Senior Global Research Collaborations Manager

Basecamp Research; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Private healthcare

IVF stipend

Pension (salary sacrifice)

Bike-to-work scheme

Life insurance

Job summary

Basecamp Research is seeking a Senior Global Research Partnerships Manager to lead international collaborations in biodiversity, science diplomacy, and government relations. You will leverage an existing network to advance partnerships, navigate multi-stakeholder agreements, and ensure ethical, legal, and benefit-sharing compliance.

You will coordinate field-expedition partnerships, manage cross-border projects from London or Boston hubs, and work with Legal and Policy teams to scale and protect

Qualifications

• Experience leading international partnerships in biodiversity, environmental science, or life sciences.
• Proven ability to own multi-stakeholder initiatives and drive them to completion.
• Strong independence and proactive problem-solving in cross-cultural contexts.
• Comfort representing organizations at international conferences and events.
• Extensive network in biodiversity, conservation, or related circles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, establishment, and management of international biodiversity collaborations with legal and policy teams to ensure robust regulatory compliance and fair benefit-sharing.
• Advance capacity-building and knowledge exchange with biodiversity partners to ensure mutual value creation and transparent insights access.
• Coordinate environmental sampling initiatives with international partners to provide DNA data for the BCR database.
• Oversee field expeditions logistics, safety, and coordination with partners across multiple regions.

Skills

International partnerships

Science diplomacy

Government relations

Network in biodiversity

Project leadership

Job description

About Us

Basecamp Research is dedicated to solving major challenges in the life sciences by exploring Beyond Known Biology. Our teams build frontier AI models using BaseData, the world's largest ethically-sourced and globally representative biological dataset. Our Global Research Team collects and curates our own biological data through partnerships with more than 152 organisations in 28 countries, giving its AI access to genetic diversity that doesn't exist for models trained on public database sources. This enables Basecamp Research to design novel protein sequences and biological systems that can accelerate therapeutic research and development.

In October 2024 we closed Series B and in January 2026 finalised pre-Series C investment from NVIDIA. With hubs both in London, UK as well as Boston, Massachusetts, USA and partners with biopharma companies and academic institutions worldwide, our work has been recognised with honours including Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Biotech and the FT-backed Sifted AI100 list of Europe's leading AI startups.

At Basecamp Research, we pride ourselves on being a diverse, exciting, fun, and flexible place to work. Our team of biologists, engineers, ML scientists, field explorers, and operations specialists are united by a sense of adventure and the belief that nature has already designed the solutions to our planet's greatest challenges - we just need to go out and discover them! If you feel passionate about the power of biology, data, and AI to build a better world, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Overview

Our mission is to create the world's largest and fastest-growing database of protein sequences, underpinning AI-driven models to build a "digital twin" of Earth's biodiversity. To aid this goal, the Global Research Team is coordinating the collection of an unprecedented number of environmental samples through the Trillion Gene Atlas, in collaboration with our global network of partners.

This role sits within the Global Research Team and is essential to that mission - primarily by deepening and scaling our existing partnerships and collaborations, driving forward those already in motion, and, over time, using your network to help identify and secure new long-term partnerships with global institutions.

Basecamp Research is therefore seeking a Senior Global Research Partnerships Manager to lead and scale our international collaborations & expedition partnerships within our Global Research Team. This is a senior, hands-on role for someone who can hit the ground running - bringing an existing network in biodiversity, conservation, or science diplomacy, and the confidence to take ownership of complex, multi-stakeholder relationships from day one.

You will lead the development and the scaling of our international collaborations with primarily research institutes, as well as governments, NGOs, and conservation agencies. We are looking for someone proactive who can quickly identify what needs to be done and drive it forward, looping the right people in at the right time. You'll ensure our work is ethically sourced, legally compliant, and creates transparent value-sharing mechanisms with all partners.

Key Responsibilities

Scaling & Delivering Existing Collaborations (Primary Focus)

• Take ownership of implementing and driving forward collaborations that are live or about to kick off, ensuring they deliver on their scientific and strategic potential.

• Identify opportunities to deepen, expand, or level up existing partnerships - more sites, more sampling, broader institutional buy-in, renewed or upgraded agreements.

• Proactively spot gaps, risks, and opportunities within current collaborations and act on them without needing detailed direction.

• Bring an existing professional network in biodiversity, conservation, government relations, or science diplomacy that can be leveraged to strengthen current partnerships and, in time, open doors to new ones.

International Partnerships & Diplomatic Relations

• Lead the development, establishment, and management of international biodiversity collaborations, keeping close communication with the legal and policy team to ensure robust legal frameworks, regulatory compliance, and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms.

• Support capacity-building programs and knowledge exchange with biodiversity partners to ensure fair benefit-sharing and mutual value creation, including ensuring transparent access to insights and benefits derived from their contributions, running R&D initiatives, and co-writing manuscripts with international collaborators.

Collaboration Project Management & Scientific Delivery

• Work with international research groups, NGOs, academia, and private entities to plan and execute environmental sampling that provides extracted DNA for the BCR database and insights for biodiversity partners.

• Deliver environmental sampling and DNA extraction training to biodiversity partners around the globe.

• Coordinate DNA biobanking in London to facilitate sequencing efforts with the Production Team.

• Bridge the partnership and field operations sides of BCR's work, ensuring smooth knowledge transfer and compliance across all activities.

Field Expedition Leadership & Project Management

• Plan and execute, or coordinate expeditions with field consultants, to areas such as national parks, private land, and conservation areas where Basecamp Research has acquired permits for sampling.

• Lead field teams, in-person or remotely, across multi-week expeditions involving logistics coordination, equipment management, safety protocols, and real-time problem-solving in remote and challenging environments.

• Manage and support expedition logistics: travel planning, accommodation, customs documentation, packing lists, equipment cataloguing, and risk management.

• Conduct careful metadata and sample collection in the field and support collaborators to do the same, ensuring chain-of-custody and data integrity across multiple sampling locations.

Required Skills and Experience

• You have significant, demonstrable experience (senior/manager level) in international partnerships, science diplomacy, conservation, or government relations - ideally within biodiversity, environmental science, or life sciences.

• You have an established professional network in biodiversity, conservation, or related government/NGO circles that can be put to immediate use, and a track record of taking ownership of complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives and driving them to completion with a high degree of autonomy.

• Confident and comfortable operating with a high degree of independence; able to see what needs doing and act on it, rather than waiting for direction.

• Sound judgment for navigating ambiguous, cross-cultural, or politically sensitive situations without close supervision.

• Experience representing organizations in international partnerships, conferences, and stakeholder events.

Project Management & Regulatory Knowledge

• Experience managing multi-stakeholder projects with complex regulatory and political considerations.

• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and deliver across multiple regions and partnerships simultaneously.

Field & Expedition Skills

• Demonstrated experience planning and executing field sampling work in remote or challenging environments.

• Experience in expedition logistics, including customs, packing lists, first aid, and lone working protocols.

• Proven ability to lead and coordinate field teams, ensuring safety and efficiency.

• Competent in recording, managing, and quality-controlling field data.

• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot equipment and adapt to unpredictable field conditions.

Advantageous Skills and Experience

Scientific & Technical Skills

• General molecular biology or microbiology skills (DNA extraction, processing, sequencing, sample preparation).

• Understanding of the role of biodiversity in science, technology, and innovation.

• Experience with biosecurity, lab administration (inventory, risk assessments, organization).

Project Management & Regulatory Knowledge

• Knowledge of global biodiversity frameworks (Nagoya Protocol, Convention on Biological Diversity, Access and Benefit-Sharing frameworks).

• Experience with permit applications, regulatory processes, and compliance documentation.

What we offer in return

Impactful Mission:

This is a rare chance to do work that genuinely matters. You'll join a talented, fast-moving team, access unique biological datasets at scale, and see your contributions shape real breakthroughs in AI and curative therapeutics.

Collaborative Culture:

You’ll be surrounded by world‑class engineers, scientists, and researchers who care deeply about their work and about each other. With offices in London and Boston, we’ve built a flexible, cross‑functional environment where personal development and real ownership aren’t just talking points.

High Growth:

We truly believe in investing in our people. We make coaching available to team members during steep growth journeys and we have twice-yearly promotion opportunities. People who are really successful here own it and go directly to solve problems at pace, and we ensure reward increases with impact.

Comprehensive Benefits:

We've built a benefits package people value.

• competitive salary, equity, and private healthcare with no medical history exclusions - so strong that most employees' family members opt into our plan over their own.
• Carrot Fertility with IVF stipend.
• salary sacrifice pension.
• bike-to-work scheme.
• life insurance.
• and more.

We are committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of ethnic or national origin, race, religion, sex, age, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, gender identity or any other basis. If you have a disability or additional need that needs accommodating do let us know.