Search and Evaluation Manager/Director

The Strategy & Growth Corporate and Business Development team is seeking a new Manager of Search & Evaluation, C> to drive and champion business growth through global and regional BD&L deals by seeking, negotiating and closing collaborative external agreements across the BD&L disciplines. This individual will ensure smooth functioning of the attributed alliances.
About the Role
Key Responsibilities:
Define Search & Evaluation (“S&E”) strategy & Search Priorities in close alignment with the business strategy (research, development and commercial) as defined by the CEO for all external opportunities throughout the value chain in C>, i.e. early target discovery/technology development in BR, all stages of technology platform, clinical development, and commercial opportunities.
Lead, educate, instruct, and guide a team of S&E professionals responsible for sourcing and vetting opportunities for a core TA to deliver on the S&E strategy by being agile, creative, and accountable, and by implementing both a proactive and responsive approach to S&E while aiming at fast turnarounds.
Serve as the Corporate & Business Development representative on the enterprise-wide BD leadership team (BDL) for C>.
Brings creative and appropriate deals to the BDL and drives meaningful discussions and outcomes on the BDL.
Communicates discussions and decisions back to the CEO & BD team.
Proactively identify external growth opportunities along the cell therapy continuum within a core TA.
Conduct S&E activities with a creative, deal-type agnostic mindset to bring forward new ideas that could help us achieve our enterprise-level growth goals
Thinks beyond ‘single asset deals’ (portfolio swaps, co-commercialization deals, strategic equity investments and acquisitions)
Strengthens the front-end of the BD process for opportunities in their area:
Efficiently screen inbound opportunities and conduct triage, including robust discussion of S&E generated, proactively sourced, opportunities as appropriate
Ensures documenting of all incoming opportunities and all declines / next steps via a newly implemented system
Is the face of Pregene to the external world for their core strategy
Is the point of contact for all new business opportunities that come to Pregene in their core strategy
Contribute to ‘rebranding’ PRG as the partner of choice and increases visibility and attractiveness of PRG as partner:
Defines and implements a new approach to S&E: proactive, fast (‘sense of urgency’), agile, humble, responsive & accommodating
Supports the change of mindset: Instills a sense of urgency and pride with the team and implements high challenge / high support culture
Contribute to an increased level of engagement with the Biotech community, including interactions between CEO/CSO & Biotech CEOs, VCs, etc
Ensure appropriate representation of PRG at major partnering and scientific conferences relating to their core strategy
Attract, educate and develop talent within their S&E team and fosters collaboration with other C&BD sub-teams and the wider PRG team
As a result, the Manager of S&E, C> serves to help promote a high performing Corporate and Business Development culture, while effectively identifying and leading opportunities consistent with Pregene objectives and priorities in their strategy, to help build Pregene’s innovative pipeline, and enabling Pregene to deliver on its mission to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives and maintain its leadership position in the industry.
Within BD&L & M&A
Leads Search and Evaluation team to identify growth opportunities (leads) in line with the strategy and platform strategy throughout the value chain, i.e. target discovery through commercial stage
Defines the S&E strategy within their high priority core asset and ensures their team delivers on the strategy
Ensures their S&E team proactively identifies external growth opportunities along the C> continuum within their core strategy
Ensures their S&E team efficiently screens inbound opportunities and conducts triage and ensures documenting of all incoming opportunities and all declines / next steps via a newly implemented system
Serve as science and strategy expert within the Deal Team throughout the deal process
Establish a strong knowledge exchange within the S&E community as well as with other groups of the Corporate & Business Development group.
Develop and train talent within the S&E community
Act as role model of Pregene Values and Behaviors
With S&G and other functions
Lead and mentor S&E members who are responsible for BD on divisional leadership teams as well as individual contributors in S&G and other Divisions to help create clear and actionable partnering strategies for the strategy
Serve as a component of the competitive intelligence network by identifying future or potential areas of interest within their core strategy
Contributes to building the portfolio strategy within a core strategy and provide input on actionability of external growth
Builds relationships and establishes credibility and trust with key internal stakeholders within their core strategy and across the organization
On processes and governance
Strengthens the front-end of the BD process to ensure their team efficiently screens inbound opportunities and conducts triage, and ensures documenting of all incoming opportunities and all review outcomes via a newly implemented system
Ensure appropriate discussions of opportunities within Triage Teams and CEO/BD&L throughout the deal process
Bring forward CEO/CSO and pre-DC deals in their core strategy
In close collaboration with other deal team members (DD, Transactions, etc) help deal team prepare for DEC, ECN-DC, or other governance meetings
Accountable for their S&E team using best process/principles, including use of such module in VDR or similar system
Accountable for establishing functional excellence & continued improvement to significantly enhance the value of the opportunity pipeline and prioritize the portfolio in accordance with scientific merit and strategic priorities within their core strategy
With external stakeholders
Contributes to ‘rebranding’ PRG as the partner of choice and increases visibility and attractiveness of PRG as partner
Lead their respective S&E teams to be highly respected professionals and ambassadors who portray and embody the Pregene corporate image both internally and externally
Represents Pregene at major conferences related to their core strstegy to support the key objectives; attract leads and talent
Responsible for being the face of Pregene to the outside world in their area of coverage, notably the biotech community and others, and providing timely feedback to potential partners
Essential Requirements:
Education
Advanced degree in the pharmacology & life sciences (preferably PhD or MD/PhD)
Languages
English essential, other languages (EU27, CN, JP) are considered a plus.
Experience & Skills
Pharmaceutical industry experience (adding to a minimum of 5 years) with focus on R&D, early-stage commercialization and Business Development (of which ≥ 5 years in BD&L related roles)
Additional experience in Biotech or as a Pharma Project Team Leader or strategy lead is preferable, particularly in Cardiovascular, Renal, & Metabolism.
A deep understanding of pharmaceutical & medical science and drug development with an excellent instinct for truly transformational innovation, and an understanding of commercialization
Deep knowledge of BD&L with a proven track record in opportunity prioritization, evaluation and deal making
Exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit to generate new ideas and ways of working
Ability to lead without formal authority in a matrix environment
Organizationally savvy – manages and communicates effectively with different audiences using compelling arguments, manoeuvres comfortably through people-related organizational dynamics and uses expert influencing skills to achieve superior business outcomes
Ability to effectively manage difficult situations and drive towards constructive resolution
Strong ethical values, bridging different opinions and generating consensus to achieve a common goal.