Partnership Development Manager

Company Description

Emergent CRO is a specialized clinical research organization focused on building strong partnerships with entrepreneurial healthcare companies to accelerate the launch of innovative medical technologies. The team combines deep clinical trial expertise with a distinctive partnership model to help sponsors navigate study startup, management, and completion. Services span protocol development, site identification, feasibility assessments, and comprehensive study planning to ensure efficient trial execution.

Emergent CRO also oversees ongoing study management, including site monitoring, data and vendor management, regulatory coordination, and communication processes. At study completion, the organization supports closeout activities, data lock and transfer, and publication planning to bring impactful healthcare solutions to market and improve patient outcomes.

At Emergent CRO, relationships come before sales. We're looking for a relationship builder who thrives on earning trust, creating meaningful connections, and developing long-term partnerships within the medical device and diagnostics industry. This is not a transactional sales role. Success comes from cultivating relationships that may take months or even years to become opportunities. As a trusted advisor and ambassador for Emergent CRO, you'll embody our brand, protect the quality and reputation of our work, and represent our values with integrity and professionalism.

The ideal candidate is emotionally intelligent, naturally curious, and genuinely enjoys understanding people. They ask thoughtful questions, listen more than they speak, and build credibility through authenticity, not pressure.

• Identify, develop, and nurture relationships with prospective and emerging Sponsors in the medical device and diagnostics sectors.
• Proactively identify and pursue net-new relationships in segments of the medical device and diagnostics market, rather than relying solely on inbound or existing networks.
• Build and maintain a broad network of industry contacts, including Sponsors, consultants, investors, and strategic partners.
• Act as a trusted point of contact for clients, communicating Emergent’s capabilities, differentiators, and transparent invoicing model.
• Represent Emergent CRO as a strategic and consultative partner in industry settings, not solely a service provider.
• Collaborate closely with Operations and Leadership to ensure seamless handoff and delivery alignment.
• Maintain and expand relationships with existing clients, ensuring satisfaction and repeat engagement.
• Drive opportunity identification and represent Emergent CRO at conferences, industry meetings, and networking events to build brand awareness.

• Build and nurture relationships with Sponsors, consultants, investors, incubators, accelerators, and strategic partners.
• Develop and manage a long-term pipeline of qualified opportunities.
• Represent Emergent CRO at conferences, networking events, and industry meetings.
• Maintain consistent communication with prospective and existing clients to build trust and long-term partnerships.

• Lead discovery conversations to understand Sponsor goals, challenges, and clinical development needs.
• Position Emergent CRO as a trusted strategic partner through consultative conversations.
• Evaluate opportunity fit and maintain an organized CRM pipeline.
• Partner with Marketing on outreach, conference follow-up, and relationship-building initiatives.

• Collaborate with Clinical Operations, Data Services and Project Management to ensure smooth transitions from opportunity to execution.
• Share Sponsor feedback, market trends, and competitive insights with internal teams.
• Stay current on trends in medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, and clinical research.

• 5+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, account management, relationship management, client success, or consultative sales. Non-traditional backgrounds welcome, e.g., clinical operations, scientific affairs, consulting, or client-facing roles where trust and long-term relationships were core to success.
• Experience in clinical research, healthcare, life sciences, medical devices, diagnostics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, professional services, technology, or another relationship-driven industry is preferred.
• Demonstrated success developing business through long-term relationship building rather than transactional sales.
• Proven ability to build executive-level relationships and navigate complex buying processes involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience representing an organization at conferences, networking events, and industry associations.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms and Microsoft Office.

• Build trust quickly without feeling "salesy".
• Possess exceptional emotional intelligence and social awareness, with the ability to read…