Senior Sales Director

Merck•Saint Louis, MO

About The Position

The Senior Sales Director for Process Solutions North America sets and executes a regional commercial strategy aligned with global business objectives. The role directly leads a geographically dispersed team of Regional Sales Managers and Account Managers responsible for revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and market share expansion. It requires business acumen, team leadership, customer intimacy, and a data-driven approach to sales excellence. The position develops regional sales strategy, customer segmentation, territory planning, and cross-functional Go-To-Market alignment. It is accountable for regional sales targets and order intake, accurate forecasting, CRM adoption, and initiatives that improve sales performance and efficiency. The director leads team development and succession planning, builds executive-level customer relationships, and supports complex field engagements and customer success. The role also manages regional P&L and expense budgets, leads planning cycles and business reviews, and identifies and resolves execution risks in partnership with other functions. The role can be based anywhere in the US. It does not offer work authorization sponsorship; external applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
15+ years of progressive commercial experience in the life science or pharmaceutical industry.
At least 5 years in a senior sales leadership role.
Experience managing complex sales organizations of 30+ people, including people managers.
Proven ability to influence and engage with C-level executives, internally and externally.
Strong business and financial acumen, with a history of delivering growth in competitive or regulated markets.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA, PhD, or Master’s in Science or Business).
Experience in the bioprocessing, biotech, or life science tools industries.
Deep understanding of the Process Solutions portfolio, such as filtration, chromatography, and single-use technologies.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute regional sales strategy in alignment with global business objectives.
Drive customer segmentation and territory planning, and partner cross-functionally to align Go-To-Market approaches.
Deliver regional sales targets and order intake, ensuring accurate forecasting and CRM adoption.
Implement initiatives to improve sales performance and efficiency.
Lead and develop a high-performing team, strengthen the talent pipeline through development and succession planning, and foster an inclusive, accountable culture.
Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key accounts, support complex field engagements, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver customer success.
Manage the regional P&L and expense budget, lead planning cycles, and oversee business reviews to ensure operational excellence and ROI.
Identify execution risks and work cross-functionally to resolve them.