Sr. Manager / Associate Director, Drug Discovery Strategy & External Innovation

Position Overview

Simcere is seeking a highly motivated and scientifically accomplished professional to join our U.S. Business Development & Licensing team as Sr. Manager or Associate Director, Drug Discovery Strategy & External Innovation , with a focus on Neuroscience and Immunology.

The successful candidate will work closely with U.S. BD leadership and global R&D teams to identify and prioritize innovative therapeutic targets, develop differentiated drug discovery strategies, initiate new R&D programs, and advance strategic internal research projects.

Approximately 70% of the role will focus on internal R&D strategy, new project initiation, and scientific program advancement , with the remaining 30% dedicated to external innovation, opportunity scouting, and scientific search and evaluation .

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in pharmaceutical drug discovery and development, preferably with hands-on experience in small-molecule therapeutics, particularly G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and/or ion channels .

This position offers an opportunity to combine scientific expertise, strategic thinking, cross-functional leadership, and external business development within a global pharmaceutical organization.

Key Responsibilities

1. Drug Discovery Strategy & New Project Initiation (35%)

• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize novel therapeutic targets and differentiated drug discovery opportunities in Neuroscience and Immunology.
• Conduct scientific and competitive landscape assessments to support target selection, project prioritization, and strategic investment decisions.
• Develop target product profiles (TPPs), scientific rationales, differentiation strategies, and initial development plans for new drug discovery programs.
• Evaluate target biology, pharmacology, druggability, translational potential, and clinical development feasibility.
• Prepare new project proposals and scientific recommendations for internal review, project initiation, and Go/No-Go decisions.
• Work with global R&D teams to translate innovative scientific concepts into actionable drug discovery programs.

2. Internal R&D Program Advancement (35%)

• Partner closely with BD leadership and cross-functional R&D teams to advance strategic internal drug discovery programs.
• Coordinate scientific and technical discussions across Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, Translational Research, Clinical Development, and Intellectual Property.
• Support program strategy, research planning, milestone definition, and prioritization of key experiments and scientific deliverables.
• Identify scientific and technical challenges, evaluate alternative approaches, and facilitate data-driven decision-making.
• Track program progress, critical milestones, scientific risks, and key decision points, providing actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Support research collaborations with external technology partners, academic institutions, and contract research organizations.
• Prepare scientific project updates, strategic assessments, and presentations for senior management.

3. External Search & Evaluation (20%)

• Proactively identify and evaluate innovative therapeutic assets, emerging drug targets, and drug discovery technologies from biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical organizations, and academic institutions.
• Conduct initial scientific screening and prioritization of external licensing and research collaboration opportunities.
• Evaluate mechanism of action, preclinical and clinical data, competitive differentiation, translational potential, and development risks.
• Monitor global R&D pipelines, scientific publications, emerging technologies, and competitive developments.
• Collaborate with internal scientific and BD teams to support due diligence and partnering decisions.
• Maintain a structured pipeline of external opportunities aligned with Simcere's strategic priorities.

4. External Networking & Business Development Support (10%)

• Develop and maintain relationships with biotechnology companies, academic investigators, scientific founders, and innovation partners.
• Represent Simcere at scientific conferences, industry partnering events, and external company meetings.
• Initiate scientific discussions with prospective collaborators and facilitate follow-up evaluations.
• Support early-stage partnering discussions, confidential information exchanges, and scientific aspects of licensing opportunities.
• Help identify potential research collaborations that could accelerate internal drug discovery programs.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Immunology, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, or a related biomedical discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience in drug discovery, translational research, or early drug development.
• Demonstrated experience in drug discovery project initiation, target selection, target validation, lead optimization, development candidate selection, or related R&D activities.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery and development, including target biology, pharmacology, preclinical development, and translational science.
• Experience working with cross-functional R&D teams to advance drug discovery programs and support scientific decision-making.
• Ability to critically evaluate scientific data, assess competitive differentiation, and develop clear, actionable recommendations.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, project coordination, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent scientific communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and effectively collaborate with geographically distributed, cross-functional teams.
• Willingness to travel approximately 20–30% for scientific conferences, external collaborations, and business development activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in small-molecule drug discovery, particularly GPCRs and/or ion channels.
• Drug discovery or development experience in Neuroscience or Immunology.
• Experience advancing drug discovery programs from target identification through lead optimization, candidate nomination, or IND-enabling development.
• Experience developing TPPs, target selection strategies, differentiated drug discovery concepts, and new project proposals.
• Experience in external scientific evaluation, Search & Evaluation, scientific due diligence, or portfolio strategy.
• Familiarity with emerging therapeutic modalities and innovative drug discovery technologies.
• Experience managing external research collaborations, CRO activities, or partnerships with biotechnology companies.
• Established professional network within the U.S. biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or academic research ecosystem.
• Experience working within international pharmaceutical organizations.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are particularly interested in a scientist who combines strong hands-on drug discovery experience with scientific curiosity, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive research programs forward .

The ideal candidate:

• Has contributed to the initiation and advancement of innovative drug discovery programs.
• Understands how to identify differentiated therapeutic opportunities and translate scientific concepts into executable research plans.
• Can independently assess target biology, pharmacology, competitive positioning, and development feasibility.
• Is comfortable working across scientific disciplines and engaging with internal R&D leaders and external scientific experts.
• Has a strong interest in external innovation, emerging drug discovery technologies, and scientific business development.
• Is proactive, collaborative, execution-oriented, and capable of managing multiple scientific priorities.

Prior experience in licensing negotiations or transaction execution is advantageous but not required.

Why Join Simcere?

Simcere is a research-driven pharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies for patients with significant unmet medical needs.

This role offers an opportunity to work at the intersection of drug discovery, R&D strategy, and external innovation, contributing directly to the development of Simcere's future pipeline.

The successful candidate will work closely with U.S. BD leadership and global R&D teams, participate in strategic scientific decisions, and help build collaborations with innovative biotechnology companies and research institutions.

The position provides a career development path for scientists interested in expanding beyond traditional R&D roles into scientific strategy, portfolio development, and global pharmaceutical business development.