Role Summary
Senior Director, Lilly Ventures, leads identification, evaluation, and progression of external biotech opportunities into the Lilly portfolio. You will manage interactions with venture funds and external organizations, coordinate due diligence, and help shape Lilly's external-innovation strategy across geographies. The role involves cross-functional collaboration and representing Lilly in external partnerships.
Responsibilities
- Technical evaluation of new partnership opportunities via objective scientific assessment including analysis of patents, scientific literature, and probing discussions with internal Lilly scientists; identification of key issues and appropriate expertise to facilitate resolution.
- Coordinating and triaging an extensive number of external project opportunities, including leading and participating in prioritization meetings.
- Deal team / Due Diligence / pre-due diligence participant, can have responsibility for preparation and presentation of governance documents and investment committee recommendations.
- Lead interactions with external organizations; represent Lilly strategies and needs to external organizations (companies, investment groups, and academic institutions) and provide agreed timely feedback.
- Mapping of the external competitive landscape and cultivating platforms for growth in new-to-Lilly indications or progressive technologies that could change treatment paradigms.
- Liaise with internal functions (legal, etc.) to ensure strict policy compliance and smooth execution of confidentiality processes.
- Contribute to the reporting of the overall Ventures portfolio to senior management.
- Provide clear reports and information, updated on a regular basis, to monitor activity and progress against objectives.
- Facilitate the development and maintenance of strong external networks to enhance Lilly’s potential for productive business relationships with external companies.
- Maintain formal contact channels with key venture funds and biotech companies (such as meetings and conference calls) to discuss potential new opportunities. Work with the Ventures geography, fund, and project leads and update them as opportunities advance through the different stages of the Lilly evaluation process.
- Support Lilly’s visibility at conferences and partnering meetings, including prior analysis of opportunities, planning of logistics, and follow-up communications. Some attendance at events will be expected.
Qualifications
- Required: PhD in a discipline related to pharmaceutical drug discovery and development, e.g., Biochemistry, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology or Genetics.
- Required: Prior experience in drug discovery or development. Minimum of 5 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry or related fields (life sciences VC, life science technology transfer, consulting) with additional experience working with small life science companies, venture capital firms or in the external innovation deal making space.
- Preferred: Strong scientific background as evidenced by publications, patents, presentations, project work
- Preferred: Demonstrated knowledge across several disease areas relevant to Lilly’s business and an understanding of key pathways that impact critical disease states as well as a working knowledge across multiple modalities and emerging technologies.
- Preferred: Evidence of the strong interpersonal skills required to generate and maintain internal and external networks both face to face and remotely
- Preferred: Strong project management, data science/analytics and organizational skills, demonstrated ability to accurately handle large amounts of complex unstructured data
- Preferred: Flexible can-do attitude to respond quickly to fast-moving initiatives and priorities and work effectively in a complex matrix environment
- Preferred: Possesses the maturity and judgment to work on sensitive and often highly confidential projects in full adherence to Lilly policies
- Preferred: Excellent English communication skills (written and oral)
- Preferred: Strong database/computer skills. Interest in analytics is desirable
- Preferred: Demonstrated knowledge of the biotech and academic ecosystem with a strong preference for direct experience in Boston/New York
Skills
- Strong scientific background as evidenced by publications, patents, presentations, project work
- Demonstrated knowledge across several disease areas relevant to Lilly’s business and an understanding of key pathways that impact critical disease states as well as a working knowledge across multiple modalities and emerging technologies
- Evidence of the strong interpersonal skills required to generate and maintain internal and external networks both face to face and remotely
- Strong project management, data science/analytics and organizational skills, demonstrated ability to accurately handle large amounts of complex unstructured data
- Flexible can-do attitude to respond quickly to fast-moving initiatives and priorities and work effectively in a complex matrix environment
- Possesses the maturity and judgment to work on sensitive and often highly confidential projects in full adherence to Lilly policies
- Excellent English communication skills (written and oral)
- Strong database/computer skills. Interest in analytics is desirable
- Demonstrated knowledge of the biotech and academic ecosystem with a strong preference for direct experience in Boston/New York
Additional Requirements
- Travel up to 40%