Director, Business Development - Pharmaceutical & Strategic Account Management

Owkin • Remote (Queens, NY, USA) • 1d ago

About us

Owkin is building the first universal AI Operating System called K to lay the foundation for Biological Artificial Superintelligence (BASI). This OS integrates a suite of AI agents that decode complex biology, accelerate research, and dramatically increase productivity. Acting as copilots, Owkin K agents will automate drug discovery and diagnostics and power next-gen pharma companies.

Owkin’s OS will be powered by the world’s largest federated multimodal patient data network, a robotized lab, leading AGI technologies, and cutting-edge multimodal foundation models and LLMs.

Salary range: 185K$-220K$

About the role:

Owkin is seeking a Director, Business Development to join our fast-growing and dynamic team, with the opportunity to grow our business with pharmaceutical companies by generating new leads, managing key accounts, and contributing to the company's go-to-market strategy.

As a Director, Commercial Sales, you will directly manage your book of work with your key clients and be responsible for identifying and closing new business opportunities with an eye on long-term renewable business with said clients. You will be instrumental in creating awareness of Owkin’s differentiated data and state-of-the art technology, using AI and machine learning to enhance and accelerate R&D, Market access and commercial activities.

The role reports directly to the VP, Commercial Diagnostics, and will be a part of the global commercial team. The position will require intimate cross-team collaboration across multiple departments.

In particular, you will:

Lead Strategic Sales: Drive revenue growth by cultivating relationships with high-level stakeholders in pharmaceutical companies, such as therapeutic leadership, clinical research teams, IT, data science, R&D, and procurement.
Develop and Close Business Opportunities: Identify new business prospects within the pharmaceutical sector, focusing on both new accounts and expanding existing relationships, with a strong emphasis on renewable long-term engagements.
Engage in Consultative Selling: Use Owkin’s AI and machine learning capabilities to present data-driven solutions that impact clinical trial challenges and support CDx/IVD strategies.
Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work alongside R&D, Legal, Operations, Corporate Strategy, and Product teams to ensure alignment on client needs and market positioning, ensuring the delivery of world-class solutions.
Thought Leadership and Market Engagement: Position Owkin as an innovative leader in AI and digital pathology within the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Support Go-To-Market Strategy: Play an active role in shaping the company's sales strategies, helping scale commercial operations as Owkin expands its footprint in the pharma industry.

Position is based in our NYC or Boston offices or remote East Coast (DC to Boston).

About you

We’re looking for someone with a proven track record in strategic sales and account management within the pharmaceutical, biotech, or diagnostic industry, particularly with experience in high-value, complex sales related to clinical trials and diagnostic technologies.

Proven Commercial Success: Demonstrated experience driving revenue growth and managing large strategic accounts, ideally within pharmaceutical, biotech, or diagnostic sectors.
Expertise in Pharma & Diagnostics: A deep understanding of drug development, clinical trials, and companion diagnostic (CDx) or in vitro diagnostic (IVD) solutions, especially within the context of AI and machine learning.
Scientific & Technical Knowledge: A strong scientific background, preferably with a degree (Master’s or PhD) in relevant fields such as Molecular Biology, Epidemiology, Bioinformatics, AI, Data Science, or related disciplines. An MBA or additional business qualifications are a plus.
Strong Industry Network: Extensive network within the pharmaceutical, biotech, and clinical trial sectors, with the ability to build consultative relationships and drive business growth.
Innovative Thinker: Passionate about leveraging AI and cutting-edge technology to disrupt traditional pharma processes and improve patient outcomes.
High Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
Excellent Communication Skills: Fluent in English with exceptional verbal and written communication abilities, capable of conveying complex scientific and technical concepts to diverse stakeholders.
Technology Proficiency: Comfortable using tools like Google Suite, Salesforce, and Slack, understanding the tech landscape in AI and digital pathology.
Start-up Mentality: Previous experience in a PE or VC-backed start-up is a plus, particularly in scaling operations and thinking creatively to meet market needs.

Please submit your CV in English

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What we offer

Flexible work organization
Friendly and informal working environment
Opportunity to work with an international team with high technical and scientific backgrounds

Recruitment Process & Security

Please complete the form and submit your CV.
Owkin is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status or on the basis of disability.
Owkin is a great place to work. As a coveted workplace we are, unfortunately, vulnerable to recruitment phishing scams. We urge all job seekers and candidates to be wary of potential scams. Most of these have individuals posing as representatives of prominent companies, including Owkin, with the aim of obtaining personal, sensitive, or financial information from applicants. These scams prey upon an individual’s desire to obtain a job and can sometimes “feel” like a genuine recruitment process. Some red flags are identified below. Should you encounter a recruitment process that claims to be for Owkin but is not consistent with the below, please do not provide any personal or financial information:
Legitimate Owkin recruitment processes include communication with candidates through recognized professional networks, such as LinkedIn.
Communication is always through an official Owkin email address (from the @owkin.com domain), over the phone or through our applicant tracking system (Greenhouse).
The Owkin talent team do use platforms such as LinkedIn and Job Teaser, however if you have any concern or doubt about this contact, please ask for them to send an email from @Owkin.com.
The Owkin talent team will not solicit personal data from candidates during the application phase including, but not limited to, date of birth, social security numbers, or bank account information;
Legitimate Owkin interviews may be conducted over the phone, in person, or via an approved enterprise videoconferencing service (Google Meets). They will not occur via Signal, Telegram or Messenger
Owkin offers of employment are based on merit and only extended once a candidate has interviewed with members of the talent and hiring team. Offers will be extended both verbally and in written format.

If you think that you have been a victim of fraud,

Check the identity of the talent team on LinkedIn.
Check the existence of the position on our website https://owkin.com/hiring
Notify Owkin's recruitment unit at this address hiring@owkin.com
contact the following authorities: