Sr. Director, Business Development & Corporate Strategy

GondolaBio Service Co • Palo Alto, CA

5d

About The Position

GondolaBio is a standalone rare disease innovator formed as a spin-out from BridgeBio, with independent governance, capital, and leadership. The company develops therapeutics for diseases with genetically defined targets and has clinical-stage programs across genetic specialties, neurology, and renal. It uses a purpose-built discovery and development engine and is funded by leading investors.

The Sr. Director, Business Development & Corporate Strategy is a strategy-first, transaction-capable biopharma professional who applies independent judgment, rigorous analytics, scientific literacy, and commercial insight. The role compares assets across a portfolio, identifies strategic choices, and translates uncertainty into actionable recommendations. It works closely with R&D and Finance in a lean team and considers patient impact and long-term value in strategic decisions.

The role develops portfolio analyses and supports strategic priorities, capital allocation, financing and partnering pathways, and leadership and Board decisions. It evaluates external assets, markets, competitive landscapes, valuations, and transaction structures; supports transaction strategy, diligence, and negotiation preparation; and builds intelligence on precedents, partners, and industry pipelines. It also uses AI-enabled analytical workflows with appropriate verification and confidentiality standards, and collaborates across Business Development, program leadership, R&D, Finance, and Portfolio Positioning & Communications.

Requirements

• Approximately 10+ years of experience in biopharma corporate strategy, business or corporate development, healthcare investment banking, transaction advisory, or life-sciences strategy consulting; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Advanced degree such as a Ph.D., M.D., MBA, or equivalent is preferred; sufficient scientific depth to work credibly with R&D and scientific teams.
• Exceptional strategic judgment and ability to synthesize scientific, market, and financial information into clear recommendations for executive and Board audiences.
• Hands-on financial modeling, rNPV and scenario analysis, and commercial valuation skills; familiarity with transaction comparables and capital allocation.
• Meaningful exposure to licensing, M&A, options, co-development, or other complex transactions, with ability to contribute to structuring and negotiation preparation.
• Strong cross-functional influence and comfort operating independently in a lean, fast-paced, decentralized environment.
• Fluency with modern data, research, and AI-enabled analytical workflows, combined with rigorous source verification and sound judgment regarding confidential information.
• Commitment to patient-first decision-making, ethical standards, and clinical and scientific integrity.
• Ability to take ownership, pursue practical solutions, exercise sound judgment, and align with teammates and leadership.
• Rigor, attention to detail, intellectual honesty, and willingness to challenge assumptions and update views based on evidence.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in data-driven, interdisciplinary environments, listen actively, and welcome constructive debate.
• Ability to deliver goals and milestones with precision, accountability, and appropriate urgency while maintaining scientific rigor and team alignment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in rare and genetic diseases.
• Experience with multi-asset transactions, portfolio prioritization, and creative deal structures.
• Ability to establish lean, high-quality external intelligence and deal-benchmarking processes.
• Experience in decentralized or affiliate-based operating models.

Responsibilities

• Develop cross-portfolio analyses to inform strategic priorities, portfolio balance, capital allocation, and value creation across multiple assets and therapeutic areas.
• Evaluate financing and partnering pathways in collaboration with R&D, Finance, and program teams.
• Serve as a strategic and analytical partner to leadership, framing enterprise-level questions and translating incomplete scientific, commercial, and financial information into decision-ready recommendations.
• Partner with scientific and program teams to source and screen external assets and technologies; lead market attractiveness, competitive, strategic-fit, and financial assessments.
• Own rigorous rNPV/NPV, probability-weighted, and scenario analyses for partnerships, in-licensing, and other strategic transactions.
• Quantify risk-adjusted returns, value-inflection points, and tradeoffs among deal terms, including upfront payments, milestones, royalties, and rights.
• Evaluate transaction structures such as licenses, options, co-development partnerships, and other strategic transactions.
• Support transaction strategy, due diligence, negotiation preparation, and economic terms in coordination with Business Development, Finance, and external advisors.
• Build actionable intelligence on transaction precedents, potential partners, industry pipelines, and priorities; maintain fit-for-purpose benchmarks and decision tools using available external datasets.
• Lead commercial and strategic interpretation of competitive landscapes, treatment paradigms, and market dynamics; assess each asset's strategic role, differentiated value, and partnering considerations.
• Pilot and use AI, digital data sources, and analytical workflows to accelerate market mapping, competitor monitoring, asset screening, scenario analysis, and production of reliable, auditable decision materials, with appropriate verification and confidentiality standards.
• Work with Business Development, program leaders, R&D, and Finance while maintaining clear ownership boundaries.
• Lead the analytical foundation for portfolio and Board discussions and partner with Portfolio Positioning & Communications on consistent external narratives and transaction materials.

Benefits

• Patient Days to hear directly from people living with the conditions the company seeks to impact.
• Learning and development resources.
• Robust, market-competitive compensation and benefits package, including base pay, performance bonus, equity, health, welfare, and retirement programs.
• Flexible PTO.
• Potential ability to work on multiple GondolaBio Pharma programs across multiple therapeutic areas over time.
• Potential for rapid career advancement for strong performers.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed