Senior Director, Business Development

Overview

Ready to join a team committed to developing and commercializing gene therapies for patients and families devastated by rare neurological genetic diseases? AveXis is advancing cutting-edge science, starting with our proprietary gene therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). We are in the midst of an incredible journey and are looking for passionate individuals to join us on this important mission.

AveXis, a Novartis company, is dedicated to developing and commercializing novel treatments for patients suffering from rare and life-threatening neurological genetic diseases. Our initial product is a proprietary gene therapy approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pediatric patients with SMA. In addition to developing a treatment for SMA, AveXis also plans to develop other novel treatments for rare neurological diseases, including Rett syndrome and a genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene.

The successful candidate will lead efforts to expand our proprietary pipeline in the areas of gene therapy and rare diseases, with a particular focus on neuroscience. Further, he or she will identify opportunities to enhance and expand our technology platforms and manufacturing capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Define priorities to guide pipeline and platform technology investments.
• Scout for external opportunities in line with growth agenda, including academic partnerships, licensing and M&A opportunities.
• Manage the cross-functional evaluation of external opportunities with internal experts; provide recommendations based on scientific merit, patient impact and financial metrics.
• Advance term sheet development and negotiations, partnering with Novartis colleagues where appropriate.
• Present opportunities to governance committees for advancement.
• Attend medical and partnering conferences; advance relationships with members of the industry and academic communities to support business development objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, with minimum of 6-8 years of biopharma/biotechnology business development, venture capital, investment banking or licensing experience. Comfortable with scientific concepts; advanced degree in a scientific field (MD, PhD) preferred.
• Robust working knowledge of gene therapy and/or neuroscience therapeutic area preferred.
• Strong leadership, scientific, organizational, communication, and project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Financial acumen; comfortable with financial valuations and modeling.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to foresee and solve problems and prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Experience in successfully managing teams at all levels of staff and across differing functional expertise.
• Professional demeanor with strong decision-making ability.

The level of this position will be based on the final candidate's qualifications.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

AveXis is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, genetics, disability, age, sexual orientation or veteran status.

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