Drug Discovery & AI - BD Manager

Topia Life Sciences; Vadodara; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 5,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Topia Life Sciences in Vadodara seeks a commercially driven Business Development Manager with ~10 years in BD/Strategy in drug discovery. You will translate competitive intelligence and AI-driven trends into growth opportunities, partnerships, and investor engagement.

You will build alliances across pharma, biotech, CROs, and tech, shape go-to-market strategies, support deal structuring, and drive revenue. A PhD in Life Sciences and MBA preferred are highly valued.

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

• 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.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Commercial acumen

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

CRM and market intelligence

Storytelling

Stakeholder management

AI/ML trend analysis

Education

PhD in Life Sciences

MBA (preferred)

Tools

CRM

Market intelligence tools

Job description

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