Head of Strategic Partnerships

About Us At Absentia Labs, we are building the AI-native IND-enabling safety platform for drug development. Our mission is to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations make better safety decisions earlier in development through human-relevant, AI-driven predictive toxicology. We believe the future of drug development will be shaped by intelligent systems capable of generating actionable safety insights before significant time, capital, and patient risk are incurred. Absentia recently became the first AI-native biotechnology company to achieve Letter of Intent acceptance into the FDA ISTAND / Drug Development Tool qualification pathway and was recognized as a top performer in the FDA PrecisionFDA Predictive Modeling of Hepatotoxicity Challenge. We are building more than software. We are building the scientific, regulatory, and commercial foundations required for AI-native safety methodologies to become trusted tools within global drug development. Why This Role Matters Absentia is entering a critical phase: transforming scientific and regulatory momentum into meaningful commercial relationships and market adoption. The challenge is no longer simply building technology. The challenge is ensuring that the right pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology organizations, CROs, regulators, investors, and industry leaders understand where our platform fits, why it matters, and how it can create value within drug development. This role exists to accelerate that process. The Head of Strategic Partnerships will be responsible for building and managing the external relationships that drive adoption, validation, and long-term growth. You will work directly with the founders to expand Absentia's presence across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology ecosystem and help establish the company as a category-defining leader in predictive safety assessment. This is not a traditional sales role. We are seeking a relationship builder, ecosystem strategist, and business development leader capable of creating trust, opening doors, identifying opportunities, and converting scientific interest into meaningful partnerships. Strategic Partnership Development Identify, prioritize, and develop relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, CROs, academic institutions, industry consortia, and strategic stakeholders. Develop and execute partnership strategies aligned with company objectives and platform maturity. Build and maintain a pipeline of high-value partnership opportunities. Establish trusted relationships with scientific, business, and executive stakeholders across the drug development ecosystem. Create and manage strategic account plans for priority organizations. Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Engagement Develop relationships with toxicology, nonclinical safety, translational medicine, pharmacology, and R&D leadership teams. Identify opportunities for pilot programs, structured evaluations, scientific collaborations, and commercial partnerships. Facilitate introductions, meetings, workshops, and follow-on engagements. Help define partnership structures that create value for both parties. Support conversion of scientific interest into formal engagements. CRO & Ecosystem Partnerships Identify opportunities to establish strategic relationships with CROs, technology providers, academic institutions, and industry organizations. Explore channel, referral, co-marketing, validation, and collaboration opportunities. Help position Absentia within the broader drug development ecosystem. Build partnerships that accelerate market access and platform adoption. Pipeline & Opportunity Management Maintain a disciplined approach to relationship management, opportunity tracking, and partnership development. Ensure all interactions, meetings, and opportunities are documented and actively managed. Develop reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into partnership activity and pipeline health. Maintain accountability for follow-through and progression of opportunities. Scientific & Commercial Collaboration Partner closely with Translational Science leadership to ensure customer needs, scientific priorities, and adoption barriers are understood. Collaborate with Regulatory Strategy leadership to incorporate regulatory credibility and qualification milestones into partnership discussions. Work closely with founders to align external engagement with company priorities. Translate external market feedback into actionable business insights. Conferences, Events & Industry Presence Represent Absentia at major industry conferences, partnering events, scientific meetings, and business development forums. Coordinate strategic outreach before, during, and after industry events. Develop and maintain relationships established through conferences and networking activities. Help maximize return on investment from industry engagement activities. Thought Leadership & Market Development Support development of strategic messaging, partnership materials, presentations, and external communications. Help establish Absentia as a recognized leader in AI-native safety assessment and predictive toxicology. Identify opportunities to increase visibility across industry networks and communities. Contribute to category creation and market education efforts. About You We're looking for a highly motivated, relationship-oriented business development leader who thrives in ambiguous environments and enjoys helping build entirely new markets. You likely have: Experience in business development, strategic partnerships, alliance management, or commercial strategy. Experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO, life sciences, or healthcare organizations. Strong understanding of drug development and the pharmaceutical ecosystem. Demonstrated ability to develop senior-level relationships and navigate complex organizations. Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills. High emotional intelligence, strong judgment, and exceptional follow-through. Comfort operating in a founder-led, fast-moving startup environment. Success Measures Within the First 3–6 Months, You Will Have: Developed a comprehensive understanding of Absentia's platform, positioning, and market opportunity. Established a structured partnership pipeline. Built relationships with key stakeholders across pharma, biotech, and CRO organizations. Helped increase the volume and quality of strategic conversations. Become a trusted external representative of the company. Within 6–12 Months, You Will Have: Helped secure pilot programs, evaluations, collaborations, or partnership agreements. Built a repeatable process for identifying and advancing opportunities. Established a strong network of industry contacts and advocates. Contributed meaningful market intelligence that influences company strategy. Within 12–24 Months, You Will Have: Demonstrated measurable impact on platform adoption and commercial growth. Helped establish a portfolio of strategic partnerships across the drug development ecosystem. Influenced the company's commercial strategy and market position. Become a key contributor to Absentia's long-term growth and category leadership. What We Offer A front-row seat to the future of drug development and regulatory science. Direct collaboration with founders, scientists, engineers, and regulatory experts. Flexible work structure, deep autonomy, and a high-trust culture. The opportunity to help define a new market category. The chance to build relationships that influence the future of AI-enabled drug development. Compensation Base Salary $150,000 – $170,000 Bonus $25,000 – $35,000 target annual bonus Equity 0.75% – 0.8% We believe diverse teams build better solutions. Absentia Labs is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. #J-18808-Ljbffr