Vice President, Head of Government Partnerships

About the role

Lila Sciences is seeking a Head of Government Partnerships to build and lead our federal partnership strategy and execution at the most senior level. This role is the connective tissue between Lila's scientific mission and the agencies, networks, and funding architectures that can accelerate it. You will own our revenue-generating government relationships end-to-end, from shaping opportunities before they are announced to closing partnerships and building the institutional infrastructure that makes our federal engagement systematic and durable. Reporting to the Chief Revenue & Product Officer, you will manage a small but growing team, represent Lila at the highest levels of agency and interagency engagement, and serve as a key member of the company's leadership team. You will set the high level strategy and also be hands on, expected to win and close opportunities yourself.

Key facts

What you'll do

Orchestrate end-to-end federal revenue generation by owning pipeline, strategy, and execution across key agencies including DOE, ARPA-E, NIH, DARPA, BARDA, and DoD.

Architect and manage high-stakes government partnerships from first contact through multi-year program delivery, ensuring alignment with Lila's scientific mission and regulatory realities.

Translate complex life science technologies into compelling value propositions for federal stakeholders, framing impact at scale through clear narratives and evidence.

Champion Lila's solutions within interagency forums, steering committees, and policy working groups to shape priorities and influence funding mechanisms.

Lead proactive opportunity sensing, capturing signals from RFPs, SBIR/STTR calls, and agency roadmaps to position Lila as the partner of choice before formal solicitations release.

Build and mentor a compact, high-performing partnership team, defining playbooks, governance, and career pathways that scale federal engagement.

Own commercial and grant capture strategies, aligning contracting, pricing, and compliance to close complex, multi-year agreements with government customers.

Establish durable institutional processes that convert episodic wins into a repeatable, data-driven federal engine, including forecasting, learning loops, and stakeholder mapping.

Represent Lila at the highest levels of agency and interagency engagement, maintaining trusted relationships with key decision-makers and technical influencers.

Drive rigorous pipeline management and forecasting, translating qualitative insights into actionable next steps and board-ready narratives on federal progress.

Requirements

Must have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in life sciences, public policy, or a related technical field.

Must possess deep experience in federal government partnerships, ideally within biotechnology, life sciences, or advanced therapeutics sectors.

Must have a proven track record of winning and managing large, complex government contracts or grants, including familiarity with FAR, cost principles, and federal procurement norms.

Must demonstrate success navigating interagency coordination, stakeholder management, and consensus-building at senior executive levels.

Must be comfortable working across regulatory, compliance, and policy environments, with fluency in the language of government procurement and program management.

Must have experience engaging with stakeholders such as NIH, DoD, ARPA-E, DOE, BARDA, and similar high-impact federal agencies.

Must be willing and able to obtain U.S. government security clearances as required by specific roles and contracts, including eligibility for Public Trust positions.

Must be willing to travel domestically for government meetings, stakeholder engagements, and industry events as needed, including potential short-notice travel.

Must be authorized to work in the United States now or must obtain authorization at the time of hire, with no sponsorship available at this time.

Nice to have

Prior experience in venture, strategic consulting, or business development within or adjacent to the federal life sciences ecosystem.

Demonstrated success building and leading teams focused on government or public sector engagement.

Experience with SBIR/STTR programs, public-private partnerships, and multi-agency initiatives.

Practical notes

This is a full-time position based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Domestic travel is required for government meetings, stakeholder engagements, and industry events.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role at this time.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without requiring work authorization sponsorship at the time of hire.

The engagement is full-time, and hours are expected to align with federal customer availability, including occasional after-hours and weekend coordination as opportunities demand.