Director of External Research & Development

About the role

The Director of External Research & Development plays a crucial role within External R&D in Business Development at Amgen. This role involves identifying and evaluating innovative external therapeutics in Rare Disease for potential in-licensing, M&A, or collaboration opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team responsible for identifying and evaluating innovative external therapeutics in Rare Disease for potential in-licensing, M&A, or collaboration opportunities.
• Develop and nurture a network of key industry and academic contacts to ensure robust communication of ideas, interests, and information between the external rare disease ecosystem and internal Amgen groups.
• Search for and identify external opportunities through networking, conference coverage, company engagement, academic outreach, and systematic reviews of the external landscape.
• Assess and prioritize opportunities based on Amgen's rare disease strategy, scientific rationale, medical need, competitive differentiation, development feasibility, and strategic fit.
• Evaluate diverse therapeutic modalities, including biologics, small molecules, RNA-based therapeutics, and gene therapy.
• Create and manage cross-functional review teams to lead technical evaluations of external opportunities and provide clear recommendations grounded in scientific, clinical, development, and strategic judgment, including rare disease-specific considerations such as patient identification, endpoints, and development feasibility.
• Support business negotiations and contractual execution for selected projects.
• Lead strategic discussions with senior management, R&D, Commercial, Regulatory, Medical, and other stakeholders to define priorities for licensure, collaboration, M&A, or out-licensing.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree and 4 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development OR Masters degree and 7 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development OR Bachelors degree and 9 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development.
• Broad working knowledge across rare disease biology and drug development.
• Experience in one or more areas such as immunology, ophthalmology, nephrology, neurology, hematology, metabolic disease, genetic disease, or other rare/specialty diseases is strongly preferred.
• 4+ years of management and/or leadership experience in business and drug development activities, with strong technical R&D experience and business development, licensing, collaboration, or M&A evaluation experience.
• Strong leadership, scientific, organizational, communication, and project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent presentation skills. Effective communication skills pertaining to scientific and business development.
• Ability to foresee and solve problems and prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong team player, experience in successfully managing direct reports and a demonstrated ability to interface effectively with all levels of staff across differing functional expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to create and build relationships with internal and external parties.
• Professional demeanor with strong decision-making.
• Ability to work independently, manage large cross-functional teams, and mentor individuals.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in a scientific discipline.
• Experience in one or more areas such as immunology, ophthalmology, nephrology, neurology, hematology, metabolic disease, genetic disease, or other rare/specialty diseases is strongly preferred.
• 4+ years of management and/or leadership experience in business and drug development activities, with strong technical R&D experience and business development, licensing, collaboration, or M&A evaluation experience.
• Strong leadership, scientific, organizational, communication, and project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent presentation skills. Effective communication skills pertaining to scientific and business development.
• Ability to foresee and solve problems and prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong team player, experience in successfully managing direct reports and a demonstrated ability to interface effectively with all levels of staff across differing functional expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to create and build relationships with internal and external parties.
• Professional demeanor with strong decision-making.
• Ability to work independently, manage large cross-functional teams, and mentor individuals.

Skills

• Scientific and strategic breadth across rare disease areas, potentially including immunology, ophthalmology, nephrology, neurology, hematology, metabolic and genetic diseases, and other specialty areas.
• Comfortable evaluating diverse therapeutic modalities, including biologics, small molecules, RNA-based therapeutics, and gene therapy.
• Strong leadership, scientific, organizational, communication, and project management skills.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Effective communication skills pertaining to scientific and business development.
• Ability to foresee and solve problems and prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong team player, experience in successfully managing direct reports and a demonstrated ability to interface effectively with all levels of staff across differing functional expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to create and build relationships with internal and external parties.
• Professional demeanor with strong decision-making.
• Ability to work independently, manage large cross-functional teams, and mentor individuals.

Benefits

• Comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan.
• Stock-based long-term incentives.
• Award-winning time-off plans.
• Flexible work models where possible.

Pay

The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

Schedule

Not specified.

Work Location Type

Not specified.