Head of Life Sciences Partnerships

Amae is hiring its first Head of Life Sciences Partnerships. This is a senior, hands-on individual contributor role focused on originating and closing our first pharma and biotech partnerships. You will work directly with the CEO to identify where Amae's clinical, research, measurement, and data capabilities solve meaningful problems for life sciences companies. The position is based in San Francisco, with travel of up to 30%.

Responsibilities

Open doors: build a focused target list with the CEO and secure meetings with relevant pharma and biotech decision-makers; Discover the buyer and need: lead conversations across medical affairs, HEOR, R&D, commercial, and other groups to uncover priority problems, identify decision-makers and budget owners, and qualify commercial opportunities; Own the deal process: prepare substantive meetings with the CEO, lead follow-up, map stakeholders, coordinate internal input, and drive clear next steps; Structure and close deals: translate buyer needs into opportunity briefs, partner with clinical, research, and data teams on feasibility and scientific scope, and own the commercial proposal, pricing discussions, negotiation, and contracting alongside Legal and Compliance; Learn and focus: maintain a disciplined pipeline and use market feedback to refine use cases and buyer groups

Requirements

Typically 7+ years in life sciences business development, partnerships, or related commercial roles, with substantial hands-on experience selling to pharma or biotech; A demonstrated individual contributor track record of personally sourcing, developing, and closing pharma or biotech business; Experience creating opportunities while the offering, buyer, or use case was still being defined; Demonstrated ability to gain access to relevant decision-makers, build relationships from scratch, identify budget owners, and navigate complex pharma buying processes; Commercial judgment to explore medical affairs, HEOR, R&D, commercial, and other functions without assuming in advance where the strongest demand will be; Scientific and clinical fluency sufficient to ask good questions, triage opportunities, and collaborate credibly with psychiatrists, researchers, data scientists, and pharma leaders; Strong commercial execution, including meeting preparation, persistent follow-through, proposals, negotiation, and the ability to sustain momentum through long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles; The independence and judgment to operate as a senior partner to a founder CEO, challenge ideas constructively, work through ambiguity, and take ownership without a large team or established playbook

Nice to have

An existing network in CNS and psychiatry at pharma or biotech; Familiarity with real-world evidence, HEOR, digital biomarkers, novel endpoints, or the current psychiatry pipeline

Benefits

Variable compensation tied to contracted partnership revenue; Meaningful equity; Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; Parental leave and programs built around well-being