Senior Director, Business Development

Adaptive Biotechnologies•Seattle, WA

1d•Remote

About The Position

At Adaptive, we’re Powering the Age of Immune Medicine. Our goal is to harness the power of the adaptive immune system to transform the way diseases are diagnosed and treated. As an Adapter, you’ll have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. With Adaptive, you’ll create a career highlight through collaboration with bright, curious colleagues working at the apex of innovation and application. It’s time for your next chapter. Discover your story with Adaptive. Position Overview Adaptive Biotechnologies is a leader in immune medicine and aims to translate the massive genetic code of the adaptive immune system to improve human health. Adaptive has built a robust immune medicine platform that includes proprietary T cell receptor and B cell receptor sequencing technologies. The Immune Medicine (IM) business includes a growing portfolio of customers at top tier academic institutions and biopharmaceutical/biotechnology companies that incorporate Adaptive’s immunosequencing technologies in different areas of research, including in oncology, autoimmunity, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. The Immune Medicine team at Adaptive supports customers in incorporating immune receptor data in basic research to better understand disease, host immune response, and accelerate the development of innovative drugs. The Senior Director, Business Development will execute on IM’s commercial growth strategy. As a player/manager, this role is responsible for generating sales, achieving revenue targets, and managing a business development team. This role is accountable for sourcing, negotiating, closing deals, and growing a book of business that includes fee-for-service (FFS) offerings, strategic partnerships, and data licensing opportunities. This book of business is comprised of a portfolio of global biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. The successful candidate will have exceptional negotiation, deal-structuring, contract-management skills, and strong deal-making capabilities. This candidate will be responsible for existing and new market opportunities that grow the IM business and that embed Adaptive as the preferred partner and ‘go-to’ platform. Leaders at Adaptive demonstrate behaviors consistent with Adaptive’s Core Values and Leadership Principles. Critical functions of your role include helping establish individual team member goals, aligning those individual goals with broader team objectives, and ensuring those objectives drive the achievement of company goals. Providing thoughtful coaching and consistent feedback to your team members will drive performance excellence and accountability, as well as support your team members’ growth and development. Leaders at Adaptive create an environment of belonging, respect, and open and honest communication every day. This role reports to the Chief Commercial Officer, Immune Medicine.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 17+ years of progressive related experience in the biotech or life sciences industry (or similar combination of education and experience)
8+ years of progressively senior business development experience in biotech or pharma with a proven track record closing complex deals
6+ years managing and growing teams, developing people with a strong focus on culture
Strong understanding of drug discovery and development, including modalities such as small molecules, biologics, ADCs, bispecifics, or AI enabled drug discovery
Extensive network across our customer base
Ability to tease apart customers’ needs and motivations to successfully influence them
Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship building skills
Strong presentation skills and have a good strategic and analytic skillset
Entrepreneurial and self-starter mindset
Extensive experience working with internal/external multidisciplinary teams including R&D, Commercial, Legal, IP, Finance and Operations
Strong communication, interpersonal skills and good judgment. The ability to synthesize complex scientific ideas into concise and impactful presentations
Ability to work in a matrix environment and leverage cross-functional resources
Ability to work effectively with senior leadership and executives, internally and externally
Independent strategic thinker with strong ability to solve complex problems
Ability to see the bigger picture and create a cohesive team culture to achieve broad success in addition to individual success

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

Manage team responsible for prospecting and acquisition of new business with pharmaceutical and institutional customers
Develop and refine BD strategy aligned to corporate objectives and long-term R&D investment priorities
Proactively identify high value external innovation opportunities—including therapeutic assets, enabling platforms, technologies, and strategic collaborations
Lead high stakes negotiations spanning in licensing, out licensing, research collaborations, co-development agreements, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and equity-linked structures
Lead the team to engage in complex search and evaluation efforts and conduct thorough and informative competitive landscape and market analyses to provide actionable recommendations
Drive delivery of new bookings and revenue from Pharma customers in line with the company’s corporate goals
Structure, negotiate, and close significant and complex deals in line with the company's business development goals
Represent Adaptive externally and deliver scientific presentations to identify opportunities
Work cross-functionally to deliver transactions, execute and manage deal commitments
Support team with conducting search & evaluation for complex business opportunities, including scientific, technical and commercial assessments
Create and maintain a team of high-functioning and high-level business development professionals by evaluating and developing team members, providing timely and constructive feedback, and actively managing team member career growth and development
Drive existing collaborations forward: work cross-functionally to deliver industry leading customer service, revenue predictability and opportunities to broaden and deepen existing partnerships (new therapeutic assets, new indications, etc.)
Supervise the development and management of yearly and quarterly account plans and prospecting plans
Utilize your existing network to help the business development team expand Adaptive’s partnerships further and make new connections through networking, introductions, and conference attendance
Build and maintain a strong network across pharma, biotech, academic institutions, CROs, and technology providers to source partnerships and accelerate market expansion
Work closely with senior leaders in drug development companies to build partnerships in existing and in new market segments
Establish and maintain frequent contact with clients through focused client visits and presentations to ensure high levels of client satisfaction on client issues and needs
Contribute to developing and implementing the marketing and sales strategy
All other duties as assigned