VP Life Sciences

About the role

Apheris is revolutionizing how sensitive data is leveraged for advanced analytics and AI in pharma and healthcare. Through federated computing and AI, we are building the world’s largest healthcare and life sciences data network. As we prepare for our next growth phase, we’re looking for a scientifically driven leader with deep expertise in pharmaceutical R&D. This role requires an executive who can define our target market, identify high-impact scientific use cases, and engage on eye level with senior R&D stakeholders at pharma companies, specifically those focused on drug discovery. You will be part of our executive team, reporting directly to our CEO Robin and working closely with our VP Product Elli, CTO & Co-Founder Michael and our VP Engineering Eero. 
As VP Life Sciences, you will bridge the scientific and strategic aspects of our business, shaping our go-to-market approach by targeting critical areas in R&D. Your understanding of key AI methods in drug discovery and development will enable you to define the customer use cases and scientific applications where Apheris can provide the greatest value. If you want to be part of building a company of consequence, making a significant impact at the intersection of life science AI, security and data connectivity, this role is for you. 

What you will do

• Market definition and use case development: Develop and execute go-to-market strategies specifically crafted for life science sectors, aiming for widespread adoption of the Apheris Compute Gateways at premier global life science organizations. This entails:  
  • Pinpointing strategic Pharma accounts and key senior R&D stakeholders.
  • Gaining a nuanced understanding of their scientific challenges and needs.
  • Specifying targeted scientific use cases for our product—identifying relevant models, data types, disease areas, and drug discovery tasks that align with both our capabilities and industry demands.
  • Cultivating a profound comprehension of how our solutions deliver value to these customers.
  • Leading the creation of supporting marketing materials and activities to effectively communicate this value.
• Customer use case oversight: Lead the development of scientific proposals tailored to the R&D needs of our customers, and provide oversight as projects evolve. Responsibilities include:
  • Lead the engagement with senior scientific stakeholders, such as VPs of Computational Drug Discovery
  • Crafting and leading the development of scientific proposals and SoWs that are precisely tailored to meet the R&D requirements of our customers.
  • Actively engage in pre- and post-sales activities to help accelerate the sales progression and increase customer value creation. This includes owning the use case development at our most strategic accounts. 
• Shaping contractual and IP considerations: Collaborate with legal and commercial teams to structure contracts that protect IP while fostering collaborative and commercially valuable relationships.
• Partnership development: Establish and nurture strategic partnerships with academic institutions, model providers, and life science software providers t