Business Development Specialist

About the role

You will serve as a critical growth engine for Penumbra in Latin America by acting as the primary operational arm of the Country Manager in Rio de Janeiro. This position owns the end-to-end execution of downstream strategy, translating corporate objectives into tangible field activities across multiple regions. You will be the central point of contact and expertise for our distributor network, ensuring that complex perfusion technologies are not just sold but deeply understood in clinical settings. The role is defined by its hands-on nature, requiring you to be physically present in the field to build relationships and demonstrate value directly. You will own the planning and execution of all live educational activities, from initial concept to final follow-up, ensuring alignment with commercial goals. Success in this role depends on your ability to translate market feedback into actionable insights for the leadership team in real time. You will be measured by your capability to drive product adoption and penetration through the meticulous execution of distributor-led initiatives. This is a role for a self-starter who thrives on autonomy and direct impact on market expansion.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Execute a dense calendar of field medical visits in partnership with distributors, ensuring continuous and consistent education regarding Penumbra products across the Rio de Janeiro region.
• Conceptualize and operationalize complex hands-on sessions and workshops, managing all logistical components to deliver high-impact training for both distributors and healthcare professionals.
• Serve as the central field support hub, providing real-time guidance and strategic alignment to distributor teams to ensure adherence to Penumbra's commercial and clinical messaging.
• Drive product launch initiatives from the ground up, working directly with key accounts to overcome adoption barriers and secure deep market penetration for new technologies.
• Synthesize and report nuanced market intelligence back to the Country Manager, identifying emerging opportunities, operational challenges, and detailed competitive movements within the healthcare landscape.
• Foster and maintain strategic partnerships with distributors through consistent communication, ensuring harmony in training standards, messaging, and overall execution quality.
• Oversee the selection, management, and development of distributor staff, establishing clear objectives and providing structured feedback through performance reviews and tailored development plans.
• Act as the primary technical and clinical resource during high-stakes hospital engagements, representing Penumbra with professionalism and deep product knowledge.
• Proactively identify gaps in clinical education and propose targeted solutions to improve the efficacy of distributor-led activities in surgical and critical care environments.
• Ensure strict compliance with regulatory and corporate standards during all field activities, safeguarding the integrity of Penumbra's brand and data collection processes.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Nursing, or a closely related scientific field, which provides the foundational knowledge necessary for complex medical discussions.
• Bring a minimum of 3 years of cumulative experience in the medical device sector, specifically in Sales, Clinical Support, or Training capacities within a hospital or field setting.
• Demonstrate a proven track record of success in the healthcare market, with specific experience navigating the intricacies of the medical device industry in Latin American regions.
• Possess substantial experience in planning and conducting workshops, training sessions, and live hands-on product demonstrations in active hospital environments.
• Exhibit exceptional organizational abilities, allowing for the effective management of multiple concurrent projects, deadlines, and stakeholder touchpoints without degradation of quality.
• Communicate with precision and confidence, engaging effectively with high-level physicians, nursing staff, and distributor management teams in English.
• Show a high degree of personal ownership, ensuring accuracy, meticulous attention to detail, and a commitment to delivering flawless execution in every assignment.
• Maintain the physical capability to travel extensively, requiring presence in the field for up to 70% of the working schedule across various locations.
• Be prepared to handle potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens and other potentially infectious materials inherent to hospital and clinical environments.

Practical notes

This role requires significant physical resilience and adaptability. You must be willing and able to work on site in general office, laboratory, cleanroom, and hospital environments, sometimes wearing 7-9 pounds of lead for extended periods during procedures. Business travel will constitute between 50% and 70% of your time, necessitating frequent movement between buildings and floors to access different clinical sites. Occasional on-call availability may be required 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to address urgent distributor or clinical needs. You must be able to remain stationary for extended periods using a computer or standard office equipment such as printers and copy machines to compile reports and communications. The role demands the physical ability to lift and move objects weighing up to 25 pounds, as well as the capacity to read, prepare emails, and produce detailed documents and spreadsheets. Effective communication is essential, as you will need to exchange accurate information with employees at all organizational levels on a daily basis, ensuring seamless collaboration and project success.