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Senior Director, Business Development

Position Summary

We are seeking a strong commercial and strategic leader to serve as Senior Director, Business Development, responsible for driving Illumina's data product business development and pharma partnership execution. This leader will have responsibility for a significant portion of the data products P&L, with direct accountability for revenue generation and supporting the foundation for 3-5 year growth trajectory.

Reporting to the VP, Data Products, this Senior Director will lead two core functions: Data Product Business Development and Data Partnerships. The role requires building a focused, high-impact team, developing pharma partnership capabilities, and translating scientific innovation into commercial value for pharmaceutical and biotech partners.

This is a senior leadership position requiring deep pharma partnership expertise, data commercialization experience, and the ability to drive complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives across scientific leads, data platform teams, AI organizations, and wet lab operations.

Location: San Diego, CA (preferred)

Scope of the Role

·       Business Areas: Data Products (human genetic and cellular data portfolios)

·       Functions Led: Business Development (Data Products), Partnerships and Collaborations (Data Sourcing, Data-Related Technology Partnerships)

·       P&L Responsibility: Responsible for a significant portion of the Data Products P&L

·       Geographic Scope: Global business development with primary focus on key strategic accounts and markets

·       Organizational Mandate: Build and lead a high-impact team spanning business development and partnerships

Key Responsibilities

1. Data Products Sales & Revenue Leadership

·       Drive revenue performance for data products across human genetic and cellular data portfolios, including data access platforms, multimodal/multiomic datasets, analytics offerings, and data licensing.

·       Build and lead a high-performing business development team capable of selling complex data products, platform access, and integrated solutions to pharmaceutical, biotech, and research organizations.

·       Develop and refine pricing models, deal structures, and commercial playbooks for data product monetization, ensuring competitive positioning and sustainable margin profiles.

·       Drive pipeline development, forecasting discipline, and deal velocity to achieve revenue targets and support business growth objectives.

·       Contribute to go-to-market strategies for the data product portfolio, including customer segmentation, value proposition development, and sales enablement.

2. Business Development & Strategic Partnerships

Pharma Partnership Development:

·       Lead the identification, structuring, and execution of strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies for data access, collaborative research, platform integration, and AI-enabled drug discovery applications.

·       Structure complex, multi-year agreements including data generation partnerships, data licensing arrangements, collaborative research agreements (MSAs/MCAs), and platform commercialization deals.

·       Serve as a senior leader for strategic pharma partnerships, ensuring alignment on scientific priorities, commercial terms, and delivery commitments.

·       Navigate pharma investment cycles, procurement processes, and decision-making structures to close high-value, long-term partnerships.

Data Acquisition & Sourcing Business Development:

·       Drive strategy and execution for data acquisition and sourcing partnerships, building networks for access to high-value human genetic and cellular datasets.

·       Develop and negotiate data access agreements, consortia arrangements, and data contribution frameworks with academic medical centers, health systems, government agencies, and research organizations.

·       Establish sustainable models for data acquisition that balance scientific value, commercial viability, regulatory compliance, and ethical considerations.

Technology Partnerships & M&A Support:

·       Lead business development for data-related technology partnerships, including platform integrations, computational tool collaborations, and ecosystem development.

·       Support data-related M&A evaluation, due diligence, and integration activities as opportunities arise.

·       Build strategic relationships with complementary technology providers to enhance data product offerings and pharma enablement capabilities.

3. Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management

·       Partner with scientific leadership, data platform teams, AI organizations, and wet lab operations to align technical capabilities with market opportunities.

·       Serve as a commercial voice in product and platform strategy discussions, providing market intelligence, customer feedback, and competitive insights.

·       Represent Illumina at senior level with pharma partners, industry forums, and strategic customer engagements.

·       Collaborate with Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance teams to navigate complex partnership structures and data governance requirements.

·       Work with Finance to manage P&L performance, pricing strategies, and investment prioritization.

4. Team Leadership & Development

·       Build and develop a high-performing team spanning business development and partnership functions.

·       Establish clear goals, KPIs, and accountability frameworks aligned with revenue targets, partnership pipeline development, and execution excellence.

·       Recruit and retain top talent; leverage industry networks and hiring capabilities to build a strong team quickly.

·       Foster a culture of customer-centricity, execution excellence, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.

·       Develop team members through coaching, mentoring, and professional growth opportunities.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

·       15+ years of progressive leadership experience in life sciences, healthcare, pharma partnerships, genomics, AI health tech, or enterprise data/software businesses.

·       Demonstrated P&L responsibility or contribution to a business unit with significant revenue ($50M+), with a track record of revenue growth and commercial execution.

·       Extensive pharma partnership experience with demonstrated success structuring and closing complex, multi-year agreements with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

·       Data commercialization expertise, including experience monetizing high-value datasets, building data licensing models, or leading data-driven business development.

·       Team leadership at Director level or above, including building teams, managing senior individual contributors or managers, and establishing functional capabilities.

·       Strong executive presence and stakeholder management with ability to engage VP and C-suite executives, senior scientific leaders, and strategic partners credibly.

·       Global experience navigating diverse regulatory environments, geographic market constraints, and international partnership structures.

·       Deep understanding of pharma investment cycles, drug discovery priorities, and therapeutic area strategies, with proven ability to align data products and platforms to pharma needs.

·       Excellent strategic thinking, negotiation, communication, and executive presentation skills.

Preferred

·       Experience in commercial roles for multimodal/multiomic data products, genomics platforms, or AI/ML-enabled drug discovery solutions.

·       Proven track record building and executing data acquisition and sourcing strategies, including work with academic medical centers, health systems, or research consortia.

·       Background in technology transfer, institutional data licensing, or collaborative-to-commercial agreement conversion.

·       Experience with data consortia development and management across multiple stakeholders and geographic regions.

·       Familiarity with M&A evaluation, due diligence, or integration for data assets or technology platforms.

·       PhD and/or MBA or equivalent advanced degrees in relevant scientific and business disciplines.

Success Metrics

Financial Performance

·       Achievement of revenue targets and contribution to data products P&L objectives

·       Contribution to overall growth trajectory

·       Deal velocity, average deal size, and commercial pipeline health

Partnership & Commercial Excellence

·       Strategic pharma partnerships sourced, structured, and executed

·       Data acquisition partnerships established and operationalized

·       Customer satisfaction and renewal/expansion rates

Organizational Development

·       Team built and performing within target timeframes

·       Individual contributor and team capability development

·       Operational efficiency and execution quality metrics

Strategic Impact

·       Market positioning and competitive differentiation achieved

·       Product-market fit validation and commercial viability demonstrated

Influence on data product str

The estimated base salary range for the Sr Director Business Dev. role based in the United States of America is: $224,900 - $337,300. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. The range reflects long‑term growth in the role. Most candidates are hired between the minimum and middle of the range. Placement depends on experience, skills, location, and internal equity. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants.