Head of Partnerships

Kivo; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Kivo, a modern document management and workflow platform for life sciences, seeks a Head of Partnerships to build and own the partner ecosystem. You will source, structure, and execute partnerships with software vendors and service providers to deliver integrated, differentiated solutions for our customers.

In this role you will work with the C-suite, Sales, and Product to shape GTM, influence the roadmap, and represent Kivo to industry leaders.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in business development, partnerships, or strategic alliances in life sciences SaaS.
• Experience sourcing, negotiating, and closing partnership agreements with measurable outcomes.
• Strong executive communication and ability to represent the company to CROs, software vendors, and sponsors.

Responsibilities

• Build and own Kivo's partner program across service providers and software vendors.
• Lead development of integrated solutions with software partners (CTMS, EDC, RIM, QMS, safety).
• Establish and grow referral and co-sell relationships with CROs and regulatory consultancies.
• Represent Kivo at industry events and customer conversations to build external presence.
• Partner with sales, marketing, and product to translate partnerships into pipeline and revenue.
• Develop operating cadence, metrics, and infrastructure for the partner function.

Skills

Business development

Partnerships

Strategic alliances

SaaS software

Life sciences

Executive presence

Job description

About Kivo

Kivo is the modern document management and workflow platform for emerging and scaling life sciences companies. We give drug development companies a single regulated system of record and system of action - combining eTMF, regulatory document workflows, and quality processes in a platform built for the realities of small and mid-size sponsors.

Our customers are clinical-stage biotechs, CROs, and the partners that support them. As we scale, we are investing in a partner ecosystem of services firms, technology vendors, and integration partners that extend Kivo's value across the broader clinical and regulatory stack.

We are hiring a Head of Partnerships to build and own that ecosystem.

About The Role

The Head of Partnerships will lead Kivo's partnerships strategy across software vendors (CTMS, EDC, RIM, QMS, safety, and adjacent platforms) and service providers (CROs, regulatory consultancies, quality consultancies). You will be responsible for sourcing, structuring, and executing partnerships that produce integrated, differentiated solutions for our shared customers - and for identifying the next set of markets and verticals where Kivo should compete.

You will work directly with Kivo's C-suite, Sales, and product leadership to shape go-to-market motion, influence the roadmap based on partner and market signal, and represent Kivo externally with senior leaders at services firms, software companies, and industry organizations.

What You'll Do

• Build and own Kivo's partner program across service providers and software vendors, from strategy through signed agreement and ongoing relationship management.
• Lead the development of integrated solutions with software partners (CTMS, EDC, RIM, QMS, safety, and adjacent categories), including commercial structure, joint positioning, and integration scope in partnership with our product team.
• Establish and grow referral and co-sell relationships with CROs, regulatory consultancies, and quality consultancies serving emerging and mid-size biotechs.
• Represent Kivo at industry events, partner forums, and customer-facing conversations, building a strong external presence in the clinical and regulatory operations community.
• Partner closely with sales, marketing, and product to ensure partnerships translate into pipeline, revenue, and customer outcomes - not just logos on a slide.
• Develop the operating cadence, metrics, and infrastructure for the partner function as Kivo scales.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of business development, partnerships, or strategic alliances experience in life sciences SaaS software.
• Direct working experience in at least one of the following categories: regulatory information management (RIM), quality management systems (QMS), trial master file (TMF), or other clinical operations software (CTMS, EDC, eISF, safety, etc.).
• Strong working knowledge of the CRO landscape and the clinical trial market - including how sponsors, CROs, and technology vendors interact across study conduct and submission.
• Track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing partnership agreements that produced measurable commercial outcomes (pipeline, revenue, retention, or integrated product value).
• Comfort operating in a startup environment: building from a blank page, prioritizing ruthlessly, and moving between strategy and execution without losing momentum.
• Excellent executive presence and written communication - you can credibly represent Kivo to a CRO COO, a software CEO, or a head of regulatory at a clinical-stage sponsor.

Nice to Have

• Experience in adjacent regulated markets - medical devices, diagnostics, pre-clinical/discovery, or CDMO/CMC.
• Familiarity with eCTD, ICH guidelines (E6, M11, etc.), 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, or other GxP regulatory frameworks.
• Prior experience standing up a partner program from scratch, including building the underlying playbooks, contracts, and operating cadence.
• Existing relationships across CROs, regulatory consultancies, and life sciences software vendors.
• Experience evaluating new market entry and influencing product strategy based on partner and customer signal.

Why Kivo

• Work closely with the leadership team and have direct influence on the company strategy, roadmap, and go-to-market.
• Modern product in a market dominated by legacy incumbents - a real opportunity to win on architecture, speed, and customer experience.
• Strong existing customer base of emerging and scaling biotechs, and an active product investment in headless and integrated access (MCP, structured action handoff) that makes integrated partner solutions genuinely differentiated.
• Competitive compensation, meaningful equity, and benefits.
• Remote-friendly, with regular in-person collaboration and industry travel.