Business Development Director

Business Development Director, Cambridge

Client:

Ignota Labs

Location:

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

EU work permit required:

Yes

Job Reference:

b72d20178f90

Job Views:

5

Posted:

16.02.2025

Expiry Date:

02.04.2025

Job Description:

About Ignota Labs

Ignota Labs is a multi-award-winning drug turnaround company tackling one of the industry’s biggest bottlenecks: drug safety. Through cutting-edge explainable AI, we identify and resolve toxicity issues in promising drug candidates, unlocking their potential to become safe, effective therapies.

At Ignota Labs, you’ll work at the forefront of AI-driven drug development, combining real-world scientific impact with business innovation. Our mission is ambitious, and we’re building a team of bold, forward-thinking experts eager to push the boundaries of AI and technology—not just in drug discovery, but in how organisations operate. We leverage automation to eliminate repetitive tasks, enabling specialists to focus on high-value work and achieve 10x productivity.

Ignota Labs are Venture Capital backed and have recently closed a substantial Seed round with leading Silicon Valley investors.

About the Role

As the Business Development Director for In-Licensing & Fundraising, you will report directly to the CEO and will play a crucial role in sourcing, assessing, and securing distressed pharmaceutical assets for Ignota Labs. You will work closely with the in-licensing lead and our proprietary AI-driven technology to identify assets with the potential for revival, conducting scientific and commercial analysis to determine viability for in-licensing.

You will also work with the scientific team to develop asset-specific turnaround plans, build compelling investment cases, and work with the CEO to secure investors for these assets. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role requiring a deep understanding of biotech asset financing, in-licensing, and business development.

What Makes This Role Unique

• You will work at the intersection of AI-driven asset discovery, scientific analysis, and investment strategy, helping build a new model for drug turnaround.
• You will be on the ground, building on your existing relationships with lots of opportunities to travel to conferences and events.
• You will gain exposure to both commercial dealmaking and asset financing, making this an ideal role for someone looking to develop a career spanning business development, private equity, and biotech investment.
• Instead of traditional BD, you will help create, shape, and finance deals, playing an integral role in both asset acquisition and capital raising.
• You will work directly with Ignota Labs’ leadership and investors, building a world-class portfolio of high-value, revived pharmaceutical assets.

What You’ll Do

• Work closely with the in-licensing lead and our proprietary tools to identify distressed or shelved pharmaceutical assets with safety issues.
• Conduct deep scientific and commercial due diligence, assessing market opportunity, competitive positioning, and development feasibility.
• Develop asset-specific in-licensing cases, including risk assessments, development strategies, and valuation models.
• Work with expert advisors in science, commercial assessment, regulatory affairs, and clinical trial design to complete analysis and due diligence.
• Present in-licensing proposals to company leadership and expert advisors, providing clear rationale and expected return on investment.
• Collaborate with the scientific team to develop tailored turnaround plans for assets, outlining the path to clinical and commercial viability.
• Work cross-functionally to optimise asset positioning, ensuring a clear and compelling investment narrative.
• Support negotiations with asset owners, structuring high-value in-licensing and co-development deals.
• Build compelling investment cases for individual assets, working closely with the CEO, scientific and financial teams.
• Identify and engage venture capital, private equity, and strategic investors interested in funding asset turnaround projects.
• Develop and present investment materials, financial models, and deal structures to investors.
• Support deal closure, working with investors, legal teams, and internal stakeholders to finalise transactions.
• Support investor communications by developing efficient reporting and engagement systems.
• Maintain and update investor relations databases, tracking key interactions and managing communications.
• Work closely with the CEO to coordinate investor updates, manage investor outreach, and organise meetings.

Who You Are

A commercially driven biotech dealmaker with a strong background in venture investing, in-licensing, equity analysis, or pharmaceutical business development. You are:

• Network Driven: You will have an existing network in biotechnology development and investment, and you are looking to expand this network over time.
• Deal-Oriented & Strategic: Able to structure and evaluate in-licensing deals with a focus on scientific, financial, and commercial viability.
• Investor-Savvy: Experienced in securing investment for life science assets, with a deep understanding of venture capital, private equity, and biotech financing.
• Analytical & Detail-Oriented: Comfortable conducting both commercial and scientific due diligence, synthesising complex datasets into actionable insights.
• Collaborative & Entrepreneurial: You thrive in a fast-paced startup environment, working cross-functionally to drive high-impact transactions.

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of experience in venture capital, private equity, equity assessment, in-licensing, or biotech business development.
• Strong understanding of life sciences financing, including venture-backed asset development models.
• Experience in pharmaceutical asset valuation, licensing transactions, and deal structuring ideally from both the buy and sell side.
• Knowledge of preclinical and clinical drug development, including safety and regulatory considerations.
• Exceptional financial modelling and investment case development skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with experience working with investors, biotech executives, and asset owners.

What We Offer

• A competitive salary (circa £70k), performance-based bonus, pension and significant equity in a high-growth startup.
• The opportunity to be in a leadership role in a fast-growing, cutting-edge biotechnology company with a focus on creative ways of doing business.
• A collaborative, flexible, hybrid working environment with remote options and tools to support seamless communication.
• Vitality health insurance, including mental health, dental, and optical care.
• The chance to bring potentially life-saving drugs back to patients - helping improve the lives of millions.