Head - Business Development/In-Licensing - Medical Devices

• Job Title : Business Development / In-Licensing Head
• Company : Investor-backed medical devices / healthcare company
• Reporting to : CEO
• Location : Bangalore (with domestic and international travel)

Role Context :

The company is looking for a Business Development / In-Licensing Head to build a structured, high-quality pipeline of external product partnerships that address unmet needs in the Indian surgical and healthcare market.

This is a focused, hands-on business development mandate centred around identifying market gaps, scouting relevant products and companies (India and global), building a prioritised partnership pipeline, and driving commercial discussions through to successful deal closure.

The role owns the complete in-licensing lifecycle: unmet need identification, partner scouting, opportunity prioritisation, commercial evaluation, negotiation, and closure. Success will be measured by the quality of opportunities identified and the number and value of partnerships successfully executed.

Key Responsibilities :

• Systematically map unmet needs and product gaps across surgical specialties, procedures, hospitals, and care settings.
• Engage with surgeons, KOLs, healthcare providers, procurement teams, and internal commercial/product teams to validate opportunities.
• Build and maintain a structured market opportunity map using clinical, commercial, and competitive insights.
• Identify genuine white spaces where differentiated products can create meaningful value.
• Identify companies and products across India and global innovation markets (including US, Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and other hubs) that can complement the company's portfolio.
• Build networks across medical technology companies, incubators, industry platforms, investors, advisors, and ecosystem partners to source opportunities.
• Evaluate inbound and outbound opportunities for strategic relevance, clinical fit, regulatory feasibility, and commercial attractiveness.
• Maintain a structured tracker of potential partners, products, engagement status, and next steps.
• Create and manage a consolidated pipeline of partnership opportunities aligned with identified market needs.
• Prioritise opportunities using a structured framework covering :

• i. Market attractiveness and growth potential
• ii. Strategic fit with the company's portfolio and capabilities
• iii. Ease of execution and probability of closure

• Build clear scoring criteria and continuously refine prioritisation based on new information.
• Present pipeline recommendations and sequencing to leadership.
• Lead evaluation of shortlisted opportunities including :

• i. Clinical differentiation
• ii. Market size and revenue potential
• iii. Regulatory pathway
• iv. Manufacturing and supply feasibility
• v. Pricing and profitability

• Partner with internal functions including R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Manufacturing, Finance, and Commercial teams.
• Build robust business cases to support investment and partnership decisions.
• Structure licensing, distribution, partnership, or co-development arrangements.
• Lead commercial discussions covering exclusivity, territories, milestones, economics, and operating models.
• Work with Legal and Finance teams to support contracting and closure.
• Manage multiple opportunities while maintaining focus on highest-priority partnerships.
• Drive priority opportunities from discussion stage to signed agreements.
• Own the end-to-end closure process including term sheets, diligence, approvals, and contracting.
• Track progress, remove bottlenecks, and ensure timely execution.
• Ensure smooth transition of signed partnerships into implementation with relevant internal teams.
• Maintain strong relationships with partner organisations.
• Track early performance and incorporate learnings into future partnership decisions.
• Collaborate closely with Product, Commercial, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and Leadership teams.
• Provide regular updates on opportunity pipeline, prioritisation, negotiations, and closures.
• Build strong documentation discipline across evaluations and agreements.

Key Success Measures :

• Quality and depth of market opportunities identified
• Strength of India and global partnership pipeline
• Number and value of successful partnerships closed
• Commercial impact of launched partnerships
• Speed and effectiveness of deal execution
• Strength of external partner relationships

Candidate Profile :

Experience :

• 10+ years of experience across business development, in-licensing, strategic partnerships, corporate development, or portfolio expansion.
• Experience preferred in medical devices, surgical products, healthcare, life sciences, or adjacent sectors.
• Proven track record of identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and closing external partnerships.
• Exposure to international partnerships and cross-border commercial discussions.
• Understanding of healthcare ecosystems, regulatory considerations, and product commercialisation.

Capabilities :

• Strategic yet execution-oriented; able to move from opportunity identification to signed agreements.
• Strong commercial judgement and negotiation capability.
• Ability to build structured frameworks for prioritisation and decision-making.
• Strong external networking ability across companies, investors, innovators, and ecosystem partners.
• Comfortable operating independently in a high-ownership environment.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
• Degree required; Engineering, Life Sciences, Pharmacy, or related disciplines preferred.