Business Development Life Science Jobs in Chicago, IL

Location: (Remote, US Only)

About MustardSeed

MustardSeed is a project management consulting firm that helps organizations execute complex programs in highly regulated industries, including Food & Beverage, Life Sciences, Aerospace & Defense, Financial Services, and advanced manufacturing.

Our consultants work as an extension of our clients' teams, providing project and program leadership, PMO support, and execution expertise. With operations in the United States and United Kingdom, MustardSeed serves clients through a fully distributed team.

About the Role:

MustardSeed is expanding our sales organization and is seeking an experienced Business Development Executive to drive new client acquisitions. The Business Development Executive will be responsible for opening new client relationships, developing opportunities from initial contact through signed engagement, and formally transitioning established accounts to MustardSeed's Client Success team.

We are looking for someone with a unique combination of project delivery and business development experience. The ideal candidate began their career managing projects or programs, understands firsthand what successful project delivery requires, and has since built a strong track record in consulting or professional services.

MustardSeed's primary industry sectors include: Food & Beverage, Life Sciences, Aerospace & Defense, and Professional Services.

We’re particularly interested in candidates who bring a network of relationships within one of these sectors. Relevant experience in other regulated industries will also be considered.

The Business Development Executive will work closely with MustardSeed's CEO, U.S. and U.K. leadership, PMO Leaders, and delivery teams to identify opportunities, shape solutions, and bring new clients into the organization.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Build and own a targeted list of approximately 30-50 prospective accounts within industry vertical.
• Develop net-new client relationships and create qualified opportunities within the assigned sector.
• Conduct a minimum of two client-facing meetings per week, in person whenever geography reasonably allows.
• Build a strong presence within the assigned industry by attending approximately 2-5 relevant conferences, trade associations, networking events, or other industry forums per month, with an emphasis on follow-up and relationship development.
• Lead initial discovery conversations to understand prospective clients’ program, portfolio, project management, and execution needs, and identify where MustardSeed’s consulting capabilities can add value.
• Partner with MustardSeed’s delivery and PMO leadership teams to scope potential engagements and translate client needs into compelling proposals, statements of work, and commercial solutions.
• Own the commercial process from initial opportunity through close, including NDAs, proposals, rate cards, SOWs, MSAs, and commercial negotiations.
• Maintain accurate and current account information in HubSpot.
• Formally transition new clients to the Client Success team at an agreed-upon stage, ensuring a complete and effective handoff.

Required Qualifications:

• A minimum of 3+ years of successfully achieving an individual sales or bookings target, with 6+ years of overall relevant experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing projects or programs prior to, or alongside, moving into business development.
• Experience selling consulting, professional services, or another complex service-based offering.
• Strong understanding of the economics of professional services, including utilization, rate structures, scope management, and project profitability.
• Proven track record of new-business development. This should not be the candidate's first business development role.
• Established network of active industry contacts within a relevant vertical.
• Experience navigating complex, multi-stakeholder sales processes.
• Ability to communicate credibly with both executive-level stakeholders and operational or site-level leaders.
• Strong organizational skills and disciplined CRM and pipeline management.

Skills Preferred:

• Experience selling embedded consulting teams, managed services, FSP-style resource models, or project-based professional services.
• PMP, CAPM or similar project management background or certification.

Travel Requirements

• Up to 60% travel, depending on assigned industry vertical, geography, client needs, and industry events.

How will success be measured?

• Qualified first meetings generated each month.
• New-logo opportunities created.
• Pipeline coverage and progression through defined sales stages.
• Quality of handoff to Client Success without significant rework.

Compensation & Benefits:

Salary is commensurate with experience. We offer comprehensive benefits including a company sponsored Individual Coverage Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA), 401(K), Healthcare Savings Account (HSA), Paid Time Off (PTO), Parental Leave, and paid company holidays, Additionally, MustardSeed offers robust support for our team members’ professional development, employee incentives, and hands-on experience in a wide variety of projects and environments. 

Additional Information:

MustardSeed provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by the law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.