Associate Director, Business Development Discovery Transactions

Merck•Upper Gwynedd Township, PA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director/ Director, Business Development & Licensing (BD&L) Discovery Transactions will be part of a seasoned team of transaction leads located in Rahway, NJ, West Point, PA, Cambridge, MA, and South San Francisco, CA. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing and negotiating a broad spectrum of transactions supporting our company's Research Laboratories in the discovery and preclinical stage across in support of therapeutic and functional areas with external academic, government, and industry partners worldwide. This position will be based in our offices in Rahway, NJ or West Point, PA. This position will report to a Director in the BD&L Discovery Transactions group. Primary responsibilities: Collaborating closely with our company's research scientists, management, legal and external partners to negotiate material transfers, licenses, evaluations, consortia, research collaborations and other agreements to establish external scientific partnerships Negotiating with external counterparts to execute appropriate agreements in a timely manner in support of our Research Division objectives and compliance policies Educating and influencing our Research Division scientists and management in the executional and relational aspects of external partnering Participation and networking at industry-academia professional events to establish our Research Division as a partner of choice

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline required; an advanced degree in business, law or science is a plus
A minimum of 5 years work experience in one or more pharmaceutical or biotech companies
Experience in transactions with academic institutions, biotech, and/or pharma; contract drafting and negotiation experience desired
Demonstrated leadership, judgment, and creativity in applying analytical frameworks and solutions to business- and discovery-stage scientific issues
Demonstrated ability to partner with client groups
Understanding of scientific principles and the drug-development process
Candidate must demonstrate superb interpersonal skills and the ability to influence without authority
Exceptional written, verbal, and organizational skills are essential
Some travel (<10%) will be required

Responsibilities

Collaborating closely with our company's research scientists, management, legal and external partners to negotiate material transfers, licenses, evaluations, consortia, research collaborations and other agreements to establish external scientific partnerships
Negotiating with external counterparts to execute appropriate agreements in a timely manner in support of our Research Division objectives and compliance policies
Educating and influencing our Research Division scientists and management in the executional and relational aspects of external partnering
Participation and networking at industry-academia professional events to establish our Research Division as a partner of choice