Director, Federal Strategy and Capture, Government Partnerships

Lila Sciences is looking for a Director of Federal Strategy & Capture to convert senior agency relationships and deep policy fluency into real government partnerships and funding wins. This role sits within our Government Partnerships organization and operates at the front end of capture — shaping the competitive environment before opportunities are formally announced, reading where the federal funding landscape is heading, and opening doors that demand genuine scientific and policy credibility.

This is not a policy role. It's a capture role that requires someone with unusually deep federal experience.

• Senior US federal experience at the intersection of science, policy, and strategy — agency, NSC, interagency, or equivalent background
• Scientific fluency in life sciences, biotechnology, or adjacent domains
• A demonstrated track record of turning relationships into concrete outcomes: funded programs, formal partnerships, or procurement pathways
• Experience standing up new government functions, programs, or divisions from scratch
• Comfort operating in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment where you're building as you go

• Familiarity with federal funding mechanisms — OTAs, cooperative agreements, SBIRs, BAAs — and how to position a company advantageously within each
• Existing relationships within DOE, ARPA-E, DARPA, BARDA, DoD, NSC, or interagency bioeconomy and biosecurity networks
• Experience working with or inside a startup, venture-backed company, or other resource-constrained private sector environment
• Familiarity with Congressional authorization and appropriations processes as they relate to agency R&D priorities
• Comfort with CRM or pipeline tracking tools to systematize relationship and opportunity management

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

Information you provide during your application process will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy.

Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.