Associate Director Global Business Development - Contract Manufacturing
Grand Rapids, MI, US, 49503
At Perrigo, we are driven by our mission to Makes Lives Better Through Trusted Health and Wellness Solutions, Accessible to All. We are proud to be a Top 10 player in the European Consumer Self-Care market and the largest U.S. store brand provider of over the counter and infant formula. Dedicated to providing The Best Self-Care for Everyone, we are the people behind the brands you trust. We are Opill®, Compeed®, Solpadeine®, NiQuitin®, and many more. We Are Perrigo. We are committed to enhancing the wellbeing of our colleagues and consumers alike. We pride ourselves on fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture where each person can experience a sense of belonging.
Join us on our One Perrigo journey as we evolve to win in self-care.
Description Overview
The Associate Director, Global Business Development is responsible for driving new customer acquisition and identifying growth opportunities for Perrigo's Global Contract Manufacturing business. Reporting to the Global Commercial Leader, Contract Manufacturing, this role will translate Perrigo's Contract Manufacturing growth strategy into targeted customer acquisition, market engagement, and business development plans designed to accelerate growth through new customer acquisition and strategic partnerships.
While Perrigo's Contract Manufacturing growth strategy is already established, this role will develop the customer acquisition, market engagement, and business development playbook required to execute that strategy and accelerate growth.
This is a highly commercial "hunter" role designed to create new growth opportunities rather than manage existing business. The successful candidate will identify where Perrigo's manufacturing capabilities, product development expertise, technical know-how, and product assets create the strongest opportunity for growth and develop targeted plans to acquire new customers across existing OTC categories as well as adjacent categories where Perrigo has a manufacturing or product development right to win.
The role requires a strategic mindset combined with hands-on execution. The individual will be expected to develop the business development approach, define where to hunt, establish market access plans, build industry networks, and personally engage customers to create and close opportunities.
This position leads one Account Executive and will actively participate in customer-facing activities alongside them. Success will be measured by pipeline creation, new customer acquisition, strategic partnership development, and revenue growth delivered through new business opportunities.
Will consider remote based US candidates preferably in Eastern and Midwest states.
Scope of the Role
Business Development Strategy & Execution
- Develop and execute business development plans that support Perrigo's Contract Manufacturing growth strategy.
- Translate strategic growth priorities into actionable customer acquisition, market development, and channel expansion plans.
- Identify and prioritize target customers, channels, segments, and geographies where Perrigo's capabilities can provide a competitive advantage.
New Customer Acquisition
- Identify, prospect, and pursue new contract manufacturing customers globally.
- Develop relationships with key decision-makers across consumer health, OTC, VMS, pharmaceutical, wellness, and adjacent consumer product categories.
- Lead customer engagement, opportunity qualification, proposal development, negotiations, and commercial discussions through contract execution.
White Space & Market Development
- Identify opportunities in adjacent categories, customer segments, and channels where Perrigo is not actively participating today but has the capabilities to compete and win through CMO or CDMO partnerships.
- Evaluate emerging customer types, business models, and channels that represent future growth opportunities.
- Assess market attractiveness, customer needs, competitive dynamics, and Perrigo's ability to create a differentiated value proposition.
Emerging Brands & Innovation Ecosystem Development
- Develop approaches for connecting Perrigo with start-ups, emerging brands, entrepreneurial health and wellness companies, and direct-to-consumer businesses early in their development lifecycle.
- Build relationships and networks that increase Perrigo's visibility with companies seeking product development and manufacturing partners.
- Establish connections within innovation, incubator, investor, consultant, and industry ecosystems to gain early access to new opportunities.
Trade Show & Industry Engagement Strategy
- Develop and execute Perrigo's trade show and industry engagement strategy for Contract Manufacturing.
- Identify priority events, target audiences, networking opportunities, and expected commercial outcomes.
- Ensure participation in industry events generates measurable customer acquisition opportunities and qualified pipeline growth.
Consultant, Broker & Partner Network Development
- Establish relationships with consultants, brokers, industry associations, and external experts that can provide access to prospective customers and new markets.
- Develop external partnership networks that help accelerate opportunity identification and customer acquisition.
- Leverage industry relationships to increase awareness of Perrigo's manufacturing and product development capabilities.
Team Leadership
- Lead and coach one Account Executive supporting business development activities.
- Partner closely with the Account Executive to identify, pursue, and close new business opportunities.
Executive Communication & Business Development Leadership
- Develop and communicate business development strategies, opportunity pipelines, market assessments, and growth plans to executive leadership.
- Create compelling executive-level presentations that clearly articulate opportunity areas, customer acquisition plans, market trends, risks, and recommendations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Commercial, Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Finance teams to evaluate and advance growth opportunities.
- Collaborate with Account Executives responsible for existing customer relationships to identify and pursue expansion opportunities where appropriate.
Experience Required
Required
- Typically these skills are acquired with a Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences, Supply Chain, or related field.
- Typically 10+ years of experience in Commercial Business Development, Sales, Market Development, or related commercial leadership roles, with 3-5 years leading a team or function.
- Proven track record of analyzing the market, identifying, pursuing, and winning new business opportunities.
- Experience developing new customer acquisition strategies and translating them into actionable growth plans within the contract manufacturing (CMO/CDMO) business model.
- Demonstrated success negotiating and closing complex commercial and product development agreements.
- Proven ability to develop business development plans, customer targeting strategies, perform market analysis and develop engagement approaches that translate commercial objectives into actionable growth opportunities.
- Strong strategic thinking, opportunity assessment, and market development capabilities.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
- Experience developing and presenting business cases, commercial recommendations, and growth strategies to senior leadership.
- Self-starter with the ability to work independently, prioritize competing opportunities, and drive execution with limited oversight.
- Willingness to travel approximately 50%, including internationally.
Preferred
- Experience within Consumer-packaged goods categories, specifically in OTC (over the counter) consumer health, VMS (Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements), pharmaceutical, or adjacent consumer product industries, preferably in contract manufacturing (CMO/CDMO) business development roles.
- Established network of industry contacts and decision-makers across OTC, VMS, pharmaceutical, consumer health, wellness, and adjacent product categories.
- Existing relationships or experience with consultants, brokers, or industry associations that assist with new business acquisition and expansion in CMO partnerships.
- Experience working with both large established organizations and emerging growth companies.
- Experience with international business development activities and global market knowledge via new customer engagement.
Leadership Profile
The ideal candidate is:
- A proven hunter who is energized by creating opportunities rather than managing existing business.
- Skilled at developing targeted business development and customer acquisition plans and personally executing against them.
- Well-connected within relevant industries and capable of leveraging relationships to create new opportunities.
- Comfortable operating independently with a high degree of accountability and visibility.
- Equally effective at developing executive-level growth presentations and building relationships with prospective customers.
- Resourceful, proactive, and action-oriented.
- Willing to roll up their sleeves and personally drive results within a lean organization.
- Comfortable leading through influence rather than organizational scale.
- Confident presenting recommendations, strategies, and progress updates to executive leadership.
- Resilient, adaptable, and motivated by delivering measurable growth.
Travel Requirements
- Approximately 50% travel is required, including internationally.
- Travel will be driven by customer acquisition priorities, business development activities, industry events, trade shows, customer engagements, and growth opportunities globally.
Benefits
We believe our people are our greatest asset. Alongside competitive compensation, we offer benefits tailored to supporting you and your family, as well as career development opportunities to ensure you feel valued and supported, both professionally and personally.
Find out more about Total Rewards at Perrigo.
Hybrid Working Approach
We love our offices and the setting they provide for in-person collaboration and celebration. But we also appreciate the opportunity to work remotely can energise you too, so we promote flexibility with the ability to work two days a week from home in many roles.
We are proud to be included in the Forbes list of "America's Best Employers by State 2024". Find out more here
Applicants please note: To apply to this position please click the APPLY button at the bottom of the application. (The SAVE button will only save your profile information but not submit an application for this open position.) All application materials, including resumes and CVs, must be submitted in English. Thank you.
We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or other characteristics protected by law. #weareperrigo
Nearest Major Market: Grand Rapids