Director, Business Development, Search & Evaluation

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals•Cambridge, MA

1d•$204,000 - $276,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Search & Evaluation plays a key role on Alnylam’s Business Development team, identifying and assessing external innovation opportunities that strengthen the company’s pipeline and platform. This individual will evaluate therapeutic assets and technologies while working cross-functionally to support key business and investment decisions. This role also requires building and maintaining a strong external network to generate high-quality opportunity flow and represent Alnylam across the biotech ecosystem. Operating at the intersection of science and strategy, the Director will translate complex data into clear, actionable insights. The Director will report to the Head of Search & Evaluation, Business Development. This position is hybrid and located in Cambridge, MA.

Requirements

Advanced degree (PhD, MD, PharmD, or equivalent) in a biomedical or life sciences field.
10+ years of experience across biotech/pharma R&D, business development, search & evaluation, or related strategic roles.
Strong scientific foundation spanning drug discovery, translational biology, clinical development, and regulatory pathways.
Demonstrated experience evaluating therapeutic assets, platform technologies, and preclinical and clinical datasets.
Proven track record in scientific due diligence for licensing, partnerships, M&A, or external innovation initiatives.
Solid understanding of BD fundamentals, including deal structures, valuation principles, and transaction processes.
Strong business acumen with the ability to integrate scientific, clinical, commercial, and financial insights into decisions.
Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership and governance bodies.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage multiple priorities, and operate effectively in a matrixed environment.
Established external network across biotech, pharma, academia, or the investment ecosystem.
Willingness to travel (~3–4 times per year, domestic and international).

Nice To Haves

Experience in life sciences strategy consulting, healthcare investment banking, or venture capital strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Proactively source and evaluate external innovation aligned to Alnylam’s R&D priorities, platform strategy, and Business Development (BD) objectives.
Conduct rigorous scientific and technical assessments of assets, and technologies, and across all development stages.
Lead opportunity triage across all stages of development, integrating scientific merit, development risk, strategic fit, and commercial potential.
Develop competitive landscaping, market insights, and prioritization frameworks to guide search strategy and decision-making.
Lead or co-lead cross-functional evaluation teams across R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, CMC, Commercial, Finance, Legal, and BD Transactions.
Drive scientific due diligence, synthesizing complex data into clear, balanced, and actionable recommendations.
Prepare high-quality opportunity memos, business cases, and executive presentations for senior leadership and governance forums.
Partner with BD Transactions to inform deal strategy, including structuring, valuation considerations, and risk mitigation.
Build and maintain an external network to generate high-quality deal flow and represent Alnylam in industry forums.
Contribute to continuous improvement of Search & Evaluation (S&E) processes, tools, and knowledge management.