Head of EMEA Enterprise Solution Consulting R&D

Job description

We are rebuilding biotech for the AI era. When a breakthrough is delayed, the world waits. Getting a molecule from discovery to patients, or a crop from lab to field, involves thousands of slow, manual, disconnected steps. AI has the potential to change this, compressing decades of R&D work into years. But that only happens when clean, structured scientific data and AI are built into how science gets done. Benchling is the AI platform for biotech R&D. Scientists use Benchling to design experiments, capture structured data, and run AI agents and models directly in their workflows. Over 200,000 scientists around the world trust Benchling to power their most important work, from academic labs to Sanofi, Moderna, and more than half of the world's top 50 biopharma. We’re building an AI scientist for our customers. We can’t do that if we haven’t built the muscle ourselves. AI fluency is the foundation we build on; it's core to how we work, and we're committed to helping every new hire integrate it into their day-to-day. As part of our interview process, you'll complete a brief AI-focused exercise or discussion so we can understand how you think about and use AI to drive impact in your role. Feel free to reference any tools, platforms, or workflows you use today. ROLE OVERVIEW The Head of EMEA Enterprise Solution Consulting - R&D owns the technical, solution, and competitive strategy across Benchling's Enterprise Solution Consulting R&D (SC-RD) organization in EMEA. This role directly manages a team of Solution Consultants - R&D (Enterprise) as individual contributors. The role drives revenue by setting and enforcing engagement quality standards across all three segments — through alignment with customer needs, demonstrating value, and securing technical wins — while building the management bench beneath it. The ideal candidate has experience as an individual contributor in presales, owning the technical sale, and possesses deep knowledge of R&D solutions in the biotech industry. They must demonstrate a proven track record of success selling to large global accounts and most recently have been in a leadership role. RESPONSIBILITIES Setting and Overseeing Engagement Quality Standards (org-wide, cross-segment): - Setting the technical sales process standard — pipeline generation (PG), 3 Why's development, champion building, MEDDICC, and Proof of Value planning and execution — and ensuring it is applied consistently across Strategic, SMB, and Enterprise engagements. - Ensuring high-quality SC engagements across Enterprise that meet customer needs, generate value, and secure the technical win — auditing quality directly for Enterprise ICs. - Applying deal strategy and close plan expertise to guide Proof of Value plans and solutioning — directly with Enterprise ICs - Monitoring key deal activity across the full org and reallocating resources to ensure successful customer engagements. - Directly managing Enterprise SC-RD individual contributors: developing sales acumen, presentation and demo effectiveness, product knowledge, and champion-building relationships. Recruiting, Retention, and Org Design: - Recruiting and retaining a high-performance team - Running a rigorous hiring process, career discussions, individual development plans, and goal-setting for direct ICs. - Owning cultural engagement across the Enterprise SC-RD org Enterprise Relationship Management: - Building champions in Enterprise accounts and maintaining relationships with Executive Buyers (EBs) and key stakeholders, particularly on the largest or most complex Enterprise deals. QUALIFICATIONS - A history of leading high velocity sales cycles with innovative scientific research and development models, large growth potential, and complex underlying needs. - 2+ years of experience managing presales software (SaaS) solution consulting teams - Proven track record working with life science companies and comfort with biotech R&D processes and scientific concepts. - Ability to confidently interface and build trust with VP and C-Level scientific & research leaders in fast-growing Biotech organizations. - Deep knowledge of scientific software solutions and a strong understanding of its applications within a scientific environment. - Familiarity with MEDDIC sales methodology is a plus but not required. - Undergraduate degree and/or advanced degrees in Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, or a similar life science field - Willingness to travel to customer sites 25-30%. HOW WE WORK We offer a flexible hybrid work arrangement that prioritizes in-office collaboration. Employees are expected to be on-site 3 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday). Benchling welcomes everyone. We believe diversity enriches our team so we hire people with a wide range of identities, backgrounds, and experiences. We are an equal opportunity employer. That means we don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.