Associate Director, Business Development & Acquisitions
About The Position
The Associate Director supports AbbVie’s Licensing & Acquisitions strategy by identifying and evaluating external business opportunities from technical, CMC, and operations perspectives. The role leads cross-functional teams through assessment and due diligence, partnering with Search and Evaluation, Legal, and teams across Clinical, Regulatory, Operations, Quality, and Commercial. The Associate Director translates findings into recommendations and proposals for senior management, informs deal structure and risk mitigation, and helps advance agreed opportunities toward timely execution of legal agreements with external parties. The position also advises on asset-specific development plans, evaluates CMC data and technical risks, researches potential licensing and acquisition targets, and helps ensure opportunities align with AbbVie’s strategy and support sustainable growth. It requires the ability to assess scientific, commercial, and financial viability, coordinate stakeholder communication, and present clear recommendations to senior management.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree with 10 or more years of CMC experience across multiple functions; or a Master’s degree with 8 or more years; or a Ph.D. with 6 or more years.
- Experience sufficient to manage global teams and CMC activities, including science, technology, quality, regulatory/compliance, budgets, and resources.
- Strong scientific writing and verbal communication skills.
- Working knowledge of regulatory requirements and familiarity with relevant research instrumentation and techniques.
- Understanding of pharmaceutical theory and the drug development process.
- Interdisciplinary CMC experience and expertise.
- Negotiation, influencing, and leadership skills.
- Entrepreneurial thinking and sound business judgment.
- Knowledge of drug development, regulatory, and commercialization processes, with scientific expertise to objectively evaluate pharmaceutical business opportunities.
- Project management and leadership skills to guide multifunctional teams, produce high-quality analyses, deliver on time, and follow through on commitments.
- Communication skills to convey business strategies and capabilities internally and externally, present recommendations clearly and concisely, and foster cross-functional dialogue.
- Networking skills to engage industry decision makers and stay current on emerging opportunities.
- Negotiation and influencing skills in deal settings, including creatively resolving issues with partner companies to close mutually beneficial deals.
- Financial acumen and analytical skills to interpret financial evaluations and support fact-based decisions.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with biologics.
- Manufacturing and/or development experience.
Responsibilities
- Advise on building asset-specific development plans aligned with clinical and commercial timelines.
- Identify technical gaps and risks in available CMC data.
- Work with functional leaders in cross-functional teams to make decisions about business opportunities.
- Help lead assessment and due diligence with the Search and Evaluation function, managing external interactions, overseeing evaluation processes and timelines, and preparing timely recommendations and proposals for senior management.
- Research and evaluate licensing and acquisition targets that fit AbbVie’s strategy and support sustainable growth, assessing scientific, commercial, and financial viability.
- Contribute to deal structure and risk mitigation in line with AbbVie objectives and functional management.
- Keep key internal stakeholders informed of negotiation status and prepare opportunity assessments and executive summaries with Legal and other relevant functions.
- Network with potential external parties to raise awareness of AbbVie’s capabilities and Licensing & Acquisition objectives.
- Advance projects efficiently and effectively, recommending that weak ideas be dropped early.
- Present orally and in writing to senior management to seek approval for new opportunities.
Benefits
- Paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible employees.
- 401(k) for eligible employees.
- Eligibility to participate in long-term incentive programs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
