Vice President, Head of Government Partnerships

Lila Sciences•Cambridge, MA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

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're announced to closing partnerships to 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. We are expected to win and close opportunities yourself.

Requirements

You already know the people who run the programs we care about, from program directors to senior agency leadership, and you have a track record of winning major awards (FOAs, BAAs, NOFOs, CRADAs).
You have built a BD or partnerships function from scratch and are comfortable working without established process or infrastructure.
Track record of building and managing high-performing teams.
The judgment and presence to represent Lila at the highest levels of government and industry.
Experience translating complex science and AI into clear, credible narratives for non-technical, senior, and policy-facing government audiences.
Strong cross-functional leadership: comfort partnering with scientists, product managers, communications, policy, and legal to drive aligned outcomes under tight timelines.
Excellent written communication; comfort operating with ambiguity in a founding-team environment.
Willingness to travel regularly to build the relationships required for Lila to succeed.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a relevant scientific discipline
Experience at a venture-backed startup
Experience standing up a government affairs or business development function from scratch
Experience selling SaaS
Active U.S. security clearance

Responsibilities

Own Lila's senior relationships across DOE, ARPA-E, NIH, DARPA, BARDA, DoD, and adjacent mission agencies.
Set the strategy for how we prioritize, sequence, and deepen those relationships over time.
Lead pre-solicitation engagement to influence how funding opportunities are scoped and structured.
Ensure Lila is in the room and shaping the conversation before RFPs are published.
Be accountable for revenue targets.
Own opportunities from identification through award and execution handoff, partnering with Product Managers and Principal Investigators to convert meetings into pilots, CRADAs, and major procurements.
Connect Lila's portfolio to national priorities in bioeconomy, biosecurity, energy, and materials.
Build a compelling, differentiated government narrative that resonates at the agency, interagency, and Congressional level.
Hire, develop, and lead the Government Partnerships team.
Build the systems, processes, and culture that allow us to scale our federal engagement as Lila grows.
Serve as the primary interface between Lila's senior leadership and our federal partners.
Report to the Chief Revenue and Product Officer, lead the Government Partnerships team, and be our senior voice with federal partners.
Brief the CEO on the federal developments that affect our path.