Director of Business Development

Our client is an international biotechnology company developing innovative therapeutics across cell and gene therapy and other emerging drug modalities.

With a growing pipeline of clinical and preclinical programmes, the organisation is looking to appoint a Director of Business Development to drive strategic partnering and licensing activities across its cell and gene therapy portfolio.

This is an exciting opportunity for a scientifically strong, commercially minded professional to help expand the company's US partnering presence and lead transactions with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology organisations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead licensing and business development activities across cell therapies, CAR-T, in vivo gene editing and viral and non-viral delivery platforms.
• Identify, develop and manage relationships with potential pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners.
• Independently present scientific programmes, preclinical and clinical data, and commercial opportunities to prospective partners.
• Lead transactions from initial outreach and due diligence through deal structuring, term sheet negotiation and agreement execution.
• Develop business cases, asset valuations, competitive assessments and transaction strategies.
• Work closely with R&D, Legal, Finance and senior leadership to progress partnering opportunities.
• Contribute to the wider international business development strategy and share market intelligence across the team.

Candidate Requirements

• Advanced degree in Life Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biotechnology or a related discipline. PhD preferred; MBA advantageous.
• Strong scientific understanding of cell and gene therapy, including CAR-T, CRISPR gene editing and viral/non-viral delivery technologies.
• Minimum five years' experience in biotechnology business development, licensing, technology transfer or strategic partnering.
• Demonstrable experience leading or supporting licensing transactions, ideally involving cell and gene therapy assets.
• Ability to confidently present complex scientific programmes and interpret preclinical and clinical data for commercial audiences.
• Experience in deal structuring, negotiations, valuations, financial modelling and intellectual property assessment.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to engage senior executives and external partners.
• Comfortable working across international teams, geographies and time zones.

The Ideal Candidate

A scientist-turned-business development professional with strong technical credibility, commercial acumen and a proven ability to translate innovative science into strategic partnerships and licensing opportunities.