Business Development Manager

Private Held Pharma and Fine Chemicals Distribution & Sales Representation Company

Location: Northern Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois (hybrid; relocation assistance available)

Job Type: Full-Time | Exempt

Compensation: $90,000 - $130,000 (base salary plus uncapped commission, based on experience levels; competitive benefits)

No. of Employees: <10

Company Overview

Founded fifty years ago, Austin Chemical is a trusted distribution and commercial representation partner to many of the world’s leading fine chemical, pharmaceutical, and specialty materials manufacturers with a reputation built on technical credibility, discretion, and long-standing global relationships. Austin Chemical has historically played a critical role in supplying difficult-to-source and high-value chemical intermediates used in R&D, clinical, and commercial production environments.

In 2026, the Company is entering the next phase of growth and modernization following the planned retirement of its long-tenured CEO. The Company’s shareholders are committed to reinvestment, modernization, and growth, with an explicit objective to triple the size of the business over the next five years through expanded supplier relationships, deeper penetration of global accounts, and service model expansion.

Position Summary

Austin Chemical is seeking a driven, relationship-oriented Business Development Manager with hands-on business development and customer engagement experience, particularly with Global 1000 pharmaceutical and industrial manufacturers to fuel the Company's next chapter of growth. Reporting to the CEO, this role is central to expanding the sales pipeline, deepening customer and supplier relationships, and bringing forecasting discipline to support scalable, data-driven growth.

This is an ideal opportunity for a commercially minded professional with technical fluency in chemicals or life sciences, who will be expected to personally lead key accounts, open new strategic relationships, and act as the Company’s senior development manager to the pharma and fine chemicals market.

Key Responsibilities

Pipeline Growth & Business Development

• Build and manage a robust pipeline of new business opportunities across pharmaceutical, biotech, and fine chemical manufacturers.
• Identify, qualify, and pursue prospective customers and suppliers for rare, complex, or hard-to-source fine chemicals and intermediates.
• Transition and grow long-standing, trusted customer and supplier relationships.
• Lead the development and expansion of strategic accounts with global pharmaceutical, biotech, and fine chemical manufacturers.
• Negotiate and close long-term supply, representation, and distribution agreements with both customers and international suppliers.
• Represent the Company at key industry conferences, supplier meetings, and customer executive briefings.
• Maintain deep market intelligence across pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, specialty intermediates, regulatory trends, and global sourcing dynamics.

Supplier & Value-Chain Management

• Partner closely with technical, sourcing, and logistics resources to deliver tailored, high-value solutions across complex supply chains.
• Ensure alignment between customer needs, supplier capabilities, regulatory requirements and commercial economics.
• Develop and maintain sales forecasts, tracking performance against pipeline and revenue targets.
• Analyze market trends, customer demand signals, and competitive dynamics across pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and specialty intermediates.
• Improve forecasting systems, CRM data quality, and reporting processes to support a modern, growth-oriented sales organization.
• Provide market intelligence on regulatory trends and global sourcing dynamics that inform strategic decision-making.

Candidate Profile & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, life sciences, or a related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated track record of business development success, including growing revenue, opening new strategic accounts, and building a strong opportunity pipeline in a relationship-driven environment.
• Demonstrated success developing and managing relationships with Fortune 500 / Global 1000 customers.
• Proven ability to personally originate, negotiate, and close complex commercial agreements.
• 5+ years of technical sales experience within fine chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceutical supply, or related industries.
• Technical understanding of drug trials, regulatory processes, and manufacturing scale-up with excellent communication skills across organizations including technical and commercial stakeholders.
• Self-motivated, entrepreneurial, and comfortable operating in a small private-company, growth-focused environment.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience in sales forecasting, pipeline management, CRM tools, and data-driven reporting.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 40%).

Why This Opportunity Is Distinctive

• Join an established company with a half-century legacy and credible industry reputation at a true inflection point, with a clean leadership transition and shareholder support for expansion.
• Meaningful long-term incentives aligned with value creation, including growth-based compensation components.
• Ability to shape the Company’s future strategy, culture, and market position from day one.
• Chicago-area headquarters with remote option for the right candidate.

This BDM role is ideally suited for a commercially driven individual with technical credibility, who is energized by building relationships, closing complex deals, and scaling a proven platform into its next phase of growth.