Position Summary:
As the Vice President and Head of Business Development, you will be a key driver in shaping the company’s growth trajectory. Your strategic vision, leadership, and ability to develop our portfolio strategy and forge impactful partnerships will directly impact our clinical asset progress. This role combines business acumen, scientific understanding, and team management to unlock the full potential of our technology platforms and pipeline. You will report directly to the CEO and partner closely with R&D, Finance, and Manufacturing.
Responsibilities:
Business Development Strategy:
- Develop and execute a comprehensive business development strategy aligned with company’s scientific, strategic, and financing plans.
- Identify licensing, partnership, and collaboration opportunities to accelerate clinical asset development.
- Collaborate closely with the scientific team to define and deliver key data packages and lead all scientific due diligence process by potential partners.
- Develop proposed deal architecture and terms, and lead negotiations of term sheets and agreements with potential partners in collaboration with legal and finance.
Commercial assessment, competitive landscape, and portfolio strategy:
- Work closely with R&D to formulate company’s portfolio strategy based on the commercial assessment, scientific data, competitive landscape, market insights, and fit with company’s long-term strategy.
- Oversee and be accountable for commercial assessment to support portfolio decisions and prioritization of portfolio, including but not limited to commercial forecast.
- Develop initial target opportunity profile, build product differentiation hypothesis, and support product development strategy decisions.
- Monitor external landscape, with a focus on close competitors, and keep track of the development of competitive assets and identify potential competitive threat.
Team Leadership and Coaching:
- Lead and mentor a high-performing business development and commercial assessment team.
- Foster a collaborative and results-driven culture.
- Provide guidance on deal structuring, relationship building, and strategic decision-making.
External Communications:
- Create compelling partner pitch decks that showcase company’s story and product portfolio. Collaborate closely with the scientific team to define and deliver key data packages for effective business development outreach.
- Build and maintain a network of business development professionals across the pharmaceutical and biopharma industries.
- Attend conferences, industry events, and investor meetings.
Organizational System Development:
- Establish an internal BD organizational system.
- Track and document all collaborations along the BD pipeline.
- Provide regular status reports to senior leadership.
Qualifications:
Education: Advanced degree (MBA, PhD, or equivalent) in a relevant field.
Experience:
- Minimum of 15 years in business development within the biopharmaceutical industry.
- Proven track record of successful deal-making, including licensing, partnerships, and collaborations.
- Experience managing and coaching teams.
Core Skills:
- Strategic thinker with a deep understanding of drug development and commercialization.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.
- Ability to balance scientific rigor with business acumen.
Interpersonal competency:
- Having a mindset of adaptability, curiosity, collaboration, resilience, and a passion for purpose is critical.
- Strong communication skills with effective problem-solving abilities.