AI Partnerships Lead

Join Benchling, the R&D Cloud for life sciences, as an AI Partnerships Lead. In this high-ownership, client-facing role, you will drive commercial partnerships with key AI stakeholders, structure and close deals, and build a playbook for engaging the AI ecosystem. You will work closely with internal teams and represent Benchling to external technical stakeholders.

• Own the end-to-end relationship with Benchling's most important AI partners, including model labs and scientific AI companies.
• Structure and negotiate commercial arrangements across the data ecosystem, including data licensing and product integrations.
• Build a repeatable playbook for how Benchling engages the AI ecosystem, including pipeline, pricing, deal structures, and success metrics.
• Strong written communication, with the ability to translate complex and uncertain ideas into clear, concise, and decisive recommendations
• Demonstrated engagement and relationships across the AI ecosystem is a plus
• Comfort operating across the full deal lifecycle: sourcing and qualification, discovery, negotiation, contracting alongside Legal, and post-signature delivery
• Bias for action and comfort with ambiguity; energized by building the playbook while running live deals
• Deep curiosity about how AI is reshaping R&D; prior work experience in life sciences or a degree in a scientific discipline (biology, chemistry, bioengineering, or similar) is a plus
• Track record of managing senior external relationships and engaging credibly at the executive level, including with CEOs, CFOs, and technical leadership
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML and the ability to translate between research and commercial audiences; a technical background is not required, but you should be comfortable in substantive conversations with researchers, engineers, and product teams
• 4+ years combined experience across partnerships, business development, enterprise sales, corporate development, consulting, investment banking, venture capital, life sciences, tech, or startups