Client Partner - Pharma & Life Sciences

Axle • Tysons, VA

3d • $140,000 - $160,000

About The Position

Axle is seeking a Client Partner to own and grow its relationship with a top-10 global pharmaceutical company and build a portfolio of pharmaceutical and biotechnology accounts around it. This senior commercial role is part of Axle’s pharma vertical and key-account business unit, which offers the full catalog of Axle services, solutions, and products to a small number of strategic enterprise clients.

The role combines growth and delivery accountability. The Client Partner develops executive relationships across the anchor client’s business and technology organizations, shapes opportunities, and closes engagements. They also own the account plan, serve as executive sponsor for active engagements, and ensure that Axle delivers what it sells. The position has direct accountability for revenue, margin, and client health, and requires credibility in the pharma R&D, clinical, data, or technology ecosystem, along with an existing network and the ability to connect Axle’s scientific, data/AI, and technology capabilities to outcomes pharma executives value.

Requirements

• 8–12 years of experience in client-facing roles such as account leadership, business development, consulting, or engagement management at a consulting, IT services, data/analytics, CRO, or life sciences technology firm, or in a commercial, procurement, or technology role inside a large pharmaceutical company.
• Demonstrated success selling and growing services, data, or technology engagements with pharmaceutical or biotechnology clients, including growing at least one account to a multi-million-dollar annual relationship.
• Experience carrying a revenue target and accountability for delivery outcomes or account margin.
• Track record building and sustaining relationships with director- to VP-level stakeholders in regulated enterprise environments with long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.
• Strong working knowledge of pharma and life sciences operating environments, including R&D and clinical development, data and analytics ecosystems, GxP and regulatory expectations, and enterprise vendor-management processes.
• Ability to translate scientific, data/AI, and technology capabilities into business outcomes for technical and executive audiences.
• Proficiency with CRM-based pipeline management and forecasting.
• Excellent communication, executive presence, and organizational skills.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• The position requires an existing network that can be activated early; existing relationships within Eli Lilly or its ecosystem of vendors and partners are specifically identified.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in a life sciences, engineering, or business discipline.
• Builder mindset and comfort establishing an account and vertical from an early-stage pursuit with limited structure.
• Credibility in scientific reviews, delivery steering committees, and procurement negotiations.
• Strategic approach that balances long-term account health with near-term quota.
• Experience working in a growth-stage or advisory-driven organization.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Axle’s primary commercial owner and executive point of contact for a strategic anchor account, while expanding into adjacent pharmaceutical and biotechnology accounts.
• Build and maintain senior relationships across the client’s research, clinical development, manufacturing, commercial, and technology organizations, including data, analytics, and IT services buying centers.
• Develop and maintain an account plan covering relationship maps, white-space analysis, opportunity pipeline, pricing posture, and competitive position.
• Use existing networks and industry relationships to create pipeline and accelerate early deal conversion.
• Develop a deep understanding of clients’ business models, scientific priorities, regulatory environments, procurement and vendor-management processes, and operational pain points.
• Own an individual revenue and gross-margin target for the pharma vertical, with the anchor account as its foundation.
• Manage the full opportunity lifecycle, from identification and qualification through proposal, negotiation, close, and expansion.
• Translate Axle’s scientific, data/AI, and technology capabilities into outcome-driven value propositions tied to client R&D, clinical, and operational objectives.
• Structure and negotiate engagements, including pilots, staff augmentation, multi-phase programs, and managed services, in collaboration with pricing, contracts, and legal functions.
• Work with Solutions Architects to shape client-specific solutions and with the Growth Consultant to convert introductions into qualified opportunities.
• Maintain accurate CRM pipeline, forecast, and activity data in partnership with Sales Enablement.
• Serve as executive sponsor for every active account engagement; the Program Manager handles day-to-day execution while the Client Partner owns outcomes and the relationship.
• Lead transitions from sale to delivery, including scope confirmation, staffing plans, governance cadence, and success criteria.
• Monitor engagement health, margin, and client satisfaction, and resolve or escalate risks before they reach the client.
• Conduct periodic business reviews with client executives, connecting delivered results to future opportunities.
• Provide direct delivery or advisory support during pre-contract and early-contract phases, scaling back as program managers are established.
• Contribute account-level insight to Axle’s pharma and life sciences go-to-market strategy.
• Provide market feedback to refine sector offerings, pricing, and positioning.
• Identify repeatable solutions and referenceable outcomes that can be shared across the vertical.
• Contribute to client-facing materials, case studies, and sales-enablement content.

Benefits

• 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• 401(k) match up to 5%.
• Educational benefits for career growth.
• Employee referral bonus.
• Flexible spending accounts, including healthcare FSA, parking reimbursement account, dependent care assistant program, and transportation reimbursement account.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior