Director Oncology Strategy

Amgen • Thousand Oaks, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, rare diseases, and obesity and obesity-related conditions. 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, Oncology Strategy What you will do Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. In this vital role you will report to the Oncology Strategy Executive Director. This position may be based on our main corporate campus in Thousand Oaks, CA or remote. The Director will serve as a scientific and strategic leader for Amgen’s Partners of Choice (APoC) academic collaboration network—a flagship initiative connecting Amgen’s oncology R&D organization with leading clinical and translational scientists across top global institutions. This role is deeply embedded within the scientific enterprise and is critical to advancing research aligned to areas of high unmet medical need. This position requires a strong scientific foundation and the ability to engage as a peer with academic investigators and physician leaders. The Director will partner with internal R&D leadership to define key scientific priorities and lead the development of external collaborations that inform and accelerate the oncology pipeline. The successful candidate will operate effectively in ambiguous, early-stage environments, applying scientific judgment and strategic thinking to evaluate opportunities and guide complex collaborations. They will serve as a credible external representative of Amgen, leading scientific dialogue with key opinion leaders while influencing internal strategy and decision-making.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree and 4 years of healthcare business experience OR Master’s degree and 7 years of healthcare business experience OR Bachelor's Degree and 9 years of healthcare business experience
• Four or more years of corporate strategy, business development, alliance management or equivalent experience
• Advanced scientific degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent) with strong grounding in oncology, translational science, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience engaging directly with academic investigators and/or physicians to develop and lead scientific collaborations
• Experience in both academic and industry settings, with a clear understanding of how to translate between scientific discovery and drug development
• Deep knowledge of oncology R&D, including translational research, clinical development, and the evolving external scientific landscape
• Proven ability to critically evaluate scientific data, identify emerging trends, and translate insights into strategic recommendations
• Experience designing and leading external research collaborations, including hypothesis generation, study design considerations, and execution oversight
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage credibly in both scientific and executive discussions
• Ability to operate independently in complex, ambiguous environments and drive clarity, direction, and results
• Experience working cross-functionally in a matrixed R&D organization

Responsibilities

• Lead the scientific and strategic direction of the APoC network, defining priority research areas and ensuring alignment with Amgen’s oncology R&D strategy
• Engage directly with external key opinion leaders, academic investigators, and physicians as a scientific peer, shaping collaborative research agendas and representing Amgen in high-impact scientific forums
• Serve as a strategic leader internally, partnering with senior R&D stakeholders to translate scientific insights and external perspectives into clear priorities and actionable recommendations
• Operate effectively in ambiguity, bringing structure to complex scientific and business challenges and driving execution across cross-functional initiatives
• Lead and influence cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment to advance collaboration objectives and integrate external partnerships with internal programs
• Synthesize complex scientific data and external insights to inform senior leadership decision-making and portfolio strategy
• Design and oversee external collaborations to ensure they are scientifically rigorous, operationally sound, and deliver meaningful outcomes
• Oversee key operational elements (e.g., budget, contracting, resource planning) in service of strategic objectives
• Lead high-impact engagements, including network summits and scientific meetings, with responsibility for shaping content, agendas, and external participation
• Drive continuous improvement to enhance collaboration effectiveness and overall network impact

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