Business Development Lead

The Role:

The ideal candidate combines scientific understanding with strong operational and financial discipline and the ability to lead cross-functional teams to deliver measurable business outcomes.  This role is ideal for a seasoned life science BD professional who combines strategic vision with hands-on execution — someone who can close a complex licensing deal and inspire a team.

To Succeed in this Role, You Will:

Business Development & Strategic Accounts

• Define, own, and execute Addgene’s business development and partnership strategy, spanning licensing, IP collaborations, distribution agreements, and strategic alliances with academic institutions, research consortia, life science tools, biotech, and pharma.
• Personally lead high-value, high-complexity negotiations and ensure all commercial agreements are mission-aligned, financially sound, and legally robust.
• Oversee strategic account management for Addgene’s most significant institutional, academic, and industry partners, nurturing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.
• Work in close coordination with legal, finance, and scientific leadership to structure and execute partnership agreements involving IP licensing and technology transfer.
• Develop and manage a pipeline of BD opportunities, from initial prospecting through deal execution and ongoing relationship management.
• Co-develop and maintain detailed project plans and timelines, including objectives, milestones, execution strategies, and success metrics. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to identify key deliverables and ensure cross-departmental alignment and accountability. 
• Prepare briefing materials, executive summaries, and presentations for internal business reviews as well as external engagements with partners.
• Conducting initial triage of opportunities, evaluating potential deals before engaging the broader diligence team to ensure strategic fit.

Team Building & Leadership

• Recruit, build, and lead a BD team over time, establishing hiring plans, team structure, and performance frameworks suited to Addgene’s growth trajectory.
• Serve as a coach and mentor within the Commercial Team, fostering a culture of rigor, integrity, and mission-focus.
• Define and implement BD processes, CRM practices, and reporting structures that enable transparency and scalability.
• Collaborate with commercial leadership to set annual goals, track KPIs, and report on pipeline progress and deal performance.

Market & Partner Engagement

• Serve as a senior commercial representative of Addgene at key conferences, industry forums, and partner meetings — deepening relationships and identifying new opportunities.
• Maintain a strong pulse on the life science research tools and reagent landscape, including competitive dynamics, funding trends, policy shifts affecting IP and technology transfer, and evolving customer needs.
• Gather and synthesize market intelligence to inform Addgene’s commercial strategy and product/service roadmap.
• Partner with marketing to develop go-to-market strategies for new services, products, and partnerships.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a key liaison between the Commercial Team and scientific, operations, finance, and legal functions, ensuring BD opportunities are evaluated holistically.
• Support grant-related commercial activities and public-private partnerships where relevant, given Addgene’s nonprofit structure.
• Contribute to organizational strategy discussions, representing the BD perspective in leadership forums.

Skills and Competencies

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or a related scientific field (e.g., biology, biotechnology, chemistry, biomedical engineering); advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive business development, licensing, or strategic partnerships experience in the life sciences sector (biotech, pharma, research tools, or closely related fields).
• Demonstrated success leading and closing complex, high-value agreements involving legal, financial, and IP components — including licensing deals, sponsored research agreements, or distribution contracts.
• Deep familiarity with academic and research institution partnership models, technology transfer processes, and the intersection of nonprofit and commercial interests.
• Exceptional negotiation skills with a track record of reaching durable, mutually beneficial outcomes with sophisticated counterparties.
• Experience building or significantly growing a BD team, including hiring, mentoring, and setting team structure and coordinating cross-functional or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Strong scientific literacy in molecular biology, genomics, or adjacent fields — sufficient to engage credibly with research stakeholders and understand the value of Addgene’s materials.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. 
• Ability to analyze data and translate insights into strategic recommendations that support new business opportunities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and influence stakeholders while representing Addgene externally with credibility and respect.

Preferred

• Graduate degree (MBA, PhD, JD, or equivalent) in a relevant field.
• Prior experience at or working closely with a nonprofit, CRO, or mission-driven life science organization.
• Familiarity with plasmid biology, CRISPR, viral vectors, or biological reagent distribution.
• Established network within the academic research, biotech, or research tools ecosystem.
• Experience with CRM systems and BD pipeline management at scale.

Benefits

At Addgene, we prioritize our people with comprehensive benefits that support both your work and your life.

Full-time employees receive:

• 85% company-paid healthcare premiums including dental (extending to family members) and 100% company-paid deductible
• Life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.
• 22 days of PTO on top of our winter break closure and company holidays. ‌
• A 403(b) retirement account with a company match of 4% after 2 years of employment. ‌
• Annual professional development stipend
• Annual lifestyle stipend
• Fully paid public transportation for employees who work onsite four or more days per week. ‌
• Onsite yoga classes & wellness reimbursement
• Pet insurance
• Annual financial planning one-on-ones with our plan administrator

The Organization:

Addgene is a self-sustaining, thriving nonprofit life sciences organization that was created to help scientists share DNA-based research materials called plasmids. ‌Our mission is to accelerate research and discovery by improving access to useful research materials and information. Since its founding in 2004, Addgene has grown and innovated in order to assist the research community by archiving and sharing useful DNA-based research materials and resources (such as plasmids, viral vectors, and recombinant antibodies) with scientists worldwide. Broad availability of these unique research materials promotes the advancement of research in a wide variety of disciplines, including cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders, while increasing collaboration within the scientific community. Learn more here from one of our founders, Melina Fan.

As an “Addgenie”, you will work collaboratively with internal teams to help fulfill this mission, including scientists, software engineers and product developers, renowned customer support teams, scientific content creators, and business development professionals. Together, Addgenies create and enhance opportunities for research scientists to deposit their materials, find products and resources easily on our website, and receive unparalleled support in receiving and expertly using our materials in their own experiments.

Life at Addgene:

Addgene is a truly special place to work. We are an inclusive and welcoming group of people from many backgrounds and perspectives. We believe in flexibility, actively supporting professional development, and a strong work/life balance. We value sharing ideas and feedback with each other and the company. Learn more about Life at Addgene

We also believe it's important to make time for fun, whether it's eating popcorn at our outdoor movie night, sharing cute photos in the #pets slack channel, or sampling whiskeys at our end-of-year social hour. Bookworms, athletes, gamers, parents, foodies, and more will find community in Addgene's events and Slack channels.

Addgene works with a global scientific community in which the best innovations and discoveries come from diverse teams. We continuously learn from and celebrate a variety of perspectives and seek to create an environment where all people can feel heard, respected, and valued.