Commercial Manager – Chromatography & Purification Systems in Reading, Pennsylvania at Custom Processing Services Inc.

We are seeking a Commercial Manager with a strong technical background in industrial-scale chromatography operations within the food and/or pharmaceutical sectors. This role blends commercial strategy with hands-on technical expertise to identify growth opportunities, develop strategic partnerships, and support customers implementing large-scale purification and separation processes.

The ideal candidate has direct experience operating or supporting industrial chromatography columns (e.g., SMB, simulated moving bed, packed-bed, or continuous chromatography systems) and can translate technical capabilities into commercial value for customers in bioprocessing, food ingredient purification, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Accountable Functions and Responsibilities:

Business Development & Market Growth

• Identify and develop new business opportunities in food processing, nutraceuticals, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

• Build and maintain relationships with process engineers, Operations Team, TSE teams, and plant manager

• Develop market strategies for extraction and chromatography-based separation technologies and related services.

• Manage the full sales lifecycle from lead generation and qualification to proposal development and contract closure.

• Represent the company at industry conferences, trade shows, and technical events.

Operational Management

• Equipment and process owner responsible for design, set-up, and optimization of the extraction and purification operations in Building 3

• Oversee and manage operations teams to complete commercial trials on the extraction and purification equipment

• Working collaboratively with the Building 3 Plant Manager, ensure the extraction and purification operations is run to optimize output without compromising employee Health and Safety or Product Quality

Technical Engagement

• Serve as a technical-commercial liaison between customers and internal engineering/process teams.

• Support customers in evaluating chromatography solutions for purification, fractionation, and ingredient isolation.

• Provide guidance on scale-up, column operation, resin selection, and process optimization.

• Assist with pilot trials, feasibility studies, and process demonstrations.

• Translate operational insights into customer value propositions and ROI analyses.

Strategic Collaboration

• Work closely with process engineering, R&D, and product management to align customer needs with product development.

• Contribute to the development of new applications in food ingredients, APIs, and bioproduct purification.

• Provide market intelligence and competitive insights to leadership.

Job Metrics (Measurements of Success):

• Safety Incident rate

• New Revenue growth in separation projects

• Qualified Pipeline Value

• Pilot Trials Initiated

• 360 feedback from peers and co-workers

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Food Science, or a related technical discipline.

• 5+ years of experience in industrial chromatography operations, process engineering, or technical sales in food, biotech, or pharmaceutical industries.

• Demonstrated hands-on experience operating or supporting industrial-scale chromatography columns, including system setup, troubleshooting, and process optimization.

• Strong understanding of chromatographic separations, resins, and scale-up considerations.

• Proven ability to develop and close business opportunities in technical or capital equipment environments.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to commercial and executive audiences.

• Technical credibility in industrial separations and purification technologies

• Strategic business development and opportunity management

• Customer relationship building and consultative selling

• Cross-functional collaboration

• Analytical and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with continuous or simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography systems.

• Background in bioprocessing, protein purification, sugar purification, amino acids, organic acids, or nutraceutical ingredients.

• Familiarity with GMP environments and regulatory considerations in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

• MBA or additional training in business, marketing, or commercialization.

• Experience managing strategic accounts or long sales cycles for industrial process equipment.