Job Description

Position Summary:

Zenas BioPharma is seeking an experienced Senior Director, Search & Evaluation to proactively source and recommend external opportunities for potential partnering. Reporting to the Vice President of Business Development, the Senior Director, Search & Evaluation is a highly visible role with a direct impact on Zenas BioPharma’s ambition to construct a robust pipeline of clinical/ nearing clinical stage immunology and autoimmune assets, building upon its lead asset, obexelimab. This individual will drive initiatives to ensure Zenas BioPharma is knowledgeable of and well-connected to deal sources, lead partnering outreach efforts, and conduct rigorous initial assessments. She/He will bring substantial immunology and autoimmune scientific expertise, knowledge of treatment landscapes, and a track record of successfully sourcing consummated transactions to this role.

Responsibilities:

• Source and deliver a selective and substantial continuous set of promising, well-vetted external opportunities in immunology and autoimmune areas for potential strategic collaborations including asset in-licensing or acquisition.
• Determine and periodically update a list of Mechanisms of Action of highest interest in collaboration with R&D and Corporate Development & New Product Planning, reflective of the evolving immunology and autoimmune competitive landscape and emerging scientific trends.
• Identify, develop, and nurture scientific and business relationships, resulting in enhanced connections with large Pharma, small Biotech, research institutes, and the finance community (VCs, I-Banks) such that Zenas is “first-in-line” when deal opportunities arise.
• Represent and increase the visibility of Zenas BioPharma at key partnering conferences such as BIO International and JPM.
• Actively monitor the potentially transactable immunology and autoimmune pipeline assets space, including periodic Scan & Screens.
• Keep current with important scientific advancements (publications, abstracts) and attend scientific meetings, such as ACR, for important data disseminations and to identify partnering opportunities and assess competitive threats.
• Proactively approach prospective partners, fully exploiting the non-confidential information and entering confidentiality, if warranted, for further independent early diligence.
• Fully leverage one’s deep scientific expertise to rigorously and objectively ensure only the most scientifically promising opportunities, capable of addressing future remaining unmet medical needs, qualify for full cross-functional due diligence/ transaction consideration.
• Develop recommendations based primarily on the technical merits, while also investigating the other elements of business case viability from a high level (i.e., time and data requirements to the next value inflection point, and differentiation).
• Prepare updates for Board of Director meetings; maintain a tracker/database of partnering opportunities that have been considered or are being considered.
• Support VP of BD and research, development, commercial, legal and finance teams on advanced due diligence/ transactional support.
• Support VP of BD in other ad-hoc strategic projects.

Qualifications:

• PhD and/or MD in a relevant area (e.g., Immunology, Rheumatology, or Pharmacology).
• Proven track record of successfully sourcing consummated transactions.
• Substantial immunology and autoimmune scientific and/or Translational Medicine expertise; multiple publications in leading scientific journals.
• Deep knowledge of immunology and autoimmune diseases, treatment mechanisms and emerging trends, as well as the drug discovery, development, approval and commercialization process.
• 10+ years’ experience in R&D, Technology Transfer, Venture Capital or similar role that requires considerable scientific expertise, inclusive of 5+ years’ experience in a Search & Evaluation role within a biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical company.
• Adept at multi-tasking and working independently, as well as collaboratively, in a fast-paced and agile environment where “figure it out” behavior, clear recommendations, and a culture of TRUE Innovation is valued.
• Willingness to travel ~30-40% of time, mostly domestically.

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