VP, Business Development - Life Sciences

Gold & Aron; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Gold & Aron, on behalf of a fast-growing AI research unicorn, seeks its first senior commercial leader for life sciences. You will convert early collaborations into durable revenue, partnering with biopharma companies and research institutions to deploy models in discovery and development.

This builder role requires leading complex, multi-year deals, coordinating with Legal, Finance, Product and Engineering, and shaping pricing and positioning from term sheet to signature.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in partnerships, corporate development or business development within life sciences technology, biotech or pharma, with revenue-generating deals.
• Recent experience commercializing AI/ML, computational or data platforms with biopharma R&D organizations.
• Strong knowledge of the drug discovery lifecycle and how R&D teams assess and adopt new technology.
• The scientific and technical depth to engage researchers and engineers as a peer.
• Experience leading complex, multi-year deals such as research collaborations or platform licenses, often in parallel.
• Experience rallying Legal, Finance, Product and Engineering from term sheet through signature and execution.
• An established network of computational, data science and R&D leaders, and a habit of sourcing your own pipeline.
• Early or growth-stage experience building a commercial motion from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Originate, structure and close partnerships with biopharma companies and research institutions, carrying full accountability for revenue.
• Grow the company's existing life sciences partnerships into larger, multi-year deals.
• Negotiate new agreements that blend model licensing, shared economics, joint development and roadmap commitments.
• Serve as the credible commercial counterpart to heads of AI and leaders in computational biology and chemistry, partnering with in-house researchers on evaluations, pilots, benchmarks and deployments.
• Turn customer feedback, competitive dynamics and pricing signals into input for model strategy and positioning.
• Build the life sciences sales motion from scratch: decide which partners to pursue, define how the offering is pitched, put the core processes in place and lay the groundwork for hiring a team.

Skills

Partnerships

Business development

AI/ML commercialization

Biopharma R&D

Stakeholder management

Network building

Job description

Gold & Aron is an executive search firm. We are recruiting on behalf of our client: a fast-growing AI research unicorn, backed by leading investors.

Our client is launching a dedicated life sciences business and is looking for its first senior commercial leader in the space. Working directly with the founders, this person will convert early scientific collaborations into a durable revenue line, partnering with biopharma companies and research institutions to put the company's models to work in discovery and development. It is a builder seat: there is no inherited playbook, and the early deals will set precedent. This exceptional individual will:

• Originate, structure and close partnerships with biopharma companies and research institutions, carrying full accountability for revenue.
• Grow the company's existing life sciences partnerships into larger, multi-year deals.
• Negotiate new agreements that blend model licensing, shared economics, joint development and roadmap commitments.
• Serve as the credible commercial counterpart to heads of AI and leaders in computational biology and chemistry, partnering with in-house researchers on evaluations, pilots, benchmarks and deployments.
• Turn customer feedback, competitive dynamics and pricing signals into input for model strategy and positioning.
• Build the life sciences sales motion from scratch: decide which partners to pursue, define how the offering is pitched, put the core processes in place and lay the groundwork for hiring a team.

Ideal Profile

• 10+ years in partnerships, corporate development or business development within life sciences technology, biotech or pharma, with a history of revenue-generating deals.
• Recent experience commercializing AI/ML, computational or data platforms with biopharma R&D organizations.
• Strong knowledge of the drug discovery lifecycle and of how R&D teams assess and adopt new technology.
• The scientific and technical depth to engage researchers and engineers as a peer.
• Experience personally leading complex, multi-year deals such as research collaborations or platform licenses, often in parallel.
• Experience rallying Legal, Finance, Product and Engineering from term sheet through signature and execution.
• An established network of computational, data science and R&D leaders, and a habit of sourcing your own pipeline.
• Early or growth-stage experience building a commercial motion from the ground up.