Job DescriptionJob DescriptionDescription: BullFrog AI is a technology-enabled drug development company using artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable the successful development of pharmaceuticals and biologics. We partner with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to unlock the value of complex biological data and accelerate translational outcomes.
We are seeking a Vice President, Business Development to drive disciplined, executable revenue growth through strategic partnerships, enterprise collaborations, and high-value long-cycle business development transactions.
Unlike our commercial sales organization, which is focused on product-led sales across the broader biotech and life sciences markets, this role is specifically responsible for larger, more complex partnership deals with extended sales cycles, including strategic alliances, co-development opportunities, data and AI partnerships, and enterprise pharmaceutical relationships.
The selected candidate must demonstrate strong intrinsic drive and commercial ownership, with a proven hunter mentality to proactively source, advance, and close strategic new business opportunities without requiring external prompting or escalation.
This is a revenue-accountable leadership role for someone who not only opens doors, but understands how to assess opportunity viability, align scientific and commercial value, scope work responsibly, negotiate with rigor, and close complex, long-cycle pharmaceutical and strategic partnership transactions.
We welcome candidates currently operating at the Director or Senior Director level who are ready to step into a Vice President role and can demonstrate a proven track record of independently sourcing, structuring, and closing complex pharmaceutical partnerships, along with the executive presence, operational discipline, and communication maturity required to lead at this level.
Strategic Role Focus
This role is distinct from BullFrog's VP of Commercial Sales and Sales Executive positions.
While the commercial sales team focuses on shorter-cycle product and service sales within the biotech and life sciences sectors, the Vice President, Business Development, will lead:
- strategic pharmaceutical and enterprise partnerships
- AI and data platform collaborations
- long-cycle co-development opportunities
- licensing and alliance discussions
- multi-million-dollar complex deals with extended decision timelines
- executive-level stakeholder management across scientific, commercial, and procurement functions
Typical deal cycles may range from 6 to 18 months, depending on scope, budget, and client decision-making processes
The Vice President, Business Development Will:
- Own revenue generation and be directly accountable for delivering against defined annual targets
- Qualify opportunities rigorously, aligning client need, scientific feasibility, timeline, budget, and internal capability
- Lead end-to-end deal execution including scoping, financial modeling, negotiation, contracting, and closing
- Ensure all pipeline data, forecasting, and board-level reporting are accurate, supportable, and defensible
- Translate BullFrog's AI and drug discovery capabilities into clear, realistic, and compelling value propositions
- Build a disciplined pipeline using CRM systems with full transparency and reporting rigor
- Partner cross-functionally with science, data, finance, and operations to structure executable, profitable engagements
- Provide executive-level communication that strengthens trust with the CEO, Board, and shareholders
Core Responsibilities
1. Revenue Ownership and Deal Execution
- Deliver measurable top-line growth aligned to BullFrog's operating plan
- Manage the full sales cycle from initial contact through contract execution
- Lead pricing strategy and financial modeling for each opportunity
- Ensure scope is scientifically sound, operationally feasible, and financially responsible
- Negotiate partnership terms with pharmaceutical and biotech companies
- Close transactions with confidence and accountability
This role requires demonstrated experience closing meaningful biotech or pharma partnerships, not solely introducing opportunities.
2. Strategic Opportunity Qualification and Client Alignment
- Conduct disciplined discovery to deeply understand client therapeutic focus, development stage, scientific constraints, and budget realities
- Map BullFrog's offerings to the client's real needs, not theoretical opportunities
- Avoid over-scoping, underpricing, or misrepresenting deal value
- Accurately assess total contract value and revenue recognition timing
- Partner with scientific leadership to validate feasibility before advancing late-stage negotiations
We are seeking a leader who pairs commercial instinct with scientific fluency and financial realism.
3. Forecasting, Reporting, and Board-Level Credibility
Maintain real-time, accurate CRM documentation of all prospects and deal stages
- Provide forecasting that reflects disciplined probability weighting and defensible assumptions
- Prepare board-ready reporting with validated revenue projections
- Ensure no material misrepresentation of opportunity size, deal status, or expected revenue
Accuracy and credibility are non-negotiable in this role.
4. Operational Discipline and CRM Accountability
Enter and manage all opportunities in the CRM system
Maintain organized documentation of proposals, budgets, assumptions, and communications
Meet deadlines consistently, including board materials and internal reporting
Demonstrate proficiency with business tools, including Excel financial modeling and forecasting
This role requires both strategic thinking and tactical execution excellence.
5. Executive Communication and Cross-Functional Leadership
- Communicate proactively and consistently with the CEO and Leadership Team
- Surface risks early and propose corrective strategies
- Maintain responsiveness during business-critical windows
- Collaborate respectfully and constructively across teams
- Take ownership of results, including revenue misses, and present data-driven improvement plans
We are seeking a leader who inspires confidence through reliability, transparency, and follow-through.
6. Strategic Therapeutic and AI Partnership Development
- Develop and cultivate strategic partnerships within CNS, neuroscience, and broader drug discovery ecosystems
- Source and close enterprise-level partnerships related to AI-enabled target identification, therapeutic prioritization, and clinical trial optimization
- Build relationships with pharmaceutical executives, clinical development leaders, translational research teams, and innovation groups
- Identify opportunities to position BullFrog's capabilities in CNS discovery and broader AI partnerships
- Translate complex scientific and platform capabilities into long-term strategic commercial opportunities
Requirements: Education
- Bachelor's degree in life sciences, engineering, or related field
- MBA or advanced scientific degree preferred
Experience
- 12 to 20 years of business development experience in biotech, pharmaceutical, AI-driven drug discovery, or related sectors
- Demonstrated history of closing complex, multi-million-dollar partnership deals
- Proven experience structuring transactions, negotiating contracts, and advancing opportunities from early engagement to signed agreement
- Strong understanding of drug discovery pipelines, translational research, and pharma partnership dynamics
- Experience building disciplined pipelines and accurately forecasting revenue
- Demonstrated financial acumen, including scoping, margin analysis, and revenue modeling
- Proficiency in CRM systems and Excel-based financial tools
Required Domain Expertise
- Must have demonstrated business development and partnership experience in Central Nervous System (CNS) therapeutics and broader neuroscience-focused drug discovery
- Strong experience developing strategic partnerships in AI-enabled drug discovery and translational research
- Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- CNS discovery
- drug discovery partnerships
- clinical trial optimization
- AI/machine learning collaborations in life sciences
- pharmaceutical data and platform partnerships
This is a must-have for success in this role and the ability to establish credibility with pharmaceutical partners.
Core Competencies
- Commercial and scientific fluency
- Disciplined deal qualification and scope management
- Financial rigor and pricing realism
- Board-ready executive communication
- High accountability and ownership mentality
- Operational organization and follow-through
- Strategic thinking paired with tactical execution
- Credibility with sophisticated pharma stakeholders
- Deep market expertise in CNS, drug discovery, and AI-driven pharmaceutical partnership development
What Success Looks Like in Year One
- Revenue targets achieved or exceeded
- Clean, transparent CRM with accurate stage tracking
- Forecasts aligned to actual close timing . click apply for full job details