Director Business Development, Data & Platform Partnerships
bit.bio is an award-winning spinout from the University of Cambridge. Our breakthrough technology combines synthetic and stem cell biology for the precise, efficient and consistent reprogramming of human cells used in research, drug discovery, and cell therapy. At bit.bio, we are passionate about engineering human cells that will enable the medicine of the future. To do this we need talented and curious people who want to make an impact on the future of science and therapeutics.
As a team of individuals, we value science, collaboration, openness, curiosity and creativity. We are united by trust and respect for each other.
Location: Babraham Campus, Cambridge, UK
Type: Full time, permanent
Salary: Competitive / Hours: 40 p/w
Start: Immediate
Remote (UK, Europe or US based) - able to travel internationally up to 60%
Your role in our team:
bit.bio is seeking a strategic and commercially driven Director of Business Development, Data & Platform Partnerships to lead go-to-market (GTM) strategy and revenue generation for our Data as a Product (DaaP) and platform assets. This role focuses on building high-value strategic partnerships that integrate our causal, deterministic human datasets and platform into the wider predictive biology and AI-enabled drug discovery ecosystem.
Your key responsibilities will include:
Strategic Data, Platform Partnerships & Business Development
- Define and execute the go-to-market (GTM) strategy for our AI-ready data.
- Drive high-margin revenue generation through our defined commercial tiers: Data access, custom services, code Partnerships, and infrastructure integration.
- Position bit.bio as the foundational infrastructure of the biotechnology sector (including drug discovery, predictive modelling and translational research)
- Position bit.bio as a key provider of biologically relevant AI-ready data, by expanding platform asset access and installation across industry partners.
AI/ML, Data & Platform Collaboration Strategy
- Structure and negotiate data and platform agreements that enable partner access to bit.bio’s cell-derived datasets, including transcriptomic, functional and disease-model data generated from scalable engineered iPSC-derived cell systems.
- Partner with internal bioinformatics and science teams to translate bit.bio’s discovery platform outputs into high-value engineering-ready data assets to drive advancements in predictive biology and drug development pipelines.
- Build strategic relationships with tech orchestrators and cloud platforms to embed bit.bio data directly into advanced machine learning pipelines and biological operating systems.
- Drive opportunities to develop joint data products, analytics capabilities, or predictive modelling services in collaboration with external partners.
End-to-End Partnership Deal Leadership
- Own the full lifecycle of complex strategic partnership deals, from opportunity identification and business case development to term sheet negotiation and execution.
- Structure scalable collaboration models, managing negotiations involving exclusive platform access fees, IP rights, shared royalties, and multi-year data licensing structures.
Portfolio Strategy
- Contribute to the development of bit.bio’s broader partnership and portfolio strategy across key areas including data products, informatics and software collaborations, platform access, multi-cloud infrastructure and product out-licensing opportunities.
- Identify strategic opportunities to expand the value of bit.bio’s cell programming platform through partnerships that connect biological models with digital infrastructure and advanced analytics.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and ecosystem partnerships to continuously enhance the commercial potential of bit.bio’s proprietary technology stack and internal capabilities.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Act as the commercial GTM lead for complex data and platform collaborations, ensuring seamless internal coordination from deal negotiation through to operational implementation.
- Represent bit.bio, positioning the company as the gold-standard provider of deterministic ground truth data within data driven drug discovery and the predictive biology markets.
You…
- Have a minimum Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics or a related subject (or equivalent experience).
- Have significant experience in business development, partnerships or strategic alliances within the life sciences, biotech or AI/ML SaaS sectors.
With essential experience in…
- Strong understanding of AI/ML applications in drug discovery, computational biology or large-scale biological datasets.
- Proven track record of structuring and negotiating complex scientific collaborations, data and platform partnerships or licensing agreements.
- Demonstrated ability to manage end-to-end deal cycles and build long-term strategic partnerships.
- An existing executive-level network of key decision makers within top-tier pharmaceutical companies, TechBio giants and AI-enabled biotechs.
- A proven deal sheet demonstrating sustained revenue generation and successful negotiations within the life sciences.
- Strong cross-functional skills with the ability to translate scientific innovation into commercial opportunities.
…and possibly…
- Proven track record of selling "visionary" or emerging products.
- MBA qualification.
- Advanced degree in life sciences, computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related field preferred.
More reasons to join us:
bit.bio provides a vibrant and dynamic work environment in an exciting, fast-moving time for biology. We work with cutting edge technologies and with our world-leading scientific advisory board. We conduct pioneering work with real-world impact.
We trust our people to make significant contributions early on with opportunities to be involved in projects that are key to the success and growth of our young company. We invest in people, creating opportunities for personal development in an inclusive multi-skilled team with ambitious goals that provide opportunities to learn on the job from each other.
Creativity and open minds are encouraged for everyone to contribute to the success of the company.
For information on how we will manage your data please see our Candidate Privacy Notice