Fractional Head of Sales, PHARMExcel

Fractional Head of Business Development

Location: Remote UK-based, with occasional travel to our offices in Welwyn Garden City Commitment: 1-2 days per week (dependant on business needs) Salary: Competitive day rate Start date: September 2026

About us

PHARMExcel is an award-winning, ISO 9001:2015 certified UK Contract Research Organisation (CRO) supporting biotechnology, medtech, academic and NHS organisations in the successful delivery of clinical research. As we continue our next phase of growth, we are seeking an experienced Fractional Head of Business Development to provide strategic leadership and oversight of our Business Development function.

About the Role This is a unique opportunity for an experienced commercial leader who enjoys developing people, improving business development performance and embedding best practice. Rather than leading day-to-day sales activity, you will focus on strengthening the capability, governance and effectiveness of our Business Development function, working closely with our CEO, Director of Marketing and Director of Clinical Operations.

Key responsibilities include: Providing strategic oversight of the Business Development function. Coaching and developing our Business Development Team Improving business development processes, governance and commercial best practice. Strengthening sales pipeline management, forecasting and CRM discipline. Enhancing proposal quality, conversion and customer experience. Supporting the continued growth and maturity of the Business Development function.

About you We're looking for an experienced and collaborative leader who is passionate about developing people, building high-performing teams and helping organisations grow.

You will bring:

Significant experience leading and developing Business Development functions within a CRO, biotechnology or wider life sciences organisation. A proven track record of coaching and developing high-performing commercial teams that consistently deliver results. Expertise in business development strategy, proposal development, pipeline management and commercial governance. Experience implementing scalable business development processes, sales methodologies and CRM best practice. Strong leadership, coaching and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and inspire at all levels. A collaborative approach and the confidence to provide constructive challenge within a growing, founder-led organisation. Commercial curiosity, strategic thinking and a continuous improvement mindset. Energy, authenticity, a positive outlook, a sense of humour and a genuine passion for helping others succeed.

If this sounds like the kind of opportunity you've been looking for, and you believe you have the experience, leadership and energy to help shape the next stage of PHARMExcel's growth, we'd love to hear from you.

If you'd like further information about the role please contact: Jenny Barnett, HR Consultant, jenny.barnett@pharmexcel-cro.com