Biotech & Pharma Executive Search for AI and Data Leaders

SECTORS

Executive search for the AI, machine learning and data leaders that biotech and pharmaceutical companies now build R&D, clinical development and manufacturing around, run from London, New York and Berlin.

In short: Banba is a founder-led executive search firm that finds senior AI and data leaders for biotech and pharmaceutical companies: Chief AI Officers, Heads of AI and Machine Learning in R&D, Heads of Computational Biology and Chemistry, Chief Data Officers, clinical data science and real-world evidence leaders, and the people who make AI work under GxP. We do not run searches for general scientific, commercial or C-suite roles outside AI and data.

Who we work with

Techbio and AI-first drug discovery companies, clinical-stage biotechs, mid-size and large pharmaceutical companies building AI capability inside R&D, and the CROs, CDMOs and platform companies that serve them. The person hiring is usually a CEO, Chief Scientific Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Head of R&D or Chief Data Officer.

What usually triggers the hire

A platform becomes the product. A biotech whose science depends on models needs its first Head of AI or Head of Computational Biology, often straight after a financing round.
AI moves from pilot into R&D. Pharma teams that proved value in discovery or trial design now need a leader to scale it across programmes and sites.
Data becomes the bottleneck. Fragmented laboratory, clinical and real-world data needs a Chief Data Officer or Head of R&D Data to own it.
Validation and regulation. AI used in clinical development, pharmacovigilance or manufacturing has to be validated and governed, under GxP and, in Europe, the EU AI Act.

Roles we search for

Chief AI Officer, Head of AI and Head of Machine Learning (R&D)
Head of Computational Biology, Computational Chemistry and AI drug discovery
Chief Data Officer, Head of R&D Data and scientific data and informatics leaders
Clinical development: clinical data science, biostatistics-adjacent machine learning and real-world evidence leaders
AI in manufacturing and quality: process analytics, CMC data and GxP-validated AI leads
AI governance, validation and responsible-AI leaders for regulated use

What does a biotech executive search firm do for AI and data roles?

It defines the role with you, maps the people who could do it, assesses them and secures the hire. For AI and data leadership in biotech the hard part is the overlap: the right person has to be credible with scientists and with engineers, understand how experimental and clinical data are generated, and know what regulators will ask about a model before it touches a programme.

How does AI leadership hiring differ between biotech and pharma?

In a biotech, the first AI or data leader often builds the function from nothing and sits close to the science and the board, so breadth, hands-on credibility and comfort with ambiguity matter most. In a large pharmaceutical company, the role is usually about scaling what already works across therapeutic areas, functions and sites, so influence, governance and change leadership carry more weight. We set the brief around which of these you actually need.

Where sector knowledge matters, and where it doesn’t

Machine-learning engineering, MLOps and data platform leadership transfer well from other industries. Laboratory data, assay and omics context, clinical evidence, GxP validation and regulatory expectations do not. Part of every search is deciding which parts of the role need someone from biotech or pharma and which are better filled from outside it. Each shortlist is then assessed on capability, leadership, execution, judgement, context and motivation. How an executive search works.

How is Banba different from a generalist life sciences search firm?

Banba specialises in AI and data leadership and applies it to life sciences, rather than covering every scientific and commercial function. Searches are founder-led: the person you brief is the person who runs your search. For the wider healthcare picture, see Healthcare & Life Sciences AI Executive Search.