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Ataraxis AI is a clinical AI research lab at the intersection of multi-modal AI and precision medicine, working to make disease predictable. The company develops AI methods that predict patient outcomes and treatment response, and builds clinical tools to assist physicians in selecting optimal treatments. Ataraxis has raised over $24 million in funding, including a $20 million Series A from top-tier VCs (Thiel Capital/Founders Fund, Obvious Ventures, AIX Ventures), and counts Yann LeCun among its founding advisors.
As Head of Business Development, you will build Ataraxis's pharma partnership business from the ground up. The company has developed prognostic and predictive AI models validated in breast cancer with applications across drug development, including companion diagnostics, biomarker discovery, patient stratification, and trial rescue. This role owns pharma as a revenue stream alongside the diagnostics business.
Key responsibilities include:
- Identifying target pharma companies, mapping decision units, running outreach, and leading negotiations to signature
- Constructing novel applications of Ataraxis technology against each company's development pipeline and translating them for scientific, clinical, and business audiences
- Building and maintaining relationships with pharma sponsors and funding partners
- Bringing pharma priorities and unmet needs back to research and product teams
- Working with research, clinical, product, and legal teams to scope commitments, structure terms, and finalize agreements
- Working directly with the CEO on pipeline, forecast, and deal strategy
Ataraxis operates with a flat organizational structure where leadership roles are earned through demonstrated initiative and exceptional delivery.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 8+ years in pharma and/or diagnostics business development, either from inside pharma or from a diagnostics/technology company selling into pharma
- Preferred: MD, PhD, PharmD, NP, or Master's degree in cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, biomedical sciences, pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, or related life sciences field
- Documented track record of leading or co-leading pharma deals in companion diagnostics, biomarkers, patient stratification, or similar; if not formally led, evidence of being pivotal in deal execution
- Experience building a pharma partnership pipeline from scratch or deciding from the pharma side which partnerships received funding
- Fluency in pharma partnership decision-making: understanding who decides, where budget sits within business units, and how deals get executed
- Existing relationships across large and mid-cap oncology pharma that can be activated immediately
- Comfort with deep technical material and history of finding non-obvious applications for it
- Bias for action
