Vice President, Business Development

Job Title: Vice President, Business Development

Reporting to: Chief Development Officer

Location: Durham, North Carolina or Remote

About Pairwise:

Pairwise is a mission driven AgriFoodTech company pioneering the application of CRISPR technology in food and agriculture. Founded in 2017 by leading scientists in the gene editing and biotechnology fields, Pairwise holds licenses from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital to base editing and high-fidelity enzymes - in addition to our own proprietary, company-developed suite of novel tools.

Anchored by our Fulcrum platform and deep technical and agronomic expertise in more than 60 crops, we're accelerating innovation in plant genetics, food and agricultural products, supply chains, and production systems. Our expert team delivers commercially viable products that benefit the planet, consumers, growers, and our business partners.

After successfully delivering 27 novel traits to Bayer's pipeline during our first collaboration for corn, soy, wheat, and canola, our second collaboration currently underway is focused on developing climate-friendly short-stature corn - with more partnerships on the horizon. Our consumer-facing pipeline includes seedless blackberries and pitless cherries.

Named one of America's Top GreenTech Companies, Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.

About This Role:

We are looking for a curious and driven individual to join our Business Development team as a Vice President. In holding this role, you will help drive our business development strategy and have a significant impact on the company and its future. You will own execution of licensing and other transactions related to our technology and product portfolio, developing insightful analyses while working collaboratively and with integrity to foster consensus and gain executive support.

We will expect you to use your critical thinking skills along with your passion for innovation and successful track record. You can successfully own projects in an ambiguous environment from ideation to execution and are comfortable in that environment.

We need you to be a leader first but also a teammate, someone who knows how to establish and foster collaborative relationships in a matrixed organization, to scrutinize relevant information, and have the insight needed to vet ideas and business cases. You are comfortable managing deal pipelines, developing financial models, and coordinating the due diligence process. Long-term impact is what motivates you, so you are always thinking about how to make things happen.

It's an exciting time to be at Pairwise, and this role will be a key part of the exciting moments to come.

Essential Functions:

• Strategy Development: Collaborate with senior leadership to craft comprehensive business development strategies that align with Pairwise's long-term goals. Provide strategic insights into market positioning and identify new potential licensees and strategic partners.

• Deal Sourcing and Evaluation: Source and screen potential business deals by conducting thorough analyses of market strategies, financials, and deal requirements. Work closely with internal stakeholders to evaluate options and prioritize initiatives that maximize value for Pairwise.

• Deal Execution: Lead and manage deal processes from inception to completion, ensuring seamless execution and alignment with business unit owners, finance, legal, and subject matter experts. Drive negotiations and oversee contractual agreements to realize strategic and financial benefits.

• Industry Engagement: Establish and cultivate strong relationships within the technology-focused agriculture and food communities. Monitor external and internal environments for emerging market segments and partnership opportunities that align with Pairwise's strategic priorities.

• Market Intelligence and Benchmarking: Conduct rigorous research on competitive business intelligence, leveraging educational opportunities, professional publications, and industry networks. Continuously track industry trends and benchmark Pairwise's performance against industry peers.

• Industry Representation: Represent Pairwise at industry conferences, trade shows, and other relevant forums to enhance our industry visibility and thought leadership position. Network effectively to promote Pairwise's mission and identify potential collaboration opportunities.

Required Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree and 15 years of experience in business development or similar role. Will consider private equity experience, investment banking, or strategy consulting with financial analysis and M&A experience.

• Successful Deal Leadership: Demonstrated track record of leading successful deal teams and managing full-cycle deal processes within the agriculture or biotechnology sectors.

• Business Development Experience: 5-7 years of progressive experience in leading business development functions, preferably within a startup environment or high-growth company.

• Execution Excellence: Strong project management skills with the ability to lead complex negotiations and deal processes from inception to closure. Experience in developing financial models, conducting due diligence, and managing post-deal integration.

• Collaborative Leadership: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with a collaborative approach to working in a matrixed organization.
  
  Ability to influence and build consensus among diverse stakeholders, including executive leadership. Ability to clearly communicate to a variety of stakeholders in both written and verbal form.

• Strong negotiating skills and imaginative approaches required.

• Must have a results-oriented work ethic.

• Ability to travel depending on the fluctuating demands of the role, up to around 50%.

Offerings:

• Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA, 401k, Life Insurance, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability, and more!

• Flexible PTO (use what you need, when you need it), in addition to company holidays.

• Casual work environment.

• Mission-driven organization focused on creating healthier fruits and veggies.

• A cutting-edge, driven community looking to lead the industry in innovation and nutrition.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel, and techniques that require fine motor skills and repetitive motions. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

EEO Statement:

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification.

At Pairwise we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

No Recruiters please.