Portfolio Manager, Government Partnerships

About the role

You own a public sector portfolio from first conversation through sustained execution at Lila Sciences. You translate autonomous scientific capabilities into durable federal programs and partnerships. You operate where advanced science meets federal policy and strategic procurement. Your decisions shape how Lila collaborates with mission-focused institutions. The position is anchored in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. It requires frequent engagement with federal agencies, National Laboratories, and international science funders. You will convert complex science into structured pathways for pilots, CRADAs, and large-scale procurements.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Establish and maintain Lila's posture with primary federal agencies, specifically DARPA and ARPA-H.
• Serve as the principal liaison connecting Lila's autonomous science roadmap with the specific missions of federal partners.
• Build and manage a qualified, prioritized pipeline of opportunities across public-sector channels.
• Actively manage RFI, RFP, BAA, FOA, and NOFO pathways to capture high-impact programs.
• Make sharp pursue or no-pursue decisions based on strategic alignment, organizational readiness, and potential impact.
• Lead opportunity lifecycles from initial identification through award and execution handoff to implementation teams.
• Craft a unified external narrative that translates Lila's scientific thesis into compelling stories for federal audiences.
• Develop and sustain durable relationships with program managers and office directors at key agencies.
• Contribute to Lila's public-sector capture engine by building qualification rubrics, narrative kits, and capability libraries.
• Partner cross-functionally with scientists, product managers, policy experts, and legal professionals to drive aligned outcomes.

Requirements

• Bring 10 or more years of experience in federal or international government capture, business development, or partnerships.
• Maintain a record of winning major awards and programs, including FOAs, BAAs, NOFOs, CRADAs, or similar mechanisms.
• Demonstrate working fluency in a major public-science ecosystem, with specific expertise in DARPA and/or ARPA-H.
• Translate the complexity of this ecosystem for the rest of the Lila team with clarity and precision.
• Show the ability to manage end-to-end capture cycles, from opportunity identification to execution handoff.
• Distinguish complex science and AI concepts into credible narratives for non-technical, senior, and policy-facing officials.
• Excel at cross-functional leadership, aligning scientists, product teams, and legal colleagues under tight timelines.
• Operate comfortably with ambiguity while maintaining excellent written communication standards.
• Commit to regular travel required to build the relationships necessary for Lila's long-term government success.

Nice to have

• Experience working across additional ARPA agencies, Department of Energy programs, NIH, or NSF environments.
• Familiarity with settings that prioritize breakthrough science and high-risk research agendas.
• Background in international science funding organizations or multilateral research frameworks.

Practical notes

This document serves as a high-level overview of the role and responsibilities.

What you'll do

• Engage with the practical notes and required qualifications as the baseline for performance.
• Operate within the compensation band and geographic constraints as defined.
• Align daily activities with the strategic objectives of government partnerships at Lila Sciences.
• Leverage preferred qualifications when relevant to expand opportunity capture and relationship depth.
• Maintain consistency with the expectations around travel, methodology, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Use this role description as a reference for decision-making, planning, and execution.
• Ensure all outputs reflect the standards and specificity of federal engagement contexts.
• Contribute to the ongoing refinement of capture processes, narratives, and qualification frameworks.
• Support the scaling of government partnerships practices across the organization.
• Document learnings from opportunity lifecycles to improve future pursuit strategies.
• Communicate progress, risks, and dependencies to internal stakeholders regularly.
• Uphold the integrity of scientific, commercial, and regulatory requirements across all engagements.
• Coordinate closely with proposal, product, and policy teams to meet demanding timelines.
• Synthesize diverse inputs into coherent strategies that reflect agency priorities and Lila's capabilities.
• Navigate complex procurement and partnership mechanisms with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Represent Lila Sciences professionally in all interactions with public-sector stakeholders.
• Advance the long-term positioning of Lila Sciences as a trusted partner in government science and procurement.