Director, Search & Evaluation

Location: Basel, Switzerland  

The Director, Search and Evaluation (S&E) will drive the identification and evaluation of external innovation in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic arenas. The scope includes the identification of external opportunities across modalities and throughout all stages of development.

Together with a cross-functional team made up of scientific, clinical, commercial, partnering, finance and legal experts, the Director, Search and Evaluation will execute scientific and commercial assessments and help frame the business parameters around potential deals for the Corporate & Business Development organization. Additionally, this individual will contribute to partnering strategies, assessing targets and novel biology of therapeutic relevance to the in-licensing of drug candidates, including working with scientific and business teams to set up evaluation agreements on assets or technology platforms of potential partnering interest.

This individual will (i) work closely with the S&E disease area leads in both hematology and solid tumors during screening and evaluation phase for new BD opportunities (ii) lead projects which are in early development and/or research stage which are spanning several disease areas or targets (ii) work together with S&E Head of Oncology on strategic and ad hoc projects with impact on S&E priorities and strategy.

Your responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Identify high-impact external scientific innovation
• Facilitate scientific and business evaluations by leading or supporting cross-functional and cross-divisional teams that include representation from multiple functional areas, including research, development, manufacturing, safety, regulatory, commercial, legal, patents and finance
• Provide assessments on which partnerships will best advance Novartis’s mission to reimagine medicine and fit with the overall Oncology portfolio strategy
• Collaborate closely with the different Corporate & Business Development functions including Due Diligence, Transactions, and Alliance Management to move deal opportunities forward smoothly and efficiently and maintain appropriate reporting
• Develop and maintain business relationships with key external collaborators in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and venture communities’ arenas
• Build consensus for deal rationale among senior scientific management and other key Novartis stakeholders, including Legal, Finance, and Innovative Medicines
• Present opportunities to senior leadership as needed; assist in preparing reports and updates.  

What you'll bring to the role:

• Advanced degree, PhD, M.D or MBA in a relevant life Sciences discipline
• Demonstrated experience gained in biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, preferably with strong drug discovery and/or development experience.
• Experience in business development and licensing, consulting or venture capital.
• Research and/or (early) development experience in Oncology is a plus.
• Proficiency in English - Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Domestic and international travel required (estimated 25%)

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

• Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Accessibility and accommodation:

• Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to receive more detailed information about the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to diversity.inclusion_ch@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.