Business Development Manager – Pharma & Life Sciences Engineering Projects
Remote (Ireland / Europe) · ~15% travel · Senior commercial role
This is a rare remote senior business development role — only around 15% travel — where you will help shape the commercial growth of a scaling specialist engineering services firm, selling technical project solutions into pharmaceutical, life sciences and regulated manufacturing clients across Ireland and Europe.
This is not a high-volume, transactional sales role. It is a relationship-led, technical business development position. You will take ownership of your market — identifying and winning project opportunities across brownfield sites, engineering upgrades, piping design, process improvements and specialist technical project support — and build the kind of long-term client partnerships that turn into repeat work and preferred-supplier status.
It suits a commercially driven BD professional who has sold technical, engineering or project-based services into pharma, life sciences, manufacturing, EPCM or regulated industrial environments, and who wants real autonomy to build something.
What you'll do
- Identify, develop and win new project opportunities across Ireland and European markets — with a particular focus on brownfield works, site upgrades, modifications, piping design and process engineering support.
- Build trusted relationships with decision-makers across Engineering, Projects, Operations, Procurement, Maintenance, Facilities and senior management.
- Develop strategic partnerships with EPCM organisations, engineering consultancies and project delivery partners to open doors on pharma and life sciences projects.
- Own commercial engagement end to end — from opportunity and qualification through proposal, negotiation and handover — working with internal technical teams to shape viable solutions.
- Translate technical customer requirements into commercially and technically sound proposals, quotations and presentations.
- Grow long-term accounts into repeat business, preferred-supplier status and ongoing project engagement.
- Track market activity, customer investment plans and competitor movement to spot emerging opportunities early, and feed that intelligence back into growth strategy.
- Maintain an accurate pipeline and forecast, and represent the business at client meetings, industry events and trade shows.
- Work closely with engineering, design, project management and leadership teams to ensure smooth handover from win to delivery.
Job requirements
- Significant business development / technical sales experience , typically 8+ years, in engineering, technical, project, construction, manufacturing, life sciences or regulated-industry services.
- A track record of project-based, relationship-led selling on long sales cycles — not transactional volume sales.
- Ideally, exposure to pharma, biotech, life sciences, EPCM, engineering consultancy or regulated manufacturing — and to piping design, process engineering, mechanical services or site-based engineering. This is highly advantageous, but not all essential.
- The ability to understand technical requirements and hold your own with both engineering and commercial stakeholders. A technical background is a bonus, not a must.
- Strong commercial acumen — you can find opportunities, manage a pipeline and convert prospects into long-term customers.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills, and the self-discipline to thrive working remotely across multiple markets.
What's on offer
- Competitive senior-level base salary.
- Performance-related bonus.
- Genuine autonomy — a remote role with only approximately 15% travel, where you can take ownership of the market and help shape how the commercial function grows.
- A ground-floor seat in a specialist engineering business entering a real growth phase — the kind of scale-up where early commercial hires can have significant impact.
- Exposure to high-value pharma, life sciences and regulated engineering projects across Ireland and Europe.
- The chance to build long-term client partnerships and a clear path to grow as the business scales.
By applying for this position, you may also be considered by Pale Blue Dot® Recruitment for other relevant opportunities.
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