Associate Director Business Development

Accentuate Staffing is seeking an Associate Director of Business Development to join a national CRO organization. The Associate Director of Business Development supports revenue growth by developing and managing client relationships, qualifying new opportunities, building a sustainable sales pipeline, and leading RFP responses. This role focuses on developing foundational skills in ophthalmology-focused CRO solution selling while partnering closely with internal teams to deliver high-quality, client-centered solutions. This position is ideal for a motivated professional with CRO experience with the ability to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

Identify, qualify, and develop new business opportunities to support revenue growth

Execute outbound prospecting and efficiently manage inbound leads

Build and maintain a healthy, forward-looking opportunity pipeline

Lead and support RFP and proposal responses, including bid defense preparation

Conduct effective discovery conversations to understand client needs and objectives

Build and nurture long-term relationships with sponsors, consultants, and key opinion leaders

Develop and maintain a strong understanding of CRO services, clinical trial phases, and the drug development lifecycle

Build or deepen expertise in ophthalmology clinical research and trial execution

Partner with senior sales leadership, proposals, marketing, and operations teams to advance opportunities

Guide internal stakeholders through complex situations, including bid defenses and change order discussions

Help resolve disagreements related to scope, change orders, or operational execution

Accurately track all activities, contacts, and opportunities within CRM systems

Maintain discipline around sales processes, forecasting, and documentation

Requirements

Must have

previous CRO experience

1–3 years

of sales, business development, or customer-facing experience within a CRO

Prior experience as a Project Specialist, Regulatory Specialist, Patient Recruitment Specialist, Project Manager, Clinical Trial Manager, or Ophthalmology Study Coordinator

Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, business, or a related field required

Ophthalmology clinical research experience preferred

Ability to ask strong discovery questions and align CRO services to client needs

Skilled in outbound outreach and rapid qualification of inbound leads

Professional, clear, and effective verbal and written communication with external and internal stakeholders

Strong team orientation with the ability to influence across functions

Detail-oriented, organized, and consistent in CRM usage and opportunity management

Coachable, curious, and eager to learn

Self-motivated with strong follow-through

Comfortable with outreach, networking, and relationship-building

Organized, detail-oriented, and process-driven

Demonstrates integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment

Comfortable operating in uncertain environments and solving problems collaboratively

Capable of leading and guiding internal teams through complex or ambiguous situations

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