Head of Sales East

Merck•Rockville, MD

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Regional Sales Manager is a field-based commercial role leading a team of Business Development Managers, each responsible for a sales territory (East Coast), and reports to the Head of Commercial for North America. The sales region spans over multiple states, selling BioReliance Biosafety Testing Services. BioReliance is the world's largest provider of pharma and biopharma GMP manufacturing and biologics safety testing. Responsible for driving region-wide business performance with a strong emphasis on coaching, forecasting accuracy, customer relationship management, proactiveness, and cross-functional collaboration. Demonstrates proactive leadership and strategic account stewardship to grow revenue.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Biology, Biochemistry, or related Life Science
At least 8 years of commercial sales experience in the biotech industry including the use of CRM software, forecasting tools and other sales-related programs
Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and motivate a high-performing sales team; experience conducting regular one-on-one and team coaching sessions.
Strong quantitative skills; proficient in pipeline management, opportunity assessment, and data-driven decision making.
Servant leadership mindset; prioritizes team development and customer value.
Data-driven; uses metrics to coach and drive decisions.
Empathetic and collaborative; builds trust with internal teams and customers.
Proactive problem-solver; identifies risks early and assigns ownership.
Prior experience selling services or products to pharma and biopharma companies, supporting biologic molecule productions

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of pharmaceutical and biotech drug production processes/unit operations
Utilizes effective negotiation skills; generates results with positive outcomes for both parties
Able to build and maintain strong relationships; builds credibility and trust
Self-motivated, assertive, takes initiative and works independently
Possesses exceptionally strong conceptual skills - can see the big picture and can translate it compellingly in writing and speech
Perceives the impact and the implications of decisions on other components of the company as well as the impact on clients and suppliers
Anticipates areas of conflict, manages disagreement, and works toward resolution

Responsibilities

Reach or exceed quarterly and yearly sales targets
Monitor and improve the region’s sales performance, identify gaps, and implement actionable plans with clear milestones and owner accountability.
Lead, mentor, and develop the sales team through regular, structured coaching; establish and communicate best practices for forecasting, deal execution, and customer relationship management.
Ensure accurate and timely forecasting; maintain a robust, properly staged pipeline; implement rigorous review cadences with leadership and account teams.
Develop a comprehensive sales plan within the region focusing on growth activities and based on a target account list for each territory within the region
Provide feedback and recommendations on the workforce and support required for the success of the plan
Track pricing and price increase success within the region to protect business profitability
Develop relationship with key decision-makers at target accounts within the region as well as foster the networking activities of the Account Managers at these customers
Support Business Development Managers (BDM) during specific situations where an escalation process is needed to either solve a significant issue or protect/win a significant piece of business
Provide clear focus and prioritization to the regional BDM team
Represent the team in key meetings and calls to ensure visibility and impact.
Evaluate individual performance at mid-year and year-end and allocate compensation accordingly
Work collaboratively with business partners (customer service, technical service, field marketing, technology management, demand planning, etc.)
Maintain reliable accessibility during business hours to support the team, respond to issues, and remove obstacles to order progress.