Senior Acceleration Manager (BioPharma) – China Market Entry

Position Overview
This role
provides hands-on venture support services for XNode’s partner, TUM Venture
Lab, with a focus on bringing early-stage BioPharma and HealthTech ventures to
China. The Senior Venture Manager will lead China market-entry readiness and
on-site sprint execution, connect startups with local investors and strategic
partners, and coordinate the local advisory ecosystem (legal, tax, regulatory,
IP). The role is not fund management; it is venture enablement, partnering, and
financing facilitation for incoming startups.
Key Responsibilities
·
China market-entry readiness:
assess each venture’s China use case and readiness; define a pragmatic
step-by-step market entry roadmap (partners, milestones, timelines, budget).
·
On-site sprint delivery: plan
and execute short, repeated Shanghai visits (typically 5–7 days per sprint; at
least two visits per venture), including agenda setting, stakeholder meetings,
and structured follow-up between visits.
·
Local investor sourcing &
fundraising facilitation: support ventures in articulating financing needs and
connect them with relevant China-based investors (VC, corporate VC, strategic
capital, family offices). Support pitch refinement and meeting preparation.
·
Strategic partnering & BD:
identify and engage potential customers, strategic partners, CDMOs/CMOs,
hospitals, research partners, and distribution/licensing counterparties.
Facilitate licensing, co-development, pilots, and commercial collaborations.
·
Regulatory and compliance
pre-checks (high level): coordinate early guidance on applicable China
regulatory pathways (e.g., NMPA-relevant considerations for drugs/biologics,
medtech where applicable), data/IP considerations, and cross-border setup
implications—through qualified external advisors.
·
Ecosystem and resource
integration: build and manage a vetted local vendor panel (law firms, tax
advisors, regulatory consultants, IP counsel, HR/EOR providers, translation/PR)
and match ventures to the right providers efficiently.
·
Venture progress management:
track progress against jointly defined milestones, identify risks and
bottlenecks early, and coordinate resources to keep ventures moving. Provide
concise progress reporting to TUM Venture Lab and XNode leadership.
·
Market intelligence: provide
targeted market and policy insights relevant to venture decisions (partner
landscape, funding environment, reimbursement/access signals where relevant),
enabling phase-by-phase execution planning.
Qualifications
·
Bachelor’s degree or above;
background in biopharma, life sciences, medicine, pharmacy, or related field
strongly preferred; advanced degree is a plus.
·
Minimum 5 years of relevant
experience, including at least 2 years in one or more of the following:
venture/accelerator operations, business development, strategy consulting,
early-stage venture investing, corporate development, fundraising support, or technology
commercialization.
·
Solid foundational
understanding of BioPharma and/or health innovation (e.g., drug development
lifecycle, CMC/CDMO basics, partnering/licensing, clinical/regulatory
concepts).
·
Strong cross-border execution
capability and familiarity with China–Europe collaboration contexts; overseas
study or work experience is a plus.
·
Ability to work with
early-stage teams: structured, pragmatic, and hands-on—comfortable with
ambiguity and rapid iteration.
·
Basic financial and legal
literacy (e.g., equity structures, term sheet fundamentals, contracting
concepts) and the ability to work effectively with external advisors.
·
Excellent project management
and stakeholder coordination skills across investors, industry partners,
service providers, and academic stakeholders.
·
Fluency in English and Chinese
(written and spoken) with strong business communication and negotiation skills.
·
Self-driven, results-oriented,
and comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup ecosystem support
environment.
Location & Travel
·
Location: Shanghai.
·
Travel: regular travel is
expected, including supporting visiting startup teams and senior stakeholders.
Reporting Line &
Collaboration
·
Works closely with TUM Venture
Lab leadership and the Munich-based liaison team.
·
Coordinates day-to-day with
XNode programme leadership and external ecosystem partners.