Vice President, Head of Strategic Partnerships

As a leading global contract research organization (CRO) with a passion for scientific rigor and decades of clinical development experience, Fortrea provides pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device customers a wide range of clinical development, patient access and technology solutions across more than 20 therapeutic areas.

With over 19,000 staff conducting operations in more than 90 countries, Fortrea is transforming drug and device development for partners and patients across the globe.

The VP, Head of Strategic Partnerships will establish, maintain, and expand a seamless and scalable relationship strategy while overseeing a delivery model that ensures alignment with partnership agreements and client needs.

This individual will be responsible for leading a team while focusing on ensuring the consistency and quality of deliverables are met per the company’s goals and objectives.

Supporting the effectiveness of the overall enterprise governance, reporting, and issue escalation model across drug development globally will be essential for this leader’s team.

Leading by example, as the Vice President, you will facilitate, with ease, the successful customer management of multiple, large, pharmaceutical and biotech clients while leading key strategic accounts across the global clinical operations business unit.

This person will be responsible for leading a team responsible for growing and maintaining strategic accounts while meeting DSO goals, NPS targets, contracted orders, and revenue goals.

Summary of Responsibilities :

• Management of team’s accounts or portfolio backlog to deliver revenue growth
• Grow and maintain existing large anchor client base while strategically expanding and growing portfolios across multiple accounts
• Anticipate new client business needs while being fully accountable for ensuring annual revenue and growth targets are met and / or exceeded
• Build long term strategic relationships with key client stakeholders
• Lead the strategic design and plan approach for account growth
• Direct full sales cycle leadership with internal support
• Travel and maintain contact with key customers and clients
• Master product suits, track competitors, and maximize sales
• Establish productive relationships with internal and external business leaders and foster collaboration across the business
• Build and manage a strong pipeline, meet KPIs, and provide feedback for continuous improvement by creating innovative methods to engage, track, and deliver positive interactions with clients
• Ensure consistent and quality delivery of the client portfolio by supporting governance effectiveness and leading an issue escalation model for Fortrea globally
• Engage and lead the partnership executive level governance structure, messaging, escalation and communication pathways and documentation
• Provide strategic partnership experience and drug development consultation for key and / or growth account independently
• Responsible for overall delivery against MSAs and managing overall quality aspects of critical deliverables (KPIs, milestones, quality audits, rebates), operationalize MSAs and associated initiatives / projects
• Initiate and / or maintain key interface with internal / external key stakeholders and senior executive teams based on client portfolio
• Work closely with CCO, VP of BD and other key stakeholders to ensure team is following client selection strategy, goals, and account development plans
• Manages, trains and provides leadership (coaching, mentoring, guiding, challenging, problem solving, etc.) to direct team members
• Hires and develops diverse talent across the strategic partnerships organization
• Assigns accounts, territories and forecasts global sales goals
• Facilitates negotiation of margin and pricing discussions both internally and externally
• Manages team performance and feedback providing guidance on development opportunities and action plans
• Monitors and controls team operating expenses
• Leads annual sales meeting planning in conjunction with marketing
• Active member of Commercial Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and BU ELT
• All other duties as needed or assigned

Qualifications (Minimum Required) :

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent and relevant formal academic qualifications required
• Long-standing track history in winning new business contracts and growing existing accounts
• Experience in managing large dollar size deals in excess of $50M
• Fundamental understanding the principles of drug discovery and drug development
• Comprehensive understanding of commercialization, deal terms and conditions associated with various models
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and Salesforce.com skills
• Account management experience, including upselling and cross selling to senior decision makers
• Agile in communication and able to negotiate effectively with customers and internal stakeholders, including the ability to use tactic and questions to gather perspective
• Ability to influence and confront at all levels within a matrix organization
• Problem solver, out of the box thinker : ability to translate ideas and data into valuable reporting and measure effectiveness
• Demonstrated business acumen and strategic thinker with a strong executive presence
• Proven ability to inspire others through implementation of exemplary team values and established trust
• Demonstrated ability to create tailored approaches to customer needs
• Proven ability to engage clients in discussions related to expanded partnerships, innovation, portfolio growth, pipeline etc.
• Successful track record of driving leadership teams to improved partnership decisions and outcomes
• Fortrea may consider relevant and equivalent experience in lieu of educational requirements

Experience (Minimum Required) :

• A minimum of 15 years of business development (or relevant) experience selling services directly to the pharmaceutical and biotech sector with direct interaction with mid-level and executive level decision makers
• 8+ years of management responsibility
• Proven track record in winning new business
• Experience in managing deals in excess of $50M
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills

Fortrea is looking for problem-solvers and creative thinkers who are passionate about breaking down barriers faced by sponsors of clinical trials, and who are committed to helping transform the development process to get promising life-changing ideas and therapies to patients faster.

Join us as we cultivate a workspace where all employees have the opportunity to grow and make impacts on a global scale.