Search and Evaluation Director, Respiratory & Immunology

AstraZeneca • Boston, MA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Search and Evaluation Director, Respiratory & Immunology is a key role in Biopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, supporting global Business Development initiatives with a direct impact on the scientific strategy and portfolio. The S&E group is responsible for driving search efforts for external innovation throughout the Biopharma R&D R&I community and conducting technical due diligence activities that ensure an in-depth understanding of investment opportunities and provide effective decision-making tools for the organization. In this role, you will have a major impact on the strategic development of Biopharmaceuticals R&D, R&I, ensuring that the portfolio is delivered and that the science, capabilities, and portfolio are fit for future challenges and opportunities. To be successful in this role, you will need a strong R&D scientific and/or clinical background, business and strategic acumen, and excellent communication skills. In addition, an ability to engage and collaborate across boundaries with an entrepreneurial attitude and delivery focus.

Requirements

• MD or PhD with 5+ years of relevant experience in life sciences or consulting.
• Strong scientific reputation in drug discovery and clinical development in R&I.
• Basic understanding of deal-making.
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively.
• Proven leadership abilities in an R&D environment.
• Strong understanding of clinical development experience in R&I, demonstrating cultural sensitivity and awareness.
• Extensive experience in pharmaceutical R&D, demonstrating international experience in multiple cultures and R&D environments.
• Ability to think critically, creatively, and to anticipate and solve problems.
• Ability to navigate and be successful in a fast-paced, highly-matrixed work environment.

Nice To Haves

• MBA is a plus

Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, and maintain the landscape of external in-licensing opportunities from academia, biotechs, and peer-pharma, including early research projects, new modality platforms, early and late clinical stage candidates, and Life Cycle Management opportunities.
• Represent the Business Development strategy at partnering meetings to identify and triage external assets and opportunities related to R&I.
• Integrate input from various functional areas across the organization to create high-quality, clear, and concise confidential evaluation reports of external assets and will provide recommendations to the Head of S&E.
• Identify and evaluate key strategic collaborations and technical platform capabilities that can enhance the scientific credibility and portfolio of Biopharmaceuticals R&D R&I.
• Leverage AI-enabled tools and demonstrate AI readiness to enhance search capabilities, accelerate data analysis, and improve decision-making processes in asset evaluation and competitive intelligence.
• Work constructively with key stakeholders and cross-functional teams, including commercial, to ensure effective communication, efficient decision-making, and timely completion of transactions with BD teams.
• Track breakthrough innovation, ongoing clinical trials, and market trends of existing external R&I opportunities using competitive intelligence tools to identify opportunities, threats, and risks in a timely manner.

Benefits

• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees