Head of Sales Development India -Discovery Solutions, Life Science

Role Purpose

Lead the Sales Development function for Merck Discover Solutions in India, driving pipeline generation, lead qualification, and early engagement with prospective customers. Own the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of demand generation programs, ensuring alignment with the Discovery Solutions portfolio, regional growth targets, and Merck's standards of quality and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and implement a regional Sales Development strategy that accelerates qualified opportunities into the Discovery Solutions funnel.
• Lead, mentor, and develop SDMs, NEW Lead, and BP&I Lead to achieve monthly and quarterly pipeline targets (quantity and quality).
• Collaborate with Marketing, Field Sales, Global Discovery Solutions teams, and Product/Portfolio leads to design and execute multi-channel demand-generation campaigns (digital, events, webinars, ABM, partnerships).
• Establish and track KPIs for Sales Development: lead response time, contact rates, meeting creation rate, opportunity conversion, forecast accuracy.
• Develop and optimize lead routing, scoring models, and cadences to maximize conversion and reduce cycle times.
• Own the discovery and qualification process (ICP alignment, pain validation, budget/authority/need) for high-quality handoffs to Sales and Solutions teams.
• Drive continuous improvement through coaching, win/loss analysis, SOPs and playbooks; ensure compliance with Merck's ethics, privacy, and data protection standards.
• Build strong internal and external stakeholder relationships; act as a trusted advisor to regional leadership on demand generation and market dynamics.
• Manage the Budget for Sales Development initiatives; track ROI and cost per qualified opportunity.
• Represent India market in regional Discovery Solutions leadership forums and contribute to global best practices.
• Track and report on external strategy initiatives, government/industry engagement ROI, and opportunities generated through institutional engagements; maintain structured CRM documentation for leadership reviews.
• Represent Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in government forums, industry roundtables, policy consultations, and trade delegations to strengthen brand positioning and develop high-value institutional relationships.
• Collaborate with Global Government Affairs, Regional Marketing, and Segment leads to align external engagement with Merck's broader priorities.
• Monitor policy developments, budget announcements, and regulatory changes affecting Diagnostics, Pharma, and Industrial sectors; translate insights into actionable sales development strategies.
• Partner with customers and channel partners to develop joint advocacy positions and support investment justification for capital approvals; facilitate access to government co-funding or subsidised financing for lab infrastructure and technology upgrades.
• Build and nurture strategic relationships with government research institutes, PSUs, and national laboratories to create long-term pipeline opportunities and framework agreements.
• Drive advocacy efforts with industry bodies (e.g., FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, ABLE, IDMA) and relevant associations to influence policy frameworks.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences, or related field; MBA or equivalent preferred.
• 8-12 years of B2B sales development, demand generation, or market-facing experience in life sciences, healthcare, or related sectors.
• Proven leadership experience managing teams of Sales Development Representatives/Managers.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering pipeline growth and achieving targets in regional or global settings.
• Strong understanding of ICPs, lead scoring, cadences, and multichannel demand generation.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales, Product, and Compliance.
• Desirable: experience in software-enabled discovery, scientific data services, or related Merck Discover Solutions portfolio.
• Familiarity with CRM/Marketing Automation (e.g., Salesforce, Marketo/HubSpot) and analytics tools.
• Prior experience in India or South Asia with regulatory and market access awareness.
• Prior experience in a multinational life sciences or pharmaceutical environment.
• Exposure to discovery solutions or scientific data services.

Scope of Impact

• Responsible for shaping and executing the India Sales Development strategy for Discover Solutions.
• Directly influences pipeline quality, regional growth, and cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Sales, Product, and Government Affairs.