Director / VP of Business Growth & Marketing

Company: National Institute of Clinical Research (NICR)

Location: Pasadena, CA (HQ) with travel . This is a full-time, on-site position

Reports to: CEO and Board

Position Overview

As the Director/VP of Business Growth, you will lead NICR’s overarching growth strategy. Working closely with the CEO and executive leadership, you will transition our business development model from a reactive model to a proactive, relationship-driven strategy. Your mission will be threefold: build steady, long-term relationships with sponsor executives, strategically expand our physician network ahead of study demands, and ensure our marketing clearly reflects NICR's clinical excellence.

Key Responsibilities

1. Sponsor Relationships & Trial Acquisition

• Executive Networking: Build and maintain direct partnerships with decision-makers at sponsors and CROs (e.g., therapeutic area heads, site strategy leads).
• Proactive Account Management: Deepen relationships with existing major partners (such as AstraZeneca, Amgen, Alnylam, Novo Nordisk) while aggressively introducing NICR to new sponsors to secure early visibility into upcoming trials.
• Proposal Oversight: Guide and mentor the team responsible for identifying, bidding on, and securing new trials, ensuring highly competitive proposals.
• Industry Representation: Act as the primary face of NICR at major industry conferences and professional networking events.

2. PI Network & Site Expansion

• Network & Site Growth: Identify geographical and therapeutic gaps based on sponsor demands; partner with clinical operations and finance to open operationally and financially sound new sites.
• Therapeutic Focus: Lead investigator recruitment in cardiometabolic, renal, and emerging areas (e.g., MASH, neuropsychiatry, and sarcopenia).
• Physician Outreach: Create compelling, practical value-proposition materials to successfully recruit and onboard qualified investigators.

3. Marketing, Communications & Leadership

• Brand Positioning: Manage NICR’s industry presence (website, pitch decks, conference materials), highlighting our core differentiators: speed, responsiveness, and hands-on attention.
• Team Alignment: Lead, mentor, and support the growth team to ensure trial acquisition, doctor recruitment, and marketing efforts are seamlessly integrated.
• Executive Reporting: Provide regular, data-driven updates on the sales pipeline, doctor recruitment metrics, and market trends to the CEO and Board.

Core Competencies & Skills

• Experience: 7+ years of progressive business development experience within the clinical research industry (SMO, CRO, or site network experience highly preferred).
• Industry Connections: An active, established network of decision-makers at major sponsors and CROs.
• Dual-Faceted Versatility: Proven comfort managing both client-facing sponsor relationships and doctor-facing network growth.
• Leadership Style: A collaborative, supportive leader capable of setting clear expectations, building team alignment, and executing day-to-day tactical goals.
• Executive Presence: Highly credible, articulate, and confident presenting to C-suite executives and speaking at industry events. Location; This is a full-time, on-site position

Compensation: Competitive base salary commensurate with experience, supplemented by achievement-based commission.Benefits: Paid time off (PTO) , Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits, 401k plus 4% employer match