Business Development Manager - Drug Discovery & AI

Topia Life Sciences; Ahmedabad District; On-site; INR 6,000,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Topia Life Sciences is seeking a commercially driven Business Development Manager with ~10 years of experience in BD/Strategy within drug discovery or healthcare. You will lead competitive intelligence, identify growth opportunities, and build partnerships across pharma, biotech, CROs, and tech, including AI-enabled platforms.

You will collaborate with Product, Sales, and Marketing to shape AI-driven go-to-market strategies, manage stakeholder relationships, support investor engagement, and

Qualifications

• PhD in Life Sciences; MBA preferred.
• ~10 years experience in BD/Strategy within drug discovery or healthcare.
• Experience with AI/ML platforms and data-driven technologies.
• Strategic thinking with ability to convert insights into action.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery (small molecules preferred).
• Proven track record in partnerships and growth.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Experience with CRM and market intelligence tools.
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyse competitive intelligence, track pipelines and market movements.
• Identify market opportunities and build business cases for partnerships.
• Identify and manage partnerships across pharma, biotech, CROs, and tech; support deal structuring and negotiations.
• Collaborate with Product, Sales, and Marketing to shape AI roadmap and commercial strategy.
• Deliver executive insights, track KPIs, maintain CRM and reports.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Cross-functional

Presentation skills

CRM tools

Market intelligence

AI/ML familiarity

Data-driven

Communication

Partnerships growth

Education

PhD in Life Sciences (MBA preferred)

Tools

CRM

Market intelligence tools

Job description

Business Development Manager Drug Discovery & AI

Overview

We are seeking a commercially driven Business Development Manager (~10 years experience) with strong expertise in competitive intelligence and the drug discovery landscape. The candidate should be comfortable navigating drug discovery platforms (small molecules), understanding their capabilities, and translating insights into business value.

This role focuses on building partnerships, leveraging market insights on internal programs and AI-driven trends to identify growth opportunities, shape strategy, and drive partnerships, alliances, and investor engagement. Experience with small molecule drug discovery platforms and AI/ML applications is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

1. Competitive Intelligence & Strategy

• Analyse competitors, AI/ML platforms, and drug discovery trends
• Track pipelines (clinical, deals, financing) and market movements
• Benchmark capabilities (technology, pricing, positioning)
• Develop insights (dashboards, reports) to guide strategy
• Identify market gaps and growth opportunities

2. Market & Opportunity Development

• Identify new AI-driven use cases and market opportunities
• Build business cases for partnerships and new initiatives
• Translate competitive insights into actionable BD and growth strategies
• Support product positioning and go-to-market strategy

3. Business Development & Partnerships

• Identify and manage partnerships across pharma, biotech, CROs, and tech
• Support deal structuring, negotiations, and alliance management
• Drive pipeline growth and revenue generation
• Support investor engagement, financial modelling, and fundraising activities
• Represent the company at industry conferences and events

4. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product, Sales, and Marketing teams
• Support AI roadmap, positioning, and commercial strategy
• Enable internal teams with competitive insights

5. Reporting & Operations

• Deliver executive insights on market trends and positioning
• Track KPIs (pipeline, conversion, market penetration)
• Maintain CRM, reports, and presentation materials

Qualifications/ Experience

• PhD in Life Sciences (MBA preferred)
• ~10 years experience in BD/Strategy within drug discovery or healthcare
• Experience with AI/ML platforms and data-driven technologies
• Strategic thinking with ability to convert insights into action
• Strong understanding of drug discovery (small molecules preferred)
• Proven track record in partnerships and growth
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams
• Experience with CRM and market intelligence tools
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills

Key Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen
• Insight-driven and proactive
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Adaptable in fast-paced, innovation-driven environments
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Curiosity and continuous learning mindset (especially in AI trends)
• High ethical standards and integrity.

KPIs

• Revenue and pipeline growth
• Strategic partnerships closed
• Market penetration
• Impact of competitive intelligence