AI Partnerships Lead

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end relationships with Benchling's most important AI partners across frontier model labs, scientific model providers, and infrastructure partners.
• Structure commercial arrangements across the data ecosystem, sourcing external data and models and licensing Benchling's data and platform capabilities.
• Structure, negotiate, and close commercial deals across product integrations, co-marketing, and co-development; work across Legal, Finance, Product, and GTM.
• Build a repeatable playbook for engaging the AI ecosystem: pipeline, pricing, deal structures, and success metrics.
• Source, diligence, and place bets on next-generation AI/ML companies from stealth startups to public players.
• Represent Benchling at events, in the field, and in front of senior executives.

Qualifications

• 4+ years combined experience across partnerships, business development, enterprise sales, corporate development, consulting, investment banking, venture capital, life sciences, tech, or startups.
• Bias for action and comfort with ambiguity; energized by building the playbook while running live deals.
• 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 ability to translate between research and commercial audiences.
• Comfort operating across the full deal lifecycle: sourcing, qualification, discovery, negotiation, contracting, and post-signature delivery.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Demonstrated engagement and relationships across the AI ecosystem (plus).
• Deep curiosity about how AI is reshaping R&D; prior work in life sciences or degree in biology, chemistry, bioengineering or similar (plus).