Strategic Partnerships Lead

About

Edison Scientific builds and commercializes AI agents for science. Scientific discovery moves too slowly, and autonomous AI agents are how we intend to fix that. We're assembling a team of top researchers and engineers across AI and biology to build an AI scientist.

Role

As a Strategic Partnerships Lead, you will lead Edison’s engagement with the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.  You’ll be responsible for generating new business, securing transformative partnerships, managing key accounts, and shaping our go-to-market strategy.  This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on dealmaking and offers the opportunity to directly influence the adoption of AI in science at scale.

This role is on-site at our San Francisco office in the Dogpatch neighborhood. Our office is a converted warehouse with high ceilings, open space, and a team that genuinely believes in what they're building.

This position is part of the Business Development team.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new partnerships by leading proposals, negotiations, and contracting processes.
• Translate the value of the AI Scientist into compelling narratives that resonate with technical and executive stakeholders.
• Shape go-to-market strategy by contributing competitive intelligence, refining market positioning, and building repeatable playbooks.
• Promote Edison externally through thought leadership, events, and industry engagement, driving visibility and adoption in pharma and biotech.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal product, engineering, and research teams to ensure client needs are met and delivery is seamless.
• Represent Edison at key events, conferences, and executive-level meetings as the face of our business development efforts.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of business development experience, ideally in biotech, pharma, or AI-driven startups.
• Demonstrated high-agency experience in BD, strategy, or founder/operator roles, with a proven ability to build and scale new initiatives.
• A strong track record of closing creative, high-value deals in category-defining products or emerging markets.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to make complex technical and scientific concepts resonate with diverse stakeholders.
• A systems thinker who can also execute with precision and urgency.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving progress in 0→1 environments.

Bonus points for

• Deep understanding of pharma R&D and its commercial landscape.
• Background in computational biology, drug discovery, or machine learning.

Salary

$200,000-$350,000  •  Offers equity

Why join us?

• Competitive salary and equity
• Full healthcare coverage — we pay 100% of premiums for you and your dependents
• Support for growing families, including a yearly new parent stipend and fertility coverage through Carrot
• 401(k) company matching
• $300 health and wellness benefit
• Lunch is on us every day you're in the office, and dinner is on us when you're working late
• Regular team offsites and company events
• A fast-moving, mission-driven culture where smart people do their best work and actually enjoy doing it