Associate Director, Business Development – Search & Evaluation

Job Description

Our Company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. We are a research-intensive company, with a rooted sense of purpose and ethical integrity. We aspire to improve the health and wellness of people and animals worldwide, and to expand access to our medicines and vaccines. Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of people like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork. As part of our global team, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.

Our Company’s Business Development & Licensing (BD&L) organization is focused on building strong partnerships with the external life-science community to bring new and life-changing therapies to waiting patients. The Pacific Hub team, which operates out of our Company’s state-of-the-art R&D site in South San Francisco, China and Japan, is seeking to add an experienced Search & Evaluation business development professional. We focus on identifying and transacting on novel, differentiated opportunities across all therapeutic areas and modalities that are early stage through pre-proof of concept in the clinic with life science and biotechnology companies on the West Coast of North America and Asia Pacific.

For the Associate Director, Search & Evaluation (S&E) role, in South San Francisco, we seek an experienced business development professional with deep scientific expertise and acumen, excellent communication skills and demonstrated interest and experience sourcing and/or negotiation partnering transactions. The Associate Director’s primary responsibilities consist of identifying and assessing innovative therapeutic assets and/or platform technologies, conducting landscape and competitive analysis, leading scientific cross-functional teams to evaluate and perform due diligence, sourcing and reviewing potential partnering opportunities, building effective coalitions across a global organization and working with the deal teams to negotiate and execute transactions.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Identify, screen, evaluate and execute business development opportunities with life science and biotech companies with a focus on cutting-edge science across all therapeutic areas (preclinical through pre-proof of concept in humans) and modalities to enhance and expand our Company’s pipeline.

• Work closely with our Company scientific leadership and stakeholders across therapeutic areas and functions to review and assess partnering opportunities and set partnering strategy, in addition to bringing and advocating for new partnering opportunities based on differentiated science/ and or new modalities.

• Lead or assist other members in leading cross-functional scientific due diligence teams. Integrate internal subject matter expert input to build strategic rationale and internal support for business development opportunities. Prepare slides and materials for presentation of partnering opportunities to our Company senior leadership for approval. Throughout the deal process, provide thorough and timely assessments and updates to appropriate management levels to ensure efficient communication and seamless cross-functional collaboration.

• Conduct competitive landscape analysis to help guide business development strategy and approach. Work closely with search and evaluation colleagues across BD&L to ensure comprehensive coverage of the relevant opportunity space and assessment of the best assets in a given space. Serve as primary scientific contact for business development projects. Ensure timely consideration of all business development opportunities and open and prompt communication with potential partners.

• Work closely with Transactions BD&L lead to ensure relevant deals of highest priority are being advanced and executed. Serve on deal team and collaborate with scientific stakeholders, alliance management, intellectual property and legal counsel to support negotiation and completion of licensing deals, collaborations, acquisitions and strategic alliances.

• Represent our Company Business Development at various partnering/scientific conferences, seminars and events

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

Education:

• Required: PhD, MD or other advanced degree in a life sciences or medical discipline.

Experience & Skills:

Required Experience:

• At least 4-5 years of experience within the biopharmaceutical industry or related role (e.g. management consulting, equity research, university technology transfer, etc.), of which at least 2 years have been focused on sourcing and evaluation of business development opportunities and deal negotiations

• Broad-based scientific knowledge across human health therapeutic areas, coupled with strong business acumen and ability to translate scientific and technical information to frame attractive business opportunities. Demonstrated ability to learn new science in therapeutic areas outside of your primary area of scientific expertise a plus.

• Strong presentation and communication skills. Demonstrated experience presenting complex science and/or business topics to management, including preparation of slides and cogent scientific and business rationale for a decision.

• Desire and proven ability to have an impact. Energetic self-starter with a strong work ethic, capable of thriving in a high growth, fast paced and intellectual environment.

• Experience working and collaborating with cross-functional teams, including experience in project management and/or contract negotiations as well as the ability to build effective coalitions to move projects forward.

• Strong networking, organizational, analytical and computing skills. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. We believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

Who we are …

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

What we look for …

In a world of rapid innovation, we seek brave Inventors who want to make an Impact in all aspects of our business, enabling breakthroughs that will affect generations to come. We encourage you to bring your disruptive thinking, collaborative spirit and diverse perspective to our organization. Together we will continue Inventing For Life, Impacting Lives while Inspiring Your Career Growth.

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

Residents of Colorado

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Relocation:

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Flexible Work Arrangements:

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Requisition ID:R129639