Vice President, Business Development and Alliance Management

Xaira is an innovative biotech startup focused on leveraging AI to transform drug discovery and development. The company is leading the development of generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics, enabling the creation of medicines against historically hard-to-drug molecular targets. It is also developing foundation models for biology and disease to enable better target elucidation and patient stratification. Collectively, these technologies aim to continually enable the identification of novel therapies and to improve success in drug development. Xaira is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and London.

The Role Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Business Development and Operations, the Vice President, Business Development will lead the identification, development, negotiation, and execution of major strategic transactions that expand the reach and value of Xaira’s platform.

This role will focus primarily on originating and executing significant AI platform, technology, and multi-program partnerships. Unlike a traditional biotechnology business development role centered on individual asset licensing, this leader will develop complex partnerships built around Xaira’s differentiated scientific and technical capabilities, with the potential to span multiple platform technologies, programs, disease areas, and stages of research and development.

The Vice President will work closely with the SVP of Business Development and Operations, executive leadership, scientific and technical leaders, and legal and finance partners to shape partnering strategy, identify high-value opportunities, and lead transactions from initial engagement through negotiation, execution, and transition to alliance management.

The ideal candidate combines strong transaction leadership with the ability to understand differentiated science and technology, translate Xaira’s AI and drug development capabilities into strategic and commercial value, and develop creative deal structures with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, technology, and other strategic partners.

Business Development Strategy

• Partner with the SVP of Business Development and Operations to develop and execute Xaira’s business development strategy.

• Identify opportunities for major AI platform, technology, research, and multi-program partnerships.

• Translate Xaira’s scientific and technical capabilities, including its AI-enabled discovery and development capabilities, into clear and compelling partnership opportunities.

• Develop a prioritized pipeline of potential partners and transactions aligned with Xaira’s long-term strategy.

• Assess market trends, competitive activity, partner needs, and emerging business models across TechBio, AI, and biopharma, including the evolving landscape for AI-driven drug discovery partnerships.

• Provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership regarding partnership opportunities, deal structures, and market positioning.

Deal Origination and Partner Engagement

• Proactively originate significant partnership opportunities with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, technology, and other strategic organizations.

• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with decision-makers across the biopharma and technology ecosystem.

• Lead early discussions with potential partners to understand their scientific, technical, and business priorities, including opportunities to apply AI across research and development.

• Develop partnership concepts that connect external needs with Xaira’s platform, expertise, and strategic priorities.

• Build opportunities beyond traditional single-asset licensing, including