SVP, Strategy and Business Development

Inari Agriculture, Inc.; North Oaks (MN); Hybrid; USD 240,000 - 330,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with company matching

HSA and other health and wellness/FSAs

Job summary

Inari Agriculture, Inc. seeks an SVP, Strategy and Business Development to lead enterprise growth and strategic partnerships.

Reporting to the CEO, you will translate market insights into a clear strategy and a multi-year roadmap that aligns internal priorities with external opportunities. You will identify and manage partnerships with agriculture and food companies, technology providers, startups, and research institutions, supervise licensing and joint development agreements, and shape

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred (MBA/PhD/JD or related).
• 10+ years in strategy, business development, or related leadership roles.
• Experience leading strategic partnerships, licensing, and joint development agreements.
• Strong understanding of agriculture, biotech, seed, and biologicals.
• Proven ability to evaluate technical, commercial, financial and strategic opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise strategy and multi-year growth roadmap with CEO and leadership team.
• Identify and prioritize strategic partnerships, licensing deals, and joint ventures.
• Shape go-to-market approaches for novel technologies, products, and platforms.
• Monitor performance and ensure alignment with financial, technical, and commercial objectives.

Skills

Executive communication

Negotiation

Presentation

Relationship-building

Strategic judgment

Commercial acumen

Industry knowledge

Leadership

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA/PhD/JD or related advanced degree

Job description

About Inari

About Inari... Inari is the SEEDesign™ company. We embrace the diversity and complexity of nature in every aspect of our business to drive innovation – to push the boundaries of what is possible. Through our unrivaled technology platform, Inari uses predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing to develop step-change products. We are taking a nature positive approach to unlock the full potential of seeds that will transform the food system. The results will lead to more productive acres delivering value creation for farmers and a more sustainable future for our planet. Our success is dependent on great minds, collaborating to generate bright ideas and deliver exceptional outcomes. We have 200 employees, with research sites in Cambridge, MA (USA) and Ghent (Belgium), as well as a product development site in West Lafayette, IN (USA). We’ve deliberately built a team that brings diversity of thought to all aspects of our business, to generate new ideas, approaches, and ways of operating. And we've intentionally combined experience with potential, bringing agriculture industry experts with the desire to innovate together with bright minds from academia, human therapeutics, software, and consulting. If you want to be part of a diverse and inclusive team developing unique solutions to feed the world while protecting our planet’s natural resources, we’d love to hear from you!

About the role

About the role… As the SVP, Strategy and Business Development, you will play a critical enterprise leadership role in shaping Inari’s long-term growth agenda and building the strategic partnerships needed to advance the company’s mission. Reporting to the CEO and as a member of the Inari Leadership Team, you will translate market insights, scientific capabilities, competitive dynamics, and customer needs into a clear, actionable strategy that aligns internal priorities with external opportunities. This includes identifying, evaluating and integrating suitable partners. This role will lead the development and management of a multi-year strategic roadmap, identify and develop new areas for growth across core and adjacent markets, and help shape go-to-market approaches for novel technologies, products, and platforms. You will also drive the sourcing, evaluation, structuring, and execution of strategic collaborations that accelerate technology development, product adoption, revenue growth, and market access. This includes engaging with agriculture companies, food companies, technology providers, startups, research institutions, and commercial channel partners to create mutually valuable opportunities. The ideal leader will bring strong strategic judgment, industry knowledge, commercial acumen, executive presence, and the ability to build disciplined frameworks for evaluating, launching, and governing partnerships that support Inari’s technical, financial, and commercial objectives. This role can be based out of our Cambridge, MA or West Lafayette, IN locations and willing to consider U.S. based remote locations.

Enterprise Strategy & Growth Planning

Build, manage and advance the development of Inari’s business strategy in partnership with the CEO as part of the Inari Leadership Team. Identify long-term growth opportunities across core business areas, adjacent markets, new technologies, and emerging commercial models. Translate market insights, competitive dynamics, scientific capabilities, and customer needs into actionable strategic priorities. Develop and maintain a multi-year strategic roadmap that aligns internal capabilities, external partnerships, investment priorities, and commercial opportunities while integrating Inari sustainability goals. Help shape go-to-market strategies for novel technologies, products, or platforms.

Business Development & Strategic Partnerships

Identify and assess potential partners, including, but not limited to, large agriculture companies, food companies, technology providers, startups, research institutions, and commercial channel partners. Drive, in partnership with Head of External Innovation, the strategy for sourcing, evaluation, prioritization, and execution of strategic collaborations, licensing arrangements, joint development agreements (in partnership with Legal), and commercial partnerships. Structure partnership opportunities that create mutual value and accelerate technology development, product adoption, revenue growth, or market access. Establish and manage a disciplined framework for evaluating, launching, and governing strategic collaborations, partnerships, and JVs. Monitor and drive the performance of active collaborations and ensure alignment with strategic, financial, technical, and commercial objectives. Lead the identification and evaluation of partnership opportunities by guiding cross-functional teams in assessing strategic fit, commercial potential, revenue opportunity, margin profile, market access, competitive differentiation and execution risk.

You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred, such as MBA, PhD, JD, or master’s degree in business, agriculture, life sciences, biotechnology, engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in strategy, business development, corporate development, licensing, strategic partnerships, innovation, commercial strategy, or related leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading and delivering strategic partnerships, collaborations, licensing transactions, joint development agreements, M&A, or other complex business development initiatives.
• Strong understanding and experience in agriculture, biotechnology, seed, crop protection, and biologicals.
• Proven ability to evaluate technical, commercial, financial, and strategic dimensions of business opportunities.
• Experience working directly with senior executives, Boards, external partners, investors, and strategic customers.
• Strong financial acumen, including business case development, deal modeling, ROI assessment, and valuation concepts.
• Robust legal, IP and licensing acumen to support effective functional engagement and deployment of related negotiation strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders without relying solely on direct authority.
• Excellent executive communication, negotiation, presentation, and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to lead, develop, and mentor a high‑performing strategy/business development team as the function grows.
• Ability to travel as needed for the role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in agriculture technology, seed, crop protection, gene editing, and biologicals.
• Prior experience in a venture‑backed, growth‑stage, or innovation‑oriented company.
• Experience partnering with large strategic players, research institutions, startups, or global commercial organizations.
• Familiarity with intellectual property, licensing models, technology transfer, research collaborations, and commercialization pathways.
• Ability to integrate a data and AI strategy into the overall company strategy.
• Track record of building new business models, market opportunities, or strategic partnership ecosystems from early concept through execution.
• Global business experience and ability to operate across cultures, markets, and organizational models.

Inari pays competitively and rewards results. The salary range for this position is $240,188 - $330,258.

We also offer a comprehensive benefits package including both a Preferred Provider Network (PPO) and High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a company‑funded health savings account (HSA), vision, dental, and several flexible spending accounts (FSA), a host of voluntary benefits, and a robust wellness program.

In addition, Inari offers a 401k plan with a company matching and a flexible paid time off policy.

Inari is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Job Applicant Privacy Notice: https://inari.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Job-Applicant-Privacy-Notice.pdf

FOR U.S. CANDIDATES: Please note that we use the resume you submit with your application during our background check process. To ensure an efficient and accurate background verification, we kindly ask that you carefully review and accurately represent your work history, education and other relevant information on your resume. Any discrepancies or inaccuracies found during the background check may impact your candidacy for the position.

Inari Agriculture provides immigration sponsorship for candidates in certain qualified roles that meet performance criteria. However, the company will not provide sponsorship to H-1B candidates whose employment would require payment of the $100,000 fee mandated by the Presidential Proclamation “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.”

At Inari, we're driven to help transform the global food system to support the population, the planet and the people who grow our food. We're powered by a strong focus on camaraderie, professional development, and external collaboration with leaders of industry and academia, all of which allow us to forge personal connections that strengthen our teams. Our success is dependent on great minds, collaborating to generate bright ideas and deliver exceptional outcomes. We have over 200 employees, with research sites in Cambridge, MA (USA) and Ghent (Belgium), as well as a product development site in West Lafayette, IN (USA). We’ve deliberately built a team that brings diversity of thought to all aspects of our business, to generate new ideas, approaches, and ways of operating. And we've intentionally combined experience with potential, bringing agriculture industry experts with the desire to innovate together with bright minds from academia, human therapeutics, software, and consulting.