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Account Executive, Pharma & Manufacturing
Pharma/Life Sciences & Industrial Manufacturing
US (with travel to customers and events)
Reports to: Chief Revenue Officer
To apply for this role, email mdurcan@corasystems.com.
About Cora Systems
Cora Systems builds antaivo, the platform for autonomous portfolio intelligence. Headquartered in Ireland and selling across EMEA and the US, Cora has delivered enterprise portfolio management since 1999.
Our customers run programmes where a slipped milestone costs millions: defence platforms, new manufacturing lines, multi-year pharmaceutical capital projects. Instead of assembling the truth on a monthly reporting cycle, antaivo runs on the portfolio’s clock. It watches schedule, cost, risk and resource together, surfaces what changed and why, and proposes the corrective action for a person to approve. Executives, PMOs and finance get one trusted view of the whole portfolio, kept current as things change.
Why people join Cora
- Exceptional customer base. You sell to programme directors, CFOs, CIOs and Heads of PMO at global enterprises.
- Upside that tracks performance. Uncapped commission and a clear line between the value you create and what you earn.
The role
You will own new business and expansion across pharmaceutical, life sciences and industrial manufacturing accounts. Your buyers run large capital and operational project portfolios: new plants, line expansions, facility upgrades, tech transfer, and multi-site engineering programmes. They need control over spend, schedule and resource, and they need it to stand up to their CFO and board.
This is a full-cycle role. You will build your own pipeline, design account strategies, bring partners into deals, and close complex enterprise contracts. We will back you with product, solution and leadership support, but you will be the one driving the deal.
What you will do
Build and close a pipeline of new enterprise customers in pharma, life sciences and industrial manufacturing.
Run complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles with CapEx, engineering, PMO, finance, IT and procurement.
Work with and through partners (systems integrators, SAP and ERP consultancies, engineering and capital-projects advisors) to source, shape and close opportunities.
Lead value-based conversations on capital efficiency, portfolio visibility, cost control and predictable delivery.
Respond to RFIs and RFPs, and shape requirements before they are written.
Expand existing customers into new sites, business units and AI capabilities on the new platform.
Forecast accurately and keep a disciplined, current CRM.
Feed what you learn in the field into product, marketing and partner strategy.
What you bring
A track record of closing six- and seven-figure enterprise software deals, ideally in PPM, EPM, ERP, CapEx or engineering software.
Deep knowledge of how pharma, life sciences or industrial manufacturing companies plan, fund and run capital projects. GMP, validation and regulated-environment context is a strong plus.
Proven experience selling through and with partners, including co-selling and partner-sourced pipeline.
Success in a company of similar size, where you built your own pipeline and created your own momentum.
Comfort talking to a VP Engineering about schedules and to a CFO about Capex and return on capital in the same week.
Willingness to travel across your territory and to key industry events.
Alternative paths we welcome
- From industryYou have worked in capital projects, engineering, operations or finance in pharma or manufacturing, and you want to move into a commercial role. You know the buyer because you have been the buyer.
- From the PMOYou have run or led a PMO, portfolio office or capital-projects controls function, and you want to change direction. You understand the problem we solve better than most salespeople ever will.
Who you are
We are looking for builders, not passengers. At Cora you take part in creating your own success: you find the opportunity, shape the solution, bring in the partner and close the deal.
- Ambitious.
You want to build a territory and a reputation, and you measure yourself by results.
- Shows initiative.
You don't wait for leads, a playbook or permission. You see a gap and act on it.
- Self-motivated.
You set your own pace and hold yourself to a high standard without being managed to it.
- Partner-minded.
You know that the best enterprise deals are often won with others. You build real relationships with SIs, consultancies and technology partners, and you make them want to bring you in.
- Deep in your domain.
You speak your customer's language, and buyers treat you as a peer who understands their programmes, not just as a vendor.
- Solution-focused.
You start with the customer's problem and build a commercial case around it, not around a feature list.
- Proven at our scale.
You have succeeded in a company of similar size, where resources are focused and every person's contribution counts.
Is this the right move for you?
This role suits someone who has carved their own path. If you have spent your career at a multi-billion-dollar vendor with presales, bid teams, deal desks and partner managers around every opportunity, be honest with yourself about whether you want to work differently. Here you will have strong support, but you will be the one making the deal happen. For the right person, that is the attraction: more ownership, more visibility and a direct link between your effort and your outcome.
We strongly encourage applications from people moving into sales from industry, and from PMO and project controls leaders looking for a career change. Domain credibility is hard to teach. If you have it, and the drive to build a commercial career, we want to talk to you.
Equal opportunity
Cora Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every background and are committed to an inclusive workplace.
How to apply
If you are interested in this role, you can send your resume to mdurcan@corasystems.com.