Scientific Sales & Commercial Recruitment

We recruit technical sales, business development and account management specialists across the UK and Europe, supporting scientific instrument vendors, laboratory service providers and other scientific businesses. With scientific backgrounds ourselves, we understand both the science and the commercial skills behind a successful technical sale. It’s specialist scientific sales recruitment built on genuine industry understanding.

Where we can help

Techniques

Techniques

Specialist scientific sales recruitment and scientific marketing recruitment covering instrumentation vendors, capital equipment manufacturers and distributors, laboratory consumables and laboratory service providers.

Techniques

Techniques

Specialist scientific sales recruitment and scientific marketing recruitment covering instrumentation vendors, capital equipment manufacturers and distributors, laboratory consumables and laboratory service providers.

Roles

Roles

Job titles from Sales Support Specialist and Marketing Exectutive, to Business Development Manager, Head of Sales and Chief Commercial Officer. 

Roles

Roles

Job titles from Sales Support Specialist and Marketing Exectutive, to Business Development Manager, Head of Sales and Chief Commercial Officer. 

Industries

Industries

Industries served: chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory automation, consumables, glassware, laboratory water systems, electronics, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), medical devices and technical training.

Industries

Industries

Industries served: chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory automation, consumables, glassware, laboratory water systems, electronics, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), medical devices and technical training.

Employment Type

Employment Type

Permanent, contract and temporary assignments across across UK and Europe locations and territories.

Employment Type

Employment Type

Permanent, contract and temporary assignments across across UK and Europe locations and territories.

Commercial roles and capabilities we recruit for

Our scientific sales recruiters understand that successful technical sales require more than commercial experience. We look beyond job titles to understand the products and technologies candidates have sold, their customer base, sales cycles and experience of managing technical sales conversations. From laboratory consumables and service contracts to complex capital equipment and instrumentation, we understand the different commercial skills and approaches each market requires, helping us find the right people for your business. We also recognise the qualities that make a great sales person, helping scientists with the right transferable skills make a successful transition into scientific sales.

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Which commercial functions does VRS recruit for?

We recruit across the full spectrum of scientific sales, marketing and commercial functions, including technical sales and business development, key account and territory management, applications support, channel & distributor management, customer service, product management, marketing and commercial leadership. From sales support and lead generation, to senior management and director-level appointments, we support businesses at every stage of their commercial growth.

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What distinguishes scientific sales from generic sales recruitment?

Scientific sales requires a combination of technical knowledge and commercial skills. Whether selling laboratory consumables, analytical instrumentation or complex laboratory automation systems, candidates need to understand their products and communicate effectively with scientists, laboratory managers, R&D leaders and procurement teams. With scientific backgrounds ourselves, we understand both sides of the conversation and can assess the technical expertise and commercial experience needed to succeed in each role.

Scientific sales and commercial roles we recruit for

From Sales Executives and Account Managers to Sales Directors, Country Managers and senior commercial leadership appointments, we recruit across all levels of experience. Typical roles include Technical Sales Specialists, Business Development Managers, Key Account Managers, Territory Managers, Product Managers, Applications Specialists, Channel and Distributor Managers, Service Contract Sales Specialists, Marketing Managers, Technical Trainers and Commercial Directors.. and plenty of variations in between!

Does VRS recruit pre-sales applications scientists?

Absolutely! We recruit Applications Scientists, Applications Specialists and Technical Sales Specialists who bridge the gap between science and sales. These roles often involve customer demonstrations, technical evaluations, method development, troubleshooting and post-sales training. We understand the importance of combining hands-on scientific expertise with strong communication and customer-facing skills, and recruit across both pre-sales and post-sales applications support.

Which seniority levels see the highest UK demand?

Demand varies with the market, but we regularly recruit Field-Based Account Managers, Sales Engineers, Technical Sales Specialists, Business Development Managers and Key Account Managers. We also support senior appointments, including Sales Directors, Country Managers and Commercial Leaders, offering retained search for specialist, senior and confidential recruitment requirements.

Industries we recruit for

Our scientific sales and commercial recruitment expertise spans scientific instrument vendors, equipment manufacturers and distributors, covering chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory automation, NMR, and lab informatics. We support businesses selling capital equipment, laboratory consumables and service contracts, alongside laboratory service providers specialising in contract testing (CRO, CDMO's) supplying industries such as food, water, environmental, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, foresic, bioanalysis. Our expertise also extends to life science research instrumentation, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), medical devices and other specialist scientific markets.

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Does VRS recruit for capital equipment sales specifically?

Yes. We recruit experienced capital equipment sales professionals across mass spectrometry, chromatography, laboratory automation and other scientific instrumentation. We understand the complexities of high-value technical sales, from lengthy sales cycles and product demonstrations to managing relationships with laboratory users, R&D leaders, procurement and senior decision-makers. Our extensive industry network helps us identify candidates with the technical knowledge and commercial experience to succeed in these specialist markets.

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What about consumables, services, and contract sales?

Yes, yes & yes! We recruit commercial professionals across laboratory consumables, service contracts and laboratory testing services. From high-volume consumables sales and territory management to service contract renewals and business development across scientific industries, we understand the different sales cycles, customer relationships and technical expertise each market requires.

FAQs

Got a question?

You can always ask us - we’re real people and we’re very friendly!

In the meantime, our marketing team tells us FAQs are good for SEO, so here are a few we prepared earlier.. 😉

Absolutely! We recruit scientific sales, marketing and commercial professionals across the UK, Europe and North America. From our Paris office, we support recruitment throughout Europe, with regular opportunities in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Nordic countries. Our US office covers scientific sales and marketing recruitment across North America, too!

Active jobs

Senior Scientist – Immunology / Translational Research

Slough
South East
£56,000 - £65,000
A leading pharmaceutical company is looking for an experienced Senior Scientist to join its Immunology Research team, working within the Resolution of Inflammation focus area. This is an exciting opportunity to support the progression and optimisation of therapeutic molecules within early clinical development, generating and analysing preclinical and translational data to support scientific decision-making and patient population selection.

Senior/Principal Scientist - Biomarker & Translational Science - Flow Cytometry

Slough
South East
£65,000 - £80,000
We are working in partnership with a global pharmaceutical organisation to recruit a Senior or Principal Research Scientist with strong Flow Cytometry expertise for a newly forming Translational Research team. This opportunity sits within the company’s Early Clinical Development & Translational Sciences function, working closely with an established Biomarker Assay Sciences group. The team supports the progression of innovative therapeutic assets – including gene therapies – from research through to early clinical development.

Group Leader - Immunoassay

Cambridge
East Anglia
Competitive
A leading international CRO is seeking an experienced scientific leader to head its ADA Immunoassay Bioanalysis function. This is a senior leadership role combining scientific expertise, operational management and commercial responsibility. You'll lead a high-performing team, ensure the delivery of high-quality bioanalytical services, and help drive the continued growth of the business

Associate/Research Scientist - Upstream Process Sciences

Slough
South East
£35,000 - £50,000
A successful pharmaceutical company is looking for an Associate Scientist / Research Scientist to join its Drug Substance Process Sciences team and support the development of innovative biologics.

Senior/Principal Bioinformatician - Transcriptomics

Slough
South East
£56,000 - £80,000
An exciting hybrid working opportunity has arisen for an experienced Bioinformatician to join a high-impact team supporting clinical-stage assets. Working at the interface of biology and data, you’ll play a key role in unlocking insights from complex patient-level omics datasets to better understand disease biology, treatment effects and safety signals. This is a collaborative environment where your work will directly inform critical scientific and clinical decisions.

Field Service Engineer

England
England
£40,000 - £60,000 + Bonus + Company Car
Fantastic opportunity for an experienced Field Service Engineer to join a successful and well-established instrument manufacturer.

Laboratory Team Leader

Livingston
Scotland
£35,000 - £42,000
Our client is a leading provider of analytical services to customers across multiple industries including pharmaceutical, food, environmental and cosmetic. With laboratories spanning across the globe, an exciting role has arisen in Livingston to contribute towards the success of their Biopharmaceutical division!

Product Manager

High Wycombe
South East
£40,000 - £50,000 + Bonus
Exciting Product Manager opportunity working for a leading provider of Laboratory Water Purification technologies.