Director of Business Development

Company Description

Harken Research is an ISO 17025-accredited analytical testing laboratory located in the Los Angeles area, serving dietary supplement, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical clients.

We specialize in high-quality testing, fast turnaround times, and solving complex analytical challenges. Our company has experienced rapid growth and is building the systems, team, and infrastructure to scale significantly over the next several years.

What This Role Is

• Primary driver of new business growth
• High-output outbound sales leader and closer
• Builder of scalable sales processes and outreach systems
• Strategic contributor (not owner) providing ideas and feedback from the field
• Future leader of a growing sales team

What This Role Is Not

• Not a passive account manager
• Not a purely strategic “sit-back-and-plan” role
• Not dependent on inbound leads
• Not a customer service role
• Not someone waiting for direction day-to-day

Role Description

Harken Research is seeking a Director of Business Development to lead outbound sales efforts and drive new client acquisition. This role is highly execution-focused. The primary responsibility is to identify, engage, and close new clients. In addition, this person will contribute ideas to improve outreach strategy, messaging, and overall go-to-market approach based on real-world results.

This is a high-impact role with significant upside and the opportunity to grow into a leadership position as the company scales.

Key Responsibilities

New Business Development (Primary Focus)

• Identify and target new clients in dietary supplements, food, cosmetics, and related industries
• Execute outbound outreach via email, LinkedIn, and other channels
• Build and manage a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities
• Close new business consistently and hit revenue targets

Outbound Strategy & Execution

• Help refine ideal customer profiles and target segments
• Develop and iterate outreach messaging and email campaigns
• Build structured outreach sequences and follow-up systems
• Continuously improve conversion rates through testing and iteration

Lead Generation & Pipeline Management

• Source and qualify leads using tools such as Apollo, LinkedIn, and industry databases
• Maintain organized tracking of pipeline and deal progress
• Report on key metrics including outreach, conversion, and revenue

Marketing & Messaging Input

• Provide ideas for marketing content, campaigns, and positioning
• Contribute insights from client conversations to improve messaging
• Assist with email campaigns to both prospective and existing clients

Account Management (Selective / High-Value)

• Maintain relationships with key clients
• Identify opportunities for expansion (additional testing, services)
• Ensure strong client experience and retention for strategic accounts

Future Team Building

• Participate in hiring and training future sales team members
• Help develop sales playbooks and onboarding processes
• Contribute to building a scalable sales organization

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with lab operations to align expectations and timelines
• Help improve client onboarding and submission processes
• Provide feedback to improve internal systems and efficiency

Qualifications

• Availability to work on-site in Pasadena, CA
• 5 years of B2B experience in one or more of the following:
• Sales / business development (preferred)
• Dietary supplement, food, and/or cosmetic manufacturing/brand environments
•  Proven ability to generate new business, build relationships, or drive revenue growth (sales experience strongly preferred but not required)
• Strong understanding of the dietary supplement, food, or related industries is a major plus
• Direct experience selling analytical testing, laboratory services, or technical services is a strong plus
• Excellent written communication skills
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple opportunities and follow-ups
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Hunter mentality: proactive, driven, and results-focused
• Strong executor who takes ownership and moves quickly
• Able to think critically and contribute ideas, but focused on execution
• Comfortable with ambiguity and building systems from scratch
• High accountability and follow-through

Compensation

• Base Salary: $110,000 – $150,000
• On-Target Earnings (OTE): $180,000 – $220,000
• Commission/Bonus structure tied to new business revenue

How to Apply

Please submit your resume along with brief responses to the following:

1. How many years of experience do you have in outbound sales?
2. What experience do you have working with or for a testing laboratory (analytical, contract lab services, etc.)?
3. What experience do you have working for a dietary supplement manufacturer or brand?
4. What experience do you have working for a food manufacturer or brand?