Director, Immunology Search And Evaluation

Job Description
The Search and Evaluation (S&
E) group is part of the Corporate Business &
Strategy Office and actively supports global Business Development (BD) goals by sourcing and assessing external partnering opportunities that are aligned with AbbVie’s R&
D and BD Strategies. TheS&
E team interacts with biotech and biopharma companies, academic institutions, venture firms, and other stakeholders from the life sciences industry ecosystem, for exploration of potential opportunities to collaborate, in-license, out-license, invest into- or acquire assets. The group is responsible for leading the global search efforts for assets of high strategic value across the entire spectrum, from early-stage Discovery alliances to the evaluation of programs that are in late-stage development or marketed. S&
E is responsible for conducting all scientific/technical due diligence to ensure an in-depth understanding of the science behind each of these opportunities.
Immunology represents one of AbbVie’s strategic therapeutic area pillars and is a major revenue driver for the company. The Director, Search &
Evaluation will be a key member of the Immunology S&
E team, responsible for coordinating due diligence and presenting assessments of individual partnering opportunities to therapeutic area leadership and senior governance committees as well as contributing to Immunology and BD strategy initiatives. This is a very attractive opportunity for an experienced biotech or pharmaceutical industry professional who enjoys a high-energy, entrepreneurial environment, and a highly visible role that offers a chance to make significant contributions towards AbbVie’s BD goals and to reinforcing AbbVie’s role as a world-leading pharmaceutical drug developer in the Immunology space.
Key Responsibilities Include:
Proactively search for, identify, and evaluate potential opportunities (research collaboration, in-licensing preclinical and clinical assets, platform technologies and research tools) that are consistent with external BD strategies for the advancement of AbbVie’s Immunology pipeline, and driving sustainable growth for the Company. Review external opportunities for scientific merit and feasibility.
Lead the assessment of opportunities (in conjunction with the R&
D Therapeutic Area Steering Committee, functional area subject matter experts, Business Development and Acquisitions (BD&
A) function and commercial organization), including:
(1) managing the interactions with external parties;
(2) overseeing the evaluation process and timeline;
(3) developing timely recommendations and proposals for senior management, and;
(4) supporting the commercial organization in commercial assessments of opportunities.
Lead the due diligence efforts (in conjunction with the TA Leadership and Functional area SMEs) for advanced opportunities, prepare initial technical documents and present those to the senior management.
In partnership with the transaction teams (Technology, Licensing and Collaborations/BD&
A/AbbVie Ventures), develop appropriate deal structures, risk mitigation and negotiating strategies and ensure alignment with AbbVie’s TA objectives and functional management.
Communicate status of ongoing deals to key internal stakeholders on a timely basis, including preparation of opportunity assessments and summaries for executive-level audiences. Deliver oral and written presentations to senior management to seek approval for new opportunities.
Build the AbbVie brand via participation and presenting AbbVie’s Vision &
Mission at key scientific and industry forums. Network with external parties to ensure awareness of AbbVie key capabilities and BD objectives.
Facilitate and maintain opportunity identification and assessment processes to move projects forward in the most efficient and effective manner and provide recommendations for declining/deprioritizing ideas early and effectively.
Facilitate creation of institutional memory for opportunities by providing clear, concise assessments and recommendations for future reference. Fully leverage new and existing external and internal opportunity management tools to support the operations of the S&
E organization as it relates to tracking incoming opportunities.
Lead/contribute to efforts for creating evergreen external BD strategies aligned to AbbVie’s Immunology TA strategy and portfolio goals.
Lead/contribute to efforts for business process improvement initiatives through R&
D organization and BD teams in line with the current industry standards.