Director, Strategic Customer Development- NORAM (Remote)

USP•Rockville, MD

19h•Remote

About The Position

The Director, Strategic Customer Development, North America is a senior-level sales leader responsible for executing commercial strategy for USP’s portfolio of standards in North America. Reporting to the Vice President, Global Business Development and Regional Manager North America, the Director drives revenue and unit growth, expands market presence, and increases USP’s impact across the North American pharmaceutical industry. This remote role requires a primary residence in one of the listed U.S. states—MD, VA, WV, DC, PA, MI, KS, FL, NC, IL, or MN—or in Canada. It requires up to 60% domestic travel and supervises a team across North America. The Director oversees regional sales operations and distribution channels, builds strategic customer relationships, and leads business planning to position USP’s standards for sustained growth. The role focuses on understanding and helping resolve quality challenges faced by pharmaceutical developers and manufacturers. The Director leads a geographically dispersed sales team and collaborates with customer-facing and other cross-functional teams to deliver a strong customer experience and meet commercial objectives. The position defines and executes the regional commercial strategy, sets annual priorities and performance measures, advises the Vice President on growth opportunities and organizational effectiveness, and represents North American commercial priorities to senior leadership. The team includes six Strategic Customer Development managers, two Inside Sales Account managers, and one Sales Development Associate. Compensation for U.S.-based employees is a base salary of USD $171,833–$243,289 annually, with a target annual bonus that varies by role level.

Requirements

10 or more years of sales experience.
At least 5 years of progressive sales leadership experience, ideally in life sciences or a related industry.
Bachelor’s degree in a life sciences discipline; analytical chemistry, biochemistry, biology, or biotechnology is preferred.
At least 5 years of people management experience.
Experience using a CRM platform; Salesforce is preferred.
Experience with a data analytics platform such as Tableau.
Demonstrated success driving revenue growth, consistently achieving sales targets, and leading a geographically dispersed sales team.
Deep understanding of the pharmaceutical market, customer needs, and commercial dynamics.
Ability to build high-performing teams and organizations.
Ability to listen to customers and stakeholders, gather insights, and respond with creative solutions.
Strong problem-solving skills and a customer-centric approach.
Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, including the ability to influence senior decision-makers across global organizations.
Ability to earn customer confidence and build long-term relationships.
Entrepreneurial mindset and drive to develop new opportunities.
Bias toward action and results, with a record of successful outcomes.
Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills.
Ability and desire to work cooperatively and respectfully with diverse employees and customers.
Ability to reside in one of the specified U.S. states (MD, VA, WV, DC, PA, MI, KS, FL, NC, IL, or MN) or in Canada.
Ability to travel domestically up to 60% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business or science; an MBA is preferred.
Education and training in pharmaceutical sciences and business.
Experience with regulatory affairs, clinical development, quality assurance, or GMP in a pharmaceutical market environment.
Existing network of decision-makers in the North American pharmaceutical market, such as manufacturers, trade associations, or retailers.

Responsibilities

Drive revenue and unit growth targets across North America and support sustainable long-term growth.
Develop and execute strategic account plans to protect existing revenue, capture growth opportunities, and acquire new customers through direct and distributor sales channels.
Support team members and, when appropriate, lead commercial negotiations for multi-year supply agreements with strategic accounts.
Identify opportunities in emerging therapeutic areas and high-growth markets to position USP as a leader in pharmaceutical standards.
Build and strengthen senior-level customer relationships, positioning USP as a trusted advisor to pharmaceutical developers and manufacturers.
Create customer forums, Quality Hours, workshops, and webinars with Scientific Affairs, science leads, and Regulatory Affairs.
Build collaborative partnerships with regional distributors through training, shared resources, and joint customer engagement.
Work with customers to understand and help address quality challenges in drug development and manufacturing.
Represent USP at industry conferences, trade associations, and professional forums.
Use Salesforce CRM and data analytics to manage the sales pipeline, track performance, and drive accountability across the regional sales team.
Analyze direct and distributor sales data, identify revenue opportunities, and provide monthly and quarterly business reviews to USP leadership.
Monitor industry trends, regulatory dynamics, and competitive developments and adjust commercial strategies accordingly.
Gather and consolidate market and customer feedback and provide actionable recommendations to Global Marketing and Strategy teams.
Lead and develop a regional sales team of six Strategic Customer Development managers, two Inside Sales Account managers, and one Sales Development Associate.
Collaborate with Scientific Affairs, Customer Service, Technical Service, Pricing, Finance, and Marketing to deliver a seamless customer experience.
Coordinate and learn with Strategic Customer Development peers in other USP regions, encouraging continuous improvement across the North America team.
Travel up to 60% of the time to engage customers, support regional employees, and expand USP’s presence across North America.
Define and execute the North America Strategic Customer Development commercial strategy, establishing annual priorities, operating objectives, and performance measures aligned with USP’s growth objectives.
Advise the Vice President on North America commercial growth opportunities and organizational effectiveness.
Promote a high-performance culture through leadership, performance management, coaching, accountability, and employee development.
Oversee regional territory alignment, customer segmentation, and resource allocation to maximize commercial performance and business impact.
Represent North American regional priorities to senior and executive leadership and provide strategic recommendations on market opportunities and growth.