R-01350747 Vice President, Account Development (Clinical Research Group)

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Position Summary

The Vice President, Global Account Development is an enterprise commercial leader responsible for defining and driving the global inside sales and account development strategy across the Clinical Research Group (CRG). As a key member of the CRG Commercial Leadership Team, this role is accountable for accelerating revenue growth, enhancing commercial productivity, and building a scalable, data-driven demand generation engine across all divisions.

This leader will shape and execute a forward-looking commercial strategy that integrates inside sales, digital engagement, and marketing-led demand generation to maximise market penetration and customer acquisition. The VP will partner closely with senior leaders across Commercial, Marketing, Finance, and Operations to align investment, prioritisation, and execution against CRG’s global growth ambitions.

The role requires a highly strategic, externally aware leader who can operate at enterprise level, influence senior stakeholders, and drive transformation at scale while delivering consistent commercial results.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategy & Growth Leadership

• Define and lead the global account development and inside sales strategy, aligned to CRG’s long-term commercial growth objectives.

• Drive enterprise-wide demand generation and pipeline acceleration strategies, ensuring alignment with market opportunities and customer segments.

• Partner with divisional commercial leaders to unlock growth across key markets, including expansion regions (e.g., EMEA, APAC, China).

• Shape the evolution of CRG’s commercial model by integrating inside sales, digital channels, and advanced segmentation strategies.

Commercial Performance & Value Creation

• Own global performance against revenue pipeline, conversion, and productivity metrics, ensuring delivery of financial commitments.

• Establish and drive a high-performance culture with clear accountability for outcomes across regions and leadership layers.

• Leverage data, analytics, and market insights to continuously optimise performance and inform strategic decision-making.

• Ensure alignment between commercial strategy, resource allocation, and ROI across account development activities.

Executive Leadership & Talent Strategy

• Build and lead a high-impact global organisation, developing a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline at senior levels.

• Drive enterprise talent strategies to attract, develop, and retain top commercial talent in a highly competitive global market.

• Champion a culture of performance, inclusion, and continuous development aligned with Thermo Fisher values.

• Act as a senior sponsor for leadership development and capability building across the commercial organisation.

Cross-Functional & Enterprise Influence

• Operate as a strategic partner to CRG executive leadership, influencing commercial priorities, investment decisions, and organisational design.

• Partner with Marketing, Commercial Operations, and Finance to align go-to-market strategy, demand generation, and financial planning.

• Lead cross-functional initiatives that enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and accelerate growth.

• Represent CRG Account Development at executive forums and contribute to enterprise-wide strategic discussions.

Transformation & Innovation

• Lead the transformation of account development through digital enablement, automation, and innovative engagement models.

• Drive continuous improvement in commercial processes, tools, and capabilities to enhance scalability and efficiency.

• Identify emerging trends and external benchmarks to ensure CRG remains competitive in attracting customers and talent.

• Sponsor and lead change initiatives to evolve the commercial organisation in line with market dynamics.

Commercial Capability Building & Talent Pipeline

• Establish and lead a scalable global capability-building strategy to develop a strong pipeline of future external sales and commercial leaders.

• Design and embed structured onboarding and training programs that accelerate readiness and performance of account development talent.

• Oversee the development of core commercial capabilities, including prospecting excellence, Challenger-based selling, CRM (Salesforce) discipline and rigor, and effective pipeline management.

• Ensure teams are equipped with advanced client engagement skills, including bid defence preparation, executive-level communication, and participation in industry conferences and customer-facing forums.

• Build a robust internal talent pipeline, enabling progression from inside sales into external commercial roles, strengthening succession and reducing reliance on external hiring.

• Partner with Commercial Leadership, HR, and Learning & Development to align capability-building initiatives with broader talent and growth strategies.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning, coaching, and mentorship to drive long-term commercial excellence and leadership development.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) strongly preferred.

• Extensive global commercial leadership experience (typically 15+ years), including leading large, complex, multi-regional organisations.

• Proven track record of driving revenue growth and transforming commercial models at scale.

• Deep experience in CRO, life sciences, or related sectors strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated success operating at executive level within a matrixed, global organization.

• In some cases, an equivalency, consisting of a combination of appropriate education, training and/or directly related experience, will be considered sufficient for an individual to meet the requirements of the role.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong enterprise and financial acumen, with the ability to link commercial strategy to business outcomes.

• Proven ability to lead through influence in a highly matrixed environment and align senior stakeholders.

• Strategic mindset with the ability to anticipate market trends and position the organisation for future growth.

• Data-driven decision-maker with strong analytical and commercial insight capabilities.

• Exceptional communication and executive presence, with experience engaging at C-suite level internally and externally.

• Deep understanding of modern commercial models, including CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), digital selling, and demand generation strategies.

Leadership Scope

• Enterprise-level leadership role with global accountability across multiple regions and divisions.

• Leads through multiple layers of leadership, including senior leaders and large, distributed teams.

• Acts as a key member of the CRG Commercial Leadership Team, shaping strategy and driving execution at scale.

• Significant influence over commercial investment, organizational design, and talent strategy.

Working Conditions

• Operates ina fast-paced, global environment requiring leadership across multiple time zones and priorities.

• Frequent interaction with executive leadership, global teams, and external stakeholders.

• International travel required.

What we offer:

As well as being rewarded a competitive salary, we have an extensive benefits package based around the health and well-being of our employees. We have a flexible working culture, where PPD Clinical Research Services truly value a work-life balance. We’ve grown sustainably year on year but continue to offer a collaborative environment, with teams of colleagues eager to share expertise and have fun together. We are a global organisation but with a local feel.

Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Watch as our colleagues explain 5 reasons to work with us. As one team of 100,000+ colleagues, we share a common set of values - Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement - working together to accelerate research, solve complex scientific challenges, drive technological innovation and support patients in need. #StartYourStory with PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, where diverse experiences, backgrounds and perspectives are valued.

Apply today! http://jobs.thermofisher.com

Thermo Fisher Scientific is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.