and contract execution
* Partner with internal teams and SMEs to ensure bids are accurate and competitive
* Proactively manage stakeholder engagement to ensure trial award.
D. Internal Collaboration
* Work cross‐functionally with all internal teams to ensure alignment and accuracy of proposals and service capabilities, and ensure successful project execution
* Collaborate with Avion's internal operational team to ensure new business/projects have a successful handover and client satisfaction.
* Provide market intelligence and client feedback to inform Avion's service offering and positioning
* Contribute to continuous improvement of BD processes, tools, and messaging
3. Target Client Segments & Market Focus
* Primary Focus:
* Early‐stage to mid‐stage biotech companies with secured funding
* Therapeutic & Modality Focus:
* Oncology and precision medicine
* Other complex or novel therapeutics requiring specialized trial execution
* Geographic Focus:
* Global sponsors (US, Europe, Asia) seeking to run trials in Australia to take advantage of the globally competitive clinical trials environment.
4. Sales & Business Development Activities
* Develop and maintain a robust, continuously growing pipeline
* Conduct targeted outbound prospecting (email, LinkedIn, referrals, warm introductions)
* Represent Avion at key industry conferences and networking events to generate business opportunities and brand awareness. A significant amount of time will be spent undertaking routine international business travel for global conferences, as required.
* Lead capability presentations and bid defence meetings
* Maintain accurate tracking of opportunities within CRM systems
* Develop and maintain BD processes and systems to ensure accurate and up‐to‐date tracking of stakeholder engagement and management.
* Provide frequent reports on progress, goals, and forecasts to Avion leadership.
* Stay updated on industry trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory developments, particularly in radiopharmaceuticals and advanced therapies.
5. Required Experience & Capabilities
* 5–8+ years of business development experience within a CRO or clinical research environment
* Demonstrated ability in identifying, managing, and closing new business opportunities encompassing lead generation, contract agreement, and resolution of key customer challenges and complex service deals
* Strong understanding of clinical trial lifecycle (particularly early phase), regulatory pathways and clinical development processes
* Proven ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders to build trusted and lasting relationships
* Comfortable and capable of discussing a broad range of topics including technical, regulatory, industry and business
* Good commercial knowledge, including contracting, negotiation and deal strategy
* The ability to manage and serve multiple accounts, without compromising the quality of services provided.
* Proactive, self‐motivated and highly flexible with excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Comfortable operating in a lean, growth‐oriented environment
6. Preferred Experience
* Experience in radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine, or imaging‐based trials
* Experience and sound understanding of the Life Sciences Industry and understanding of general health science concepts
* Exposure to early‐phase (FIH / Phase I) study design and execution
* Existing network within biotech sponsors or investor ecosystems
* Experience selling into US, APAC and European biotech markets
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