Associate Director/Director, Business Development & Partners

Astex Pharmaceuticals is a world leader in innovative drug discovery and development. The company has successfully applied its proprietary fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) platform to generate multiple new drug candidates that are progressing in clinical development. Successful collaborations have led to three launched oncology drugs (Kisqali partnered with Novartis, Balversa partnered with Janssen and Truqap partnered with AstraZeneca). Astex continues to grow and focuses on oncology and neurological disorders. Historically Astex’s fragment screening platform has relied upon X-ray crystallography to support structure-based drug discovery (SBDD), however the increased ability of cryo-EM to deliver atomic resolution structures has led to Astex establishing a state-of-the-art, in-house, cryo-EM facility.

The Opportunity
Collaborations and partnerships are at the heart of Astex’s business and scientific strategy. Astex has collaborations with pharma and biotech companies, leading academic research institutes and multi-organisation consortia to further its drug discovery projects as well as technology development. In addition to supporting innovation, our existing collaborations generate significant revenues for Astex.

We are looking to appoint an Associate Director/Director of Business Development & Partnerships with demonstrable experience, a track record of deal-making and negotiating transactions, and an ability to identify and evaluate new partnership opportunities (alliances and collaborations) whilst establishing, building, and maintaining relationships with key collaborators.

You will be a key member of the Astex Corporate Development Team. The role requires you to work effectively with other Astex colleagues including those responsible for Corporate Development functions in external science and innovation, competitive intelligence, intellectual property management and external communications.

This role will have a high level of visibility with the senior leadership team at Astex. You will be responsible for strengthening Astex’s research and development focus through a number of activities, primarily expanding and maintaining our access to external innovation, establishing new partnerships and playing a supporting role in the scientific and financial evaluation of new opportunities.

Principal Responsibilities

• Broad role in identifying, establishing, negotiating, and maintaining partnerships & defining the shape of potential future collaborations whilst understanding the framework of existing collaborations.
• Agreement negotiations ranging from drug discovery and development alliances with pharma and biotech companies, leading academic research institutes and multi-organisation consortia to all those agreements with third parties that underpin Astex research and development activities.
• Alliance management post-deal signing to establish, embed, manage, and nurture those relationships to ensure maximum benefit to Astex.
• Identify & source new external opportunities and lead mixed scientific and Corporate Development teams throughout the entire deal process. Support technical and commercial due diligence to enable high-quality decision-making.
• Develop and maintain an expert understanding of the scientific and asset landscape and competitive intelligence to ensure we keep abreast of emerging opportunities, changes, and threats in the environment.
• Building a strong external network with biopharma, academic, and finance leaders in the most innovative areas of science and pharmaceutical R&D.

Skills and Experience

• A science or business degree relevant to pharmaceutical R&D, business development, or technology transfer (Ph.D., PharmD, or MD preferred; an MBA or other advanced degree in a related field would be a plus).
• Proven experience in business development in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry particularly at the R&D stage or in an academic technology transfer environment.
• Experience in opportunity sourcing, deal structuring, and negotiation.
• Familiarity with IP licensing, drafting, and negotiating a broad range of agreement types including CDA, MTA, consultancy, and more comprehensive research collaboration agreements.
• Familiarity with or experience of alliance management or similar roles in collaborative early-stage R&D
• Broad and detailed knowledge of all aspects of the pharmaceutical R&D process from early discovery through to marketed products.
• Highly flexible individual with can-do attitude.
• You will be a self-starter with an ability to thrive in a dynamic environment with a high level of flexibility, an ability to multi-task, and experience in working with, and managing, mixed teams. A strong communicator, proficient in presenting to senior leaders and key stakeholders.

Why Astex
We offer excellent training and career development opportunities as well as highly competitive salary and benefits package.

At Astex we embrace diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse Company representing all backgrounds, harnessing industry-leading scientific innovation, and behaviours.

Astex is situated 2.5 miles from Cambridge City centre on the Cambridge Science Park. The Park has onsite sports facilities and excellent transport links to London.