Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager

Department: Sales

Reports To: Head of Sales

Location: On site, San Carlos, California

Employment Type: Full Time, Exempt, Salary

Compensation: $190,000 USD on-target earnings

The compensation listed for this role is On Target Earnings (OTE), meaning the figure includes both the sales commission target and the annual base salary. This role is also eligible for equity.

About the Company

Sapho Bio is a revenue-generating biotechnology company developing a rapid microbiology release platform designed for the precision medicine era. We are a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers committed to transforming the lot release process through innovation, speed, and accuracy.

Our culture emphasizes agency, innovation, and continual learning. Following the successful validation and launch of our first proprietary assay, we now have over 30 customers and are growing quickly.

Job Summary

Sapho Bio is looking for a Business Development Manager to win new customers across pharma, biotech, and CDMO accounts. You will own deals from first conversation to signed contract: finding the right accounts, running discovery, building proposals, and negotiating terms.

This is an early sales hire, so you will help build the process rather than inherit one that already works. You will work closely with our Head of Sales on strategy and with our Field Application Scientist on technical evaluations.

You are a good fit for this role if you are rigorous, smart, and above all hard-working.

Application Requirements

Your cover letter should give clear examples of the following:

• An instance in which you demonstrated an exceptional work ethic
• The largest deal you closed, and how you closed it
• A deal you lost, and what you learned from it

This job is not 9-5. This is an opportunity to work very hard, learn a lot, and develop skills that will serve you well later in life. It is not an opportunity to focus on work life balance.

Required Qualifications

• BS in any field
• Demonstrable track record of closing B2B deals against a quota
• Experience selling to technical buyers
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Live within a 30 minute commute of San Carlos

Nice to Have

• Experience selling into pharma, biotech, or CDMO accounts
• Familiarity with QC microbiology, sterility testing, or other regulated lab services
• Scientific background or life science coursework
• Familiarity with HubSpot or a comparable CRM
• Prior experience at a startup

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and prioritize target accounts across pharma, biotech, and CDMO segments
• Generate pipeline through outbound outreach, referrals, and conferences
• Run discovery with QC, quality, and operations leaders to understand their testing needs
• Build proposals and pricing, and negotiate contracts through to close
• Coordinate technical evaluations with our Field Application Scientist
• Keep accurate pipeline records and forecasts in our CRM
• Bring customer feedback back to the team and help shape what we build next
• Represent Sapho Bio at conferences and trade shows
• Whatever else is needed for the company to succeed

Other Responsibilities

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Sapho Bio is an early stage startup where you will have the opportunity to learn new skills, read a lot, and develop your ability to solve problems.

Life at Sapho Bio

• High-Impact Work: Help transform pharmaceutical testing and accelerate patient access to life-saving therapies.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Financial Security: 401(k) with company matching and company-paid life insurance.
• Time to Recharge: Unlimited PTO and company-recognized holidays.
• Connection & Community: Team lunches, office events, and offsite gatherings.
• Competitive Compensation: Market-leading salary and meaningful equity participation.
• Fast-Paced Environment: Join a team that moves quickly, learns continuously, and executes with purpose.
• World-Class Team: Work alongside experienced scientists, engineers, and operators.
• Prime Location: Sunny, collaborative workspace in San Carlos.