Director, Ventures

About AbbVie
AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women’s health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Purpose:

AbbVie Ventures represents the strategic investment arm of the company and a core component of AbbVie's integrated approach to external innovation.  We invest in very early-stage transformational scientific opportunities that augment our core R&D areas within oncology, autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, ophthalmology and aesthetics. Our investments and interactions with fellow investors and entrepreneurs provide us insights into novel technologies and biologies that result in targeted enhancement of our scientific knowledge as well as early assessments of potential business development opportunities. Our expertise in drug discovery, development, and commercialization is a valuable resource to even the earliest stage companies. Through this proactive engagement with the scientific community, AbbVie is building our reputation as a serious player in the biotechnology ecosystem while supplementing our R&D pipeline in a capital efficient fashion.

 

Responsibilities:

•Opportunity Sourcing: Build awareness regarding AbbVie and the Venture group amongst life science focused venture investors, entrepreneurs, scientific founders, and accelerators/incubators

•Identify and evaluate potential investment opportunities that are consistent with AbbVie strategies and drive sustainable growth for the Company including managing and generating relationships with potential sources of opportunities and potential co-investors.

•Lead the assessment and (in conjunction with Search and Evaluation) drive the evaluation process and timeline, developing timely recommendations and proposals for senior management consideration, based on thorough technical review.

•Develop effective deal structure, risk mitigation and negotiation strategies and ensure alignment with AbbVie objectives and functional management.

•Deal Execution: Drive the investment process, including leading the diligence team and cross-functional internal review and presenting the investment recommendation to the Investment Committee, negotiating deal documents and managing the closing process.

•Actively review and monitor AbbVie’ s portfolio companies by keeping abreast of developments within the companies, building and maintaining good working relationships with executive management and the Board, and participating in Board meetings.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

•Advanced degree in the sciences (Biology, Chemistry) Ph.D., M.D., M.D. /Ph.D., with at least 3 years post-doctoral research experience (academic or pharma/biotech) required.  MBA preferred but not required.

•10 years of experience, including 5 years in pharma/biotech/life science VC, with several years’ direct experience in an externally focused group investing in and/or licensing innovation in the life sciences.

•2 years exposure working with top level corporate executives.

•Strong understanding of drug discovery and development, regulatory, and commercialization process for evaluation of pharmaceutical opportunities; position incumbent should have good scientific knowledge that will permit them to objectively evaluate potential business opportunities.

•Project management/leadership skills to lead/manage multifunctional teams to evaluate target opportunities and produce high quality analyses.  Ability to drive projects to deliver timely results and follow through on commitments.

•Strong communication skills to effectively communicate business strategies and capabilities internally and externally, present individual and team recommendations clearly and concisely, and promote cross-functional communication.

•Networking skills to reach out to a broad range of industry decision makers to keep abreast of emerging opportunities.

•Demonstrated skills in a licensing or venture investment setting with a track record of creatively solving problems with partners and closing deals that create a win-win relationship for all parties.

•Needs to be able to manage high level, cross-functional teams.

•Individual must be able to act independently without daily onsite managerial supervision.

Significant Work Activities
N/A
Travel
Yes, 25 % of the Time
Job Type
Experienced
Schedule
Full-time
Job Level Code
D
Equal Employment Opportunity
At AbbVie, we value bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds to develop new and innovative solutions for patients. As an equal opportunity employer we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.