Job Details

Responsibilities:
Business Development and Scientific Due Diligence

• Serve as a preclinical biology lead or key scientific contributor for evaluation of business development opportunities ranging from small-molecule to biologics at all stages of development, including external assets, platform-based technologies and research-based collaborations.
• Assess scientific rationale, mechanism of action, disease biology, pharmacology and toxicology data, translational relevance and therapeutic safety window, biomarker strategy, and development feasibility for potential opportunities.
• Review and interpret nonclinical and translational data alongside clinical, regulatory, and competitive information to identify strengths, risks, gaps, and key value drivers.
• Partner with Business Development and cross-functional diligence teams to develop scientific assessment reports, diligence questions, risk summaries, and recommendations.
• Identify critical experiments, analyses, or expert input needed to reduce scientific uncertainty for potential opportunities.
• Support evaluation of strategic fit with company portfolio, therapeutic areas of interest, rare disease focus, and translational development capabilities.

 
Translational Pharmacology and Disease Biology

• Provide translational pharmacology expertise across preclinical and clinical-stage opportunities, including interpretation of in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, biomarker, pharmacodynamic, and clinical pharmacology data.
• Evaluate whether available pharmacology and translational data support proposed mechanisms of action, target engagement, dose rationale, patient selection, and clinical development strategy.
• Integrate mechanistic biology, pharmacology, biomarker, and clinical observations to assess therapeutic potential and development risk.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, advances in disease biology and therapeutic targets and competitive activities to inform search strategies and evaluations relevant to areas of interest.
• Contribute to identification of new indications or patient populations where an external or internal asset may provide meaningful clinical benefit.

 
External Scientific Engagement

• Lead or contribute to scientific interactions with external companies, academic collaborators, CROs, consultants, key opinion leaders, and subject matter experts during diligence and collaboration activities.
• Identify and engage external experts to inform evaluation of disease biology, pharmacology, biomarkers, clinical translation, and development risk.
• Support assessment of external research proposals, collaboration opportunities, and emerging scientific areas relevant to strategic interests.
• Represent professionally in conferences, external scientific discussions, diligence meetings, advisory interactions, and collaborative forums.

 
Nonclinical and Regulatory Support

• Interpret pharmacology, toxicology, translational, and biomarker data in the context of potential clinical development and regulatory expectations.
• Contribute to evaluation of whether available nonclinical packages are adequate to support current or proposed clinical development plans.
• Contribute to development plans and budget for selected opportunities, including translational strategy, nonclinical pharmacology and safety needs, biomarker plans, and early clinical development considerations.
• Support preparation and review of relevant sections of investigator brochures, briefing documents, regulatory submissions, and development-related documents as needed.
• Identify nonclinical or translational gaps that may affect development timelines, regulatory strategy, or probability of success.

 
Organizational Leadership and Culture

• Provide scientific leadership within a collaborative, matrixed Research and Nonclinical Development organization.
• Support transition of selected external opportunities from diligence into integration, development planning, or collaboration management.
• Foster a culture of scientific rigor, intellectual curiosity, collaboration, and objective decision-making.
• Mentor colleagues and contribute to building translational pharmacology and scientific diligence capabilities within the organization.
• Manage multiple concurrent diligence and program-related activities in a fast-paced, dynamic biotechnology environment.
• Demonstrate sound judgment, strong ownership, and the ability to influence without formal authority.

 
Education/Experience Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Life Science or other related discipline required. PhD, MD, PharmD, or equivalent advanced degree in Pharmacology, Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Translational Medicine, or a related scientific discipline preferred. Equivalent combination of education and applicable job experience may be considered.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in the biopharmaceutical industry required; or 6 years with PhD, MD, PharmD, or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of pharmacology principles in nonclinical and clinical development settings.
• Demonstrated commitment to keeping patients at the center of scientific evaluation and decision-making, ensuring external opportunities are assessed with a focus on potential for meaningful patient impact.
• Experience evaluating drug candidates, mechanisms of action, disease biology and pharmacology data to support development decisions and translational strategy.
• Working knowledge of regulatory requirements and expectations for nonclinical and translational support of clinical development programs.
• Experience leading scientific initiatives, project workstreams, diligence activities, or multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex data, identify key risks and opportunities, and communicate clear recommendations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, collaboration, and influencing skills.
• Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to successfully manage multiple priorities, timelines, and shifting responsibilities.
• Scientific curiosity, intellectual rigor, and commitment to improving outcomes for patients with serious diseases.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced, virtual biotechnology environment.

 
Preferred Additional Skills/Experience:

• Experience in rare disease, rare metabolic disease, nephrology, immunology, inflammation, or other therapeutic areas relevant to company portfolio and strategic interests.
• Prior experience participating in formal due diligence processes for business development, licensing, acquisition, or collaboration opportunities.
• Experience in nonclinical toxicology and safety requirements for an IND and clinical development would be preferred
• Experience developing or evaluating translational plans linking mechanism of action, target engagement, pharmacodynamic activity, biomarkers, and clinical outcomes.
• Familiarity with biomarker strategy, patient selection approaches, human translational systems, and disease-relevant pharmacology models.
• Experience managing or collaborating with CROs, academic investigators, consultants, and external scientific experts.
• Experience preparing executive-level scientific summaries, diligence reports, or governance presentations.
• Strong project leadership skills and ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.