Director / Senior Director, Corporate Development

Location: Boston, MA (onsite Monday through Thursday, option to WFH Friday)

About the Role

Emulate is seeking a Director / Senior Director, Corporate Development to help shape and execute strategic growth initiatives across partnerships, transactions, and market expansion opportunities. This role focuses on opportunities at the intersection of Organ-on-Chip technology, human-relevant biology, proprietary biological data, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), and AI-enabled drug discovery. The individual will lead corporate development initiatives from strategy through execution, operating in a highly hands-on, small-company environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead corporate development initiatives from opportunity identification through diligence, negotiation, execution, and close.
• Identify and prioritize strategic partners across pharma, biotech, life sciences tools, AI-native drug discovery, data/analytics, CROs, and related technology organizations.
• Develop and pressure-test business cases for partnerships, licensing opportunities, collaborations, market expansion, data partnerships, and other strategic transactions.
• Structure, negotiate, and close corporate development transactions, including strategic partnerships, licensing agreements, collaborations, data partnerships, and other value-creating deals.
• Build financial models, valuation analyses, deal scenarios, and strategic recommendations to support executive and board-level decision-making.
• Evaluate partner fit, strategic rationale, commercial opportunity, scientific value, operational feasibility, and transaction risks.
• Work cross-functionally with R&D, Commercial, Product, Legal, Finance, and executive leadership to align transaction strategy with company priorities.
• Translate Emulate’s scientific and technical capabilities into compelling partner-facing value propositions.
• Identify opportunities where Emulate’s platform and proprietary human-relevant biological data could create strategic value for pharma, biotech, and AI-enabled drug development companies.
• Support alliance management and governance for strategic partnerships after execution, ensuring clear ownership, milestones, communication, and value capture.
• Track relevant market trends, including AI-enabled drug discovery, NAMs, Organ-on-Chip technologies, advanced cell models, regulatory tailwinds, and competitive activity.
• Represent Emulate externally with credibility, strategic judgment, and strong executive presence.

Requirements

• 10+ years of relevant experience in corporate development, business development, strategic partnerships, licensing, M&A, venture, or related roles within life sciences, biotech, pharma, life sciences tools, AI/drug discovery, or adjacent sectors.
• Demonstrated track record independently negotiating and closing corporate development transactions.
• Experience leading transactions from initial strategy and partner identification through diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, and execution.
• Strong understanding of strategic partnerships, licensing agreements, collaborations, and other corporate development deal structures.
• Ability to build financial models, business cases, market analyses, and valuation frameworks to support deal recommendations.
• Strong scientific and commercial judgment, with the ability to evaluate technical platforms and translate complex science into business opportunities.
• Experience working directly with executive leadership and cross-functional teams, including Legal, Finance, R&D, Product, and Commercial.
• Ability to operate as a hands-on individual contributor in a fast-paced, resource-constrained company environment.
• Strong communication skills, executive presence, and ability to influence without authority.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to create structure, process, and momentum where none may exist.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in advanced in-vitro models, Organ-on-Chip, organoids, NAMs, translational biology, drug discovery platforms, life sciences tools, or related areas.
• Experience with AI-enabled drug discovery, data partnerships, computational biology, biological datasets, digital biology, or AI-native technology organizations.
• Existing network across pharma, biotech, life sciences tools, AI/drug discovery, venture, or strategic innovation groups.
• Experience structuring partnerships involving platform access, data generation, analytics, co-development, licensing, or other non-standard collaboration models.
• Advanced scientific degree, MBA, or equivalent experience preferred.
• Experience in a small-company, startup, or high-growth environment.

About Emulate

Emulate, Inc. is the pioneer of Organ-on-a-Chip technology, enabling researchers to accurately replicate human tissue function and disease biology through next-generation in vitro models. From target discovery to IND submission, Emulate aims to ignite a new era in human health research—one that reduces animal testing, cuts drug development costs, and accelerates the delivery of life-saving treatments. Emulate’s Organ-Chip platforms, consumables, and organ models help the world’s leading pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic teams generate human-relevant data that advance safer, more effective therapies.

Pay

The expected base salary range for this role is $200,000 to $225,000 per year, with final compensation determined based on level, experience, and qualifications. This position is also eligible for equity and a comprehensive benefits package.