Inside Sales Specialist, EMEA - Intern

Position: Inside Sales Specialist Intern, EMEA

Position Type: Full time, 12 months internship 

Department: Sales

Location: Salt River, Cape Town 

Experience:  Bachelor’s degree in a life science field, 1-2 years in customer facing role, ideally in a scientific field

Watchmaker Genomics is an early-stage life science company based in Boulder, Colorado with a R&D facility in Cape Town, South Africa. Our team is passionate about innovation and values collaboration, creativity and scientific rigor. We believe the intersection of biology, engineering and computer science presents exciting opportunities for developing novel technologies that promote research and improve human health. Watchmaker Genomics specializes in the design, development and production of DNA- and RNA-modifying enzymes that enable high-growth applications in genomics, molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine.

Position Description:

Watchmaker is inviting applications for the full-time, 12 months internship position of Inside Sales Specialist based In Cape Town, South Africa. This position reports to the Commercial Director, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and will be responsible for assisting the EMEA Regional Business Managers in driving sales growth across the company’s genomics product portfolio.

The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced working environment and contribute directly to our company culture and success. 

Core Responsibilities

Work with Regional Business Managers internationally, with a focus on EMEA, to drive sales across a broad portfolio of NGS reagents and molecular biology enzymes

Prospect new customers and gather necessary information to qualify

Demonstrate selling skills by successfully engaging customers via email, LinkedIn, cold-calling, and other communication forms to identify new opportunities

Support pre- and post-conference efforts for brand awareness and lead generation

Support customer-specific tenders as and when required

Provide support to distributors as and when relevant 

Collaborate with marketing on executing and tracking out-bound marketing campaigns

Support the commercial organization through the development of sales tools

Responsible for maintaining customer notes in CRM

Develop internal relationships and assist in providing an optimal customer experience

Possible travel to international conferences

Skills and Requirements

The candidate should have at minimum a BSc in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry or a related discipline with a desire in learning more about Next Generation Sequencing technology. Previous sales experience is a plus.

The following skills and experience are requirements for the position:

Eagerness and interest to learn about the NGS market and technologies

Good communication and personal task management skills and a high level of self-motivation

Proven track record of successfully working within a team with exceptional interpersonal skills to quickly build rapport and earn trust

Ability to multitask, perform consistently under pressure and deliver timely action items

Excellent organizational and prioritization skills

Flexible in nature to accommodate a fast-growing product portfolio and change

Top notch, professional written communication skills

Fully competent in Google Suite, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CRM systems. Able to learn and build in-depth knowledge of new technology tools 

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a life science field

1-2 years in customer facing role, ideally in a scientific field

Previous sales experience and training is a plus

Application Requirements 

To apply for the position, please submit the following in a PDF format on watchmakergenomics.com: 

Letter of motivation (upload where it says cover letter)

Resume or Curriculum vitae , highlighting relevant qualifications and experience

Applications without a Letter of Motivation will not be considered. Applicants must be South African or be eligible to work in South Africa and already possess the necessary work permits or visas, or be able to obtain them before responding to this vacancy.

To ensure your application is considered, please submit it by 10 November 2026 . Please note that this position may close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who are able to assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested. We will also request a current pay slip.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE

We are only accepting direct applications for this position. We are not working with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters will not be considered and will be deemed the property of Watchmaker Genomics

SOUTH AFRICA - WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.

All applicants will be asked if they are currently eligible to work in South Africa.  South African citizens are preferred. 

This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable laws.