Director of External Research & Development

Amgen • South San Francisco, CA

18h • $191,355 - $258,893

About The Position

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients At Amgen, if you feel like you’re part of something bigger, it’s because you are. Our shared mission—to serve patients living with serious illnesses—drives all that we do. Since 1980, we’ve helped pioneer the world of biotech in our fight against the world’s toughest diseases. With our focus on four therapeutic areas –Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease– we reach millions of patients each year. As a member of the Amgen team, you’ll help make a lasting impact on the lives of patients as we research, manufacture, and deliver innovative medicines to help people live longer, fuller happier lives. Our award-winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities that lay within them, you’ll thrive as part of the Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while transforming your career. Director of External Research & Development What you will do Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. In this vital role within the External R&D group of Business Development you will be part of a team responsible for leading Amgen’s business development efforts in identifying and evaluating innovative therapeutics being developed outside of Amgen within the Inflammation/autoimmune therapeutic space for potential in-licensing, M&A, or collaborations. The successful candidate will develop and nurture a network of key industry and academic contacts to ensure robust communication of ideas, interests and information between the external community and internal groups. The role requires proactive efforts to manage the search and identification of opportunities through networking and reviews of the external landscape and assessing prioritizing based on Amgen’s therapeutic area strategy. The role includes leading the technical evaluations of opportunities by creating and managing cross-functional review teams, providing recommendations based on robust scientific and drug industry knowledge, and ensuring appropriate and efficient decision-making processes. This person will ensure efficient reviews and engage in business negotiations and work with legal to execute contractual agreements for certain projects. The candidate will be responsible for leading strategic discussions and presentations, collaborating closely with senior management, R&D, and Commercial to develop a set of priorities for licensure or M&A. The role will also include the support of out-licensing activities.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree in a scientific field & 4 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development
• Master’s degree in a scientific field & 7 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development
• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field & 9 years of experience in R&D and/or biopharma business development

Nice To Haves

• Doctorate in scientific discipline, with robust working knowledge in inflammation, oncology or other therapeutic area.
• 4+ years of management and/or leadership experience in business and drug development activities, and strong technical R&D experience along with business development and licensing experience.
• Strong leadership, scientific, organizational, communication, and project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Effective communication skills pertaining to scientific and business development.
• Must demonstrate ability to foresee and solve problems, and prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong team player, experience in successfully managing direct reports and a demonstrated ability to interface effectively with all-levels of staff across differing functional expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to create and build relationships with internal and external parties.
• Professional demeanor with strong decision making
• Be able to work independently, manage large cross functional teams, and mentor individuals.

Responsibilities

• Leading Amgen’s business development efforts in identifying and evaluating innovative therapeutics being developed outside of Amgen within the Inflammation/autoimmune therapeutic space for potential in-licensing, M&A, or collaborations.
• Develop and nurture a network of key industry and academic contacts to ensure robust communication of ideas, interests and information between the external community and internal groups.
• Manage the search and identification of opportunities through networking and reviews of the external landscape and assessing prioritizing based on Amgen’s therapeutic area strategy.
• Lead the technical evaluations of opportunities by creating and managing cross-functional review teams, providing recommendations based on robust scientific and drug industry knowledge, and ensuring appropriate and efficient decision-making processes.
• Ensure efficient reviews and engage in business negotiations and work with legal to execute contractual agreements for certain projects.
• Lead strategic discussions and presentations, collaborating closely with senior management, R&D, and Commercial to develop a set of priorities for licensure or M&A.
• Support of out-licensing activities.

Benefits

• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
• Stock-based long-term incentives
• Award-winning time-off plans
• Flexible work models where possible.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree