Head of Partnerships, Global Health – Infection

February 16, 2026
£125000 - £125000
Urgent

Job Description

Head of Partnerships, Global Health – Infection

Job Title:Head of Partnerships, Global Health – InfectionLocation:London OR Edinburgh Job Type:Full-time, permanent

Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.

About the role:

As Head of Partnerships for Global Health – Infection, you will lead LifeArc’s external partnering strategy and business development activities to advance the Global Health Translational Challenge (TC). Reporting to the Director of Business Development and working as part of the Commercial Team, you’ll drive strategic collaborations that deliver patient impact, societal benefit, and sustainable revenue opportunities.

This role requires a commercial mindset to structure deals that meet our charitable objectives and contribute to LifeArc’s financial sustainability wherever possible. The role will collaborate with other teams, in particular the Intellectual Property and Licensing teams and identify opportunities for LifeArc to wholly own assets with a view to increase out licensing.

This role will involve line management of BD Manager(s) and participation in matrix working with teams including Alliance Management, Funding Team, Translational Scientists and other functions.

The role will include some international travel and attendance at conferences and events to represent LifeArc.

Key responsibilities:

  • Represents LifeArc externally to attract and seek out collaborators and partners to advance LifeArc’s strategy
  • Drives external networking to build awareness of LifeArc’s areas of focus, always acting as an ambassador for LifeArc strategy to external community
  • Builds relationships within key organisations to assess potential partnership opportunities
  • Create an external partnering strategy that can deliver the corporate goals and TC objectives, and identify, assess and select the optimal partners to engage with
  • Provide commercial and strategic inputs into internal projects and initiatives, bringing external insight and driving evaluation of new opportunities and key decisions in support of strategy

Transactions:

  • Lead the internal business case for collaboration opportunities
  • Drive and own the commercial evaluation and revenue creation opportunities, supported by relevant internal and external resources
  • Lead term sheets negotiations and, deliver successful transactions that meet LifeArc targets, and in accordance with governance processes

Other collaborations:

  • Collaborate with the Licensing team to out license LifeArc owned intellectual property and to support the out licensing of intellectual property owned by LifeArc’s collaborators
  • Lead or collaborate with other functions to deliver other deal related projects (in licensing, etc.)
  • Partner with LifeArc’s science organisation to deliver select R&D activities for Return on Investment purposes

Best practices:

  • Use and/or develop best practise guidelines and standards, using and promoting a learning mindset across the BD team and the LifeArc organisation to allow BD to drive organisational success
  • Integrate with colleagues in Alliance Management and Funding Framework to progress opportunities through appropriate governance and due process
  • Embed ED&I thinking across business practice both internally and externally
  • Actively contribute to the business development function and collaborative working

Experience required (essential):

  • Significant experience working in scientific R&D healthcare organization – commercial or not for profit
  • Experience delivering strategic programmes and leading others in a partnering or business development function
  • Experience leading complex negotiations and contracting
  • Experience communicating verbally and in writing to drive senior level decision making
  • Experience representing organization externally, networking and building relationships in support of strategic goals

Experience Desired

  • Track record and knowledge of Infectious diseases, in particular antimicrobial resistance
  • Experience of working in the Global Health Ecosystem

Education:

  • Life Sciences degree (PhD or MBA or other equivalent postgraduate qualification)

About us:

LifeArc is a not for profit life science organisation, leading the way for change in rare diseases in the UK and supporting promising initiatives in global health. We seek out research in areas of unmet need that has great potential, providing support to help it become breakthroughs that change lives.

What we can offer you:

Focused on finding life changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of ‘putting patients at the centre of everything we do’.

LifeArc is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences. As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee an interview to candidates with a disability or long term health condition who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Please note that in certain situations, such as high volumes of applications, it may not be practical to interview all eligible candidates. In these cases, we may need to select those who best meet the essential criteria. (At LifeArc, the Disability Confident Scheme’s ‘minimum criteria’ is referred to as ‘essential criteria’)

Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles.

We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.

At LifeArc, we commit to advancing equal opportunities and building a diverse workforce by ensuring a fair, inclusive, and accessible recruitment experience for all. We employ individuals based on their suitability for the work to be performed and their potential for development, regardless of age, sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion, or belief. Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion includes creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, is valued for who they are and has the opportunity to translate their potential.

We want every candidate to do their very best. If you require special assistance or reasonable adjustments, please be sure to let us know in advance what will be most useful for you and / or to discuss your needs.

We only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list, and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.

Please note we are actively recruiting, and the closing date may be brought forward if we find the right person for this role.

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