Director of External Research & Development

Director of External Research & Development

Key business development leader for Amgen's External R&D group focused on the Inflammation/autoimmune therapeutic space, responsible for identifying, evaluating, and advancing innovative therapeutics being developed outside Amgen.

What you will do

• Lead Amgen’s business development efforts in identifying and evaluating innovative therapeutics being developed outside of Amgen within the Inflammation/autoimmune therapeutic space for potential in‑licensing, M&A, or collaborations.
• Develop and nurture a network of key industry and academic contacts to ensure robust communication of ideas, interests, and information between the external community and internal groups.
• Proactively manage the search and identification of opportunities through networking and reviews of the external landscape, prioritizing based on Amgen’s therapeutic‑area strategy.
• Lead technical evaluations of opportunities by creating and managing cross‑functional review teams, providing recommendations based on robust scientific and drug‑industry knowledge, and ensuring efficient decision‑making processes.
• Ensure efficient reviews, engage in business negotiations, and work with legal to execute contractual agreements for selected projects.
• Lead strategic discussions and presentations, collaborating closely with senior management, R&D, and Commercial to develop priorities for licensure or M&A.
• Support out‑licensing activities.

Basic Qualifications

• Doctorate degree in a scientific field & 4 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development.
• Master’s degree in a scientific field & 7 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development.
• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field & 9 years of experience in R&D and/or biopharma business development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate in scientific discipline with robust working knowledge in inflammation, oncology or other therapeutic area.
• 4+ years of management and/or leadership experience in business and drug development activities, with strong technical R&D, business development, and licensing experience.
• Strong leadership, scientific, organizational, communication, and project‑management skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent presentation and scientific communication skills.
• Ability to foresee and solve problems, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong team player with experience managing direct reports and interfacing effectively with all levels of staff across differing functional expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with internal and external parties.
• Professional demeanor with strong decision‑making ability.
• Capacity to work independently, manage large cross‑functional teams, and mentor individuals.

Benefits

Salary Range: 191,355.40USD – 258,892.60USD (U.S. excluding Puerto Rico).

• Competitive base salary with Total Rewards Plan including health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents.
• Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions.
• Group medical, dental, and vision coverage; life and disability insurance; flexible spending accounts.
• Discretionary annual bonus program (or sales‑based incentive plan for field sales representatives).
• Stock‑based long‑term incentives.
• Award‑winning time‑off plans.
• Flexible work models where possible.

Equal Opportunity

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the SanFrancisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.

Application Deadline

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Contact

To request accommodation or for inquiries, contact the Amgen recruiting department.