External Partnerships Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq ARWR) is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead's RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.

Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.

Arrowhead's corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI & San Diego, CA, and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Verona, WI. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need. 

The Position

The Product Development Operations (PDO) Partnership Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership for end-to-end supply chain activities supporting Arrowhead's out-licensing collaborations and regional commercial partnerships. This role manages clinical and commercial supply for partner-territory products across a growing portfolio of partnerships (e.g., Takeda, GSK, Sarepta, Novartis, and additional current and future partners), serving as the primary supply chain liaison to ensure uninterrupted delivery of Arrowhead's RNAi therapeutics into partner-managed markets globally. 

This position plays a key role in scaling Arrowhead's partnership operations from early clinical supply through commercial launch and lifecycle management, ensuring contractual compliance, forecast accuracy, supply continuity, and cost-effective execution while supporting global regulatory filings across multiple health authorities.

Responsibilities

Partnership Supply Chain Leadership

• Serve as the primary supply chain point of accountability and liaison for Arrowhead's partner-facing supply activities, including current partnerships such as Takeda, GSK, and Sarepta, Novartis, as well as additional current and future regional and global collaborations.
• Represent Arrowhead Supply Chain in Joint Manufacturing Committees, Joint Operating Committees, and supply working group forums with each partner.
• Translate partnership contracts (Supply Agreements, Quality Agreements, Clinical Supply Agreements, CSAs) into operational plans, SoWs, SOPs, and KPIs, ensuring Arrowhead meets all contractual obligations including lead times, forecast accuracy, allocation rules, and service levels.
• Build and maintain trusted, transparent working relationships with counterpart supply chain, regulatory, and quality leaders at each partner organization.

Demand & Supply Planning

• Support the integrated S&OP process for partner products, consolidating partner forecasts and incorporate into Arrowhead's global supply plan and reconciling against drug substance and drug product capacity.
• Lead demand reviews with each partner, challenge forecast assumptions, and ensure forecast quality meets defined accuracy and bias targets.

Clinical & Commercial Supply Execution

• Support and communicate the end-to-end order-to-delivery process for clinical through commercial supply shipments to partners, including order confirmation, release coordination, customs documentation, and on-time delivery.
• Support cold-chain logistics, importation, customs clearance, and in-country distribution coordination into partner markets, working with qualified 3PLs and freight forwarders, as applicable.

Regulatory & Quality Interface

• Partner closely with Regulatory Affairs to align supply activities with partner-territory filings, post-approval changes, and license maintenance across multiple health authorities.
• Coordinate with Quality Assurance on partner Quality Agreements, batch disposition for partner markets, deviation/CAPA communications, and complaint handling supply implications.
• Support technology transfer activities into partner-affiliated or partner-managed manufacturing nodes where applicable.

Cross-Functional & Strategic Leadership

• Represent Supply Chain in alliance governance and contribute to negotiation of amendments, change orders, and new supply terms for current and prospective partnerships.
• Develop and report supply chain KPIs (OTIF, forecast accuracy, inventory DOH, partner satisfaction) to internal and external leadership.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks specific to partner operations (geopolitical, regulatory, logistics, single-source dependencies) and own associated business continuity plans.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to scale partnership supply chain operations as Arrowhead's pipeline and partnership portfolio expand.
• Collaborate closely with Technical Operations, CMC, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Legal, Alliance Management, and Finance to deliver integrated outcomes.

  Requirements

Education

• B.S. in Supply Chain, Engineering, Life Sciences, Business, or related discipline. Advanced degree (M.B.A., M.S., or relevant scientific field) preferred.

Experience

• 7+ years of progressive pharmaceutical or biotech supply chain experience.
• 3+ years in a partnership, alliance, or external supply role with direct partner-facing accountability.
• Demonstrated experience managing clinical and/or commercial supply into out-licensed or co-development partnerships.
• Strong working knowledge of GxP, ICH guidelines, and pharmaceutical Quality Agreements.
• Proven ability to manage complex S&OP processes and interface with external partners on demand forecasts and supply commitments.
• Experience with ERP systems and demand planning tools
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to navigate cultural and time-zone differences across global partner organizations.
• Strong working knowledge of FDA, EMA, and ICH GMP requirements; familiarity with additional health authority requirements (PMDA, NMPA, MHRA, etc.) preferred.

Preferred

• APICS CPIM/CSCP or equivalent supply chain certification.
• Direct experience supporting partnerships with large global pharma (e.g., Takeda, GSK, Sarepta, Novartis, or comparable organizations).
• Experience with RNAi, oligonucleotide, gene therapy, or other novel modality supply chains.
• Able to lead and coordinate large, complex strategy projects with minimal direction.
• Experience developing operations network strategies for a growing global market.
• Partnership mindset — comfortable representing Arrowhead externally while protecting Arrowhead's commercial and operational interests.
• Cross-cultural fluency — operates effectively across diverse global business norms.
• Systems thinker — connects upstream CMC and manufacturing constraints to downstream partner commercial needs.
• Experience with biologics, oligonucleotides, or other temperature-controlled (cold-chain, 2–8 &degree;C or frozen) products.

Wisconsin pay range

$100,000—$115,000 USD

Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.

Candidates must have current, valid authorization to work in the country where this role is located.

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