Business Development, Partnerships at Chai Discovery

San Francisco, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, AI Drug DiscoveryIndustries

Requirements

Advanced degree in Business, Life Sciences, or a related field (MBA, MS, or PhD preferred)
7+ years in business development, corporate strategy, or alliance management inside biopharma or tech-bio start-ups
Extensive network across pharma, biotech, CDMOs, and venture investors
Proven record sourcing, structuring, and closing multi-year research or co-development partnerships
Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills
Skilled in term-sheet creation, IP/royalty negotiations, and alliance governance
Comfortable translating scientific value propositions to financial terms and vice-versa
Able to manage cross-functional deal teams (legal, finance, science) under tight timelines
Experience tracking KPIs and reporting pipeline status to leadership and board stakeholders
Entrepreneurial, data-driven, and persistent in the face of long enterprise sales cycles
Thrives on building from a blank slate and iterating GTM playbooks as the market evolves

Responsibilities

Identifying and securing strategic partnerships
Serving as the first point of contact between Chai’s platform and the external world of pharma, biotech, and AI-drug-discovery partners
Spotting high-leverage collaboration opportunities
Cultivating executive-level relationships
Negotiating agreements that accelerate both Chai’s science and its traction
Leveraging industry connections to build relationships, negotiate deals, and drive Chai Discovery’s commercial growth

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Business DevelopmentPartnershipsStrategic PartnershipsNegotiationExecutive Relationship BuildingPharma NetworkingBiotech OutreachDeal NegotiationCommercial Growth

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary for this Business Development role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

Is this a remote position or does it require office work?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What qualifications and skills are required for this role?

Candidates need an advanced degree in Business, Life Sciences, or related field (MBA, MS, or PhD preferred), 7+ years in business development, corporate strategy, or alliance management in biopharma or tech-bio startups, extensive network in pharma/biotech, proven deal-making record, exceptional negotiation skills, and ability to manage cross-functional teams.

What is the company culture like at Chai Discovery?

Chai Discovery features a team of leading researchers and engineers obsessed with creating powerful AI models for antibody discovery and transforming drug development, backed by top-tier investors, in a high-impact environment pushing boundaries of AI drug design.

What makes a strong candidate for this Business Development position?

A strong candidate has significant industry experience with 7+ years in biopharma or tech-bio, a proven track record in sourcing and closing partnerships, extensive networks in pharma and biotech, and skills in negotiation, IP deals, and cross-functional collaboration.

Chai Discovery

Develops AI models for molecular predictions

About Chai Discovery

Chai Discovery develops AI foundation models that focus on predicting and reprogramming interactions between biochemical molecules, which are crucial for life. Their main product, Chai 1, is a multimodal model that can predict various molecular structures, such as proteins, small molecules, DNA, RNA, and covalent modifications. This model is available for free through a web interface, making it accessible for both academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies, especially in the field of drug discovery. Unlike many competitors, Chai Discovery emphasizes a user-friendly platform that allows clients to easily integrate AI into their research and development processes. The company's goal is to enhance the efficiency of molecular research and drug discovery by providing powerful AI tools that can accelerate scientific advancements.

None, CaliforniaHeadquarters

N/AYear Founded

$29.2MTotal Funding

SEEDCompany Stage

AI & Machine Learning, BiotechnologyIndustries

Benefits

Health Insurance

Company Equity

Professional Development Budget

Wellness Program

Risks

Increased competition from well-funded AI drug discovery startups threatens market position.

Rapid technological advancements may render current models obsolete without updates.

Dependence on commercial licensing makes revenue vulnerable to industry trend shifts.

Differentiation

Chai Discovery offers a free web-accessible AI model for molecular structure prediction.

Chai 1 excels in predicting proteins, small molecules, DNA, RNA, and covalent modifications.

The company serves both academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies with its AI platform.

Upsides

Recent $30 million investment boosts Chai Discovery's growth and development potential.

Growing demand for AI in drug discovery enhances Chai Discovery's market opportunities.

Partnerships with pharmaceutical companies can accelerate R&D processes using Chai 1.

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