Principal, Corporate Development, London
Isomorphic Labs
London
Isomorphic Labs is applying frontier AI to help unlock deeper scientific insights, faster breakthroughs, and life-changing medicines with an ambition to solve all disease.
The future is coming. A future enabled and enriched by the incredible power of machine learning. A future in which diseases are curtailed or cured starting with better and faster drug discovery.
Come and be part of an interdisciplinary team driving groundbreaking innovation and play a meaningful role in contributing towards us achieving our ambitious goals, while being a part of an inspiring and collaborative culture.
The world we want tomorrow is the one we’re building today. It starts with the culture at this company. It starts with you.
About Iso
Isomorphic Labs (IsoLabs) was launched in 2021 to advance human health by building on and beyond the Nobel-winning AlphaFold system. Since then, our interdisciplinary team of drug discovery experts and machine learning specialists has built powerful new predictive and generative AI models that accelerate scientific discovery at digital speed.
Our name comes from the belief that there is an underlying symmetry between biology and information science. By harnessing AI’s powerful capabilities, we can use it to model complex biological phenomena to help design novel molecules, anticipate how drugs will perform and develop innovative medicines to treat and cure some of the world’s most devastating diseases.
We have built a world-leading drug design engine comprising AI models that are capable of working across multiple therapeutic areas and drug modalities. We are continually innovating on model architecture and developing cutting-edge capabilities to advance rational drug design.
Every day, and with each new breakthrough, we’re getting closer to the promise of digital biology, and achieving our ambitious mission to one day solve all disease with the help of AI.
Your impact
As Principal, Corporate Development, you will serve as the team’s first full-time dedicated leader supporting Isomorphic Labs’ inorganic growth strategy and execution. Reporting to the VP of Corporate Strategy & Development, you will ensure our scientific and AI breakthroughs are paired with rigorous business case development, disciplined opportunity evaluation, and seamless transaction execution.
Working at the centre of a highly collaborative cross-functional team, spanning R&D, Machine Learning, Business Development, Strategy & Operations, Legal, and Finance, you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of corporate transactions that expand our platform capabilities and long-term ecosystem reach. You will apply strong scientific and technical judgment to proactively identify and evaluate emerging opportunities, partner deeply with technical leaders to shape strategic recommendations, and lead high-impact acquisitions, minority investments, and strategic ventures from initial concept through close.
What you will do
- Market landscaping & scientific triage: Proactively map the external landscape across digital biology, biotechnology, and enabling technologies to identify opportunities that accelerate Isomorphic Labs’ long-term roadmap. Act as a rigorous first-pass technical and commercial filter - assessing scientific validity, technological differentiation, and strategic fit early so internal R&D teams focus on the highest-conviction opportunities
- Business partnering & strategic case development: Build and maintain trusted relationships with business partners across Machine Learning, R&D, and Commercial to evaluate complex inorganic opportunities and crystalise clear, objective business cases. Synthesise scientific, technical, and financial considerations into structured executive recommendations (build vs. partner vs. invest/acquire) for the Executive Leadership Team
- Lead end-to-end transaction execution: Proactively self-direct and run corporate deals end-to-end from business case development, valuation modeling, term sheet negotiation through due diligence orchestration, definitive agreements, and closing governance
- Strategic investments & ecosystem building: Execute investments and innovative partnership structures that cultivate the broader tech-bio ecosystem, establish long-term strategic optionality, and align external innovation with Isomorphic Labs’ platform vision
- Strategic evaluation: Act as the primary filter for inbound opportunities, evaluating the alignment with our long-term strategy and the broader business opportunity. Drafting and presenting materials that synthesise complex technical diligence into clear, actionable executive recommendations
- Cross-functional operating rhythm & governance: Manage the day-to-day operational cadence of our cross-functional corporate development workflows. Maintain pipeline tracking and executive reporting, ensure seamless coordination and handoffs with Business Development and R&D, and build repeatable playbooks for transaction evaluation, diligence, and integration readiness
- Flex into strategy & ops: Flex into broader strategy and operational projects, supporting Corporate Strategy and strategic initiatives
Skills and qualifications
- Scientific & technical fluency: Degree or equivalent domain experience in life-sciences related field, with the ability to critically evaluate emerging biological and computational technologies
- End-to-end deal execution track record: Proven experience in Corporate Development, Venture Capital / Company Creation, or Life Sciences Investment Banking / Private Equity, with a demonstrated track record of leading transactions (M&A, minority equity investments, asset acquisitions, or joint ventures) from initial business case development to legal close
- Business case & financial rigor: Proven experience in valuation methodologies, creative deal structuring, and executive communication - able to distil complex technical and commercial diligence into clear decision frameworks for senior leadership and key stakeholders
- Cross-functional program & operational leadership: Demonstrated ability to drive the operational rhythm of a lean, matrixed team - aligning technical, legal, finance, and business stakeholders through influence, maintaining high-hygiene pipeline reporting, and executing complex initiatives
- Teamwork and collaboration: Proven track record in business partnering, influencing senior leadership, and excellence in stakeholder management
- Proactive ownership & judgment: A self-directed builder with strong commercial instinct, intellectual honesty, and discipline to disqualify low-signal opportunities quickly
- Strategic & operational agility: Ability to 'crunch the number' while also flexing into broader commercial strategy and operational projects as the business scales
Culture and values
We are guided by our shared values. It's not about finding people who think and act in the same way. These values help to guide our work and will continue to strengthen it.
Thoughtful Thoughtful at Iso is about curiosity, creativity and care. It is about good people doing good, rigorous and future-making science every single day.
Brave Brave at Iso is about fearlessness, but it’s also about initiative and integrity. The scale of the challenge demands nothing less.
Determined Determined at Iso is the way we pursue our goal. It’s a confidence in our hypothesis, as well as the urgency and agility needed to deliver on it. Because disease won’t wait, so neither should we.
Together Together at Iso is about connection, collaboration across fields and catalytic relationships. It’s knowing that transformation is a group project, and remembering that what we’re doing will have a real impact on real people everywhere.
Creating an extraordinary company
We believe that to be successful we need a team with a range of skills and talents. We're building an environment where collaboration is fundamental, learning is shared and every employee feels supported and able to thrive. We value unique experiences, knowledge, backgrounds, and perspectives, and harness these qualities to create extraordinary impact.
We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis protected by applicable law. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Hybrid working
It’s hugely important for us to share knowledge and build strong relationships with each other, and we find it easier to do this if we spend time together in person. This is why we follow a hybrid model, and would require you to be able to come into the office 3 days a week (currently Tuesday, Wednesday, and one other day depending on which team you’re in). If you have additional needs that would prevent you from following this hybrid approach, we’d be happy to talk through these if you’re selected for an initial screening call.
Please note that when you submit an application, your data will be processed in line with our privacy policy.
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