Job Description
Overall objective
Identify acquisition, development, and licensing opportunities from China or for China, with a secondary focus on Southeast Asia.
Take a lead role in contributing to and supporting deals by scouting, evaluating, and recommending relevant opportunities to create val-ue-accretive outcomes.
Collaborate with External Innovation, led by Morten Joergensen, to develop a prioritized overview of targets and identify strategic growth opportunities for China and beyond.
Role and responsibilities
Strategic Development
• Support BD and M&A deals by scouting, evaluating, and recom-mending external business opportunities while managing internal processes to finalize those deals.
• Stay informed about biology, industry news, and emerging market trends.
• Collaborate with R&D and commercial teams to align on strategic priority targets for partnering.
• Identify BD and M&A opportunities as part of the broader scouting, BD, and M&A team.
Cross-functional collaboration, evaluation & BD&L process
• Develop portfolio gap analyses in close collaboration with R&D and commercial teams, maximizing opportunities through licensing. Con-tribute to the delivery of LEO’s BD and M&A strategies, plans, and objectives.
• Source opportunities aligned with strategic priority targets.
• Participate in and co-lead due diligence efforts, build a network of contacts, and oversee the evaluation of partnerships and licensing opportunities across multiple levels.
• Contribute to commercial assessment and value creation by providing both internal and external scientific evaluation and in-sights.
• Co-lead stakeholder management efforts, present to internal lead-ership teams, and drive internal consensus on opportunities.
• Support the formal governance process to seek and obtain ap-provals for appropriate deal opportunities. Adhere to internal scout-ing, BD, and M&A review processes to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with process guidelines for all activities.
• Present opportunities at joint scouting and BD meetings.
• Build an independent network within the biotech and investment ecosystem.
• Manage scouting and evaluation projects, including activity priori-tization, and support strategic project prioritization. Conduct day-to-day project management, allocate resources effectively, and man-age across matrixed functions to adhere to timelines, handle com-munications, and lead cross-functional teams.
External relationship management
• Lead the planning and execution of external search activities.
• Represent the external innovation function by participating in inter-nal events and external events within the BD and scientific communi-ties (e.g., industry conferences or partnering conferences).
• Proactively participate and scout at BIO-events and partnering conferences
• Build and maintain a strong network of external contacts within the biotechnology and finance communities.
• Entertain VC and broker networks in the region
• Co-lead both internal and external communications.
• Leverage key existing contacts to generate new opportunities.
Project Management
• Independently manage and prioritize evaluation activities in align-ment with strategic priorities.
• Oversee day-to-day project management activities, including re-source allocation, adherence to timelines, cross-functional collabora-tion, and internal/external communications. Lead effectively within a matrixed organizational structure and cross-functional teams.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by LEO Pharma Manage-ment.
• Complete all company-based and job-related training within the required timeline.
External stakeholders:
• Industry executives and business development stakeholders, including bio-tech/pharma companies, CROs/CDMOs, VC firms, consultant organizations, CEOs, and senior-level executives.
Internal stakeholders:
• External Innovation Headquarters, DK.
• Global Business Development VP & BD Team.
• Business Development Steering Committee.
• R&D Review Committee.
• PSIO Leadership.
• China Management Team.
• Global Commercial.
• Global Legal.
Job specific competencies
• Master’s degree required; PhD in Biology, Medicine, or a related scientific discipline preferred.
• 4+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry in R&D or external innovation roles, with increasing responsibilities in pre-clinical and/or clinical stage business development. Experience in medical dermatology is not a requirement.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of pharmaceutical development, regulatory processes, commercialization, and business practices required to successfully bring drugs to market is an advantage; includes strong commercial business acumen and affiliate operations experience.
• Experience identifying and evaluating pharmaceutical or biotech products for potential licensing or acquisition and participating in negotiations is an advantage.
• Previous experience interacting and presenting to Senior Leadership an advantage.
• Rapidly embraces and applies new ideas and approaches
• Self-starter who is able to effectively lead multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• Strong interpersonal skills to strengthen business relationships
• Ability to build mutual trust, respect and cooperation among team members and other key stakeholders
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly, effective creator and presenter of executive and functional information
• Strong scientific and business acumen, analytic and quantitative skills
• Highly collaborative - demonstrates team and resource management skills, including the ability to manage team dynamics across companies.
• Ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams
• Effective senior stakeholder management
• Must be able to perform all essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Behavioral Competencies:
• Drives Results: Demonstrates a focus on achieving goals and delivering outcomes.
• Resilient: Maintains positivity and focus in the face of challenges.
• Ensures Accountability: Holds self and others responsible for delivering results.
• Collaborates: Effectively works with others to achieve shared goals.
• Manages Complexity: Deconstructs complicated issues and makes informed decisions.
• Action Oriented: Initiates action and drives progress proactively.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Exhibits strong interpersonal skills to navigate relationships.
• Biology & Clinical Acumen: Demonstrates expertise and insight in biological and clinical disciplines.