Alliance Manager

ALLIANCE MANAGERNORTH WALES, PA Hybrid role (1-2days/week onsite).This position may be based in Rahway NJ, Upper Gwynedd PA, or Philadelphia PA. Project Description:

• Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) resides within the Research and Development (R&D) organization at Client's (Research Laboratories).
• The Project, Portfolio and Alliance Managers in GPAM are core members of cross-functional discovery, development, and alliance teams responsible for discovering and developing products that improve human health.
• In addition, GPAM includes a Project Management Office (PMO), which is responsible for the development, sustainment, and training of GPAM-owned systems, tools, and business processes that serve MRL more broadly.
• The GPAM MRL Alliance Managers focus on achieving the goals of the alliance by ensuring activities, resources, communications, and decisions are coordinated and maximized with our R&D partners.
• Under the broad direction of the Director, Strategic Alliances, the Senior Specialist, Strategic Alliances is responsible for ensuring successful relationship and contractual management of R&D licenses and R&D alliances/collaborations that result from agreements executed by Corporate Business Development (Corp BD).
• In addition, the Senior Specialist, Strategic Alliances is responsible for developing and implementing critical cross-functional/cross-divisional business operation processes and initiatives involving the GPAM MRL Alliance Management team.
• Manage a portfolio of R&D licenses.
  • Organization of timely kick-off meeting planning and execution between the Client and its partners to ensure clarity on the agreement and communication mechanisms between the companies.
  • Providing each R&D licensing partner with an open and continuous channel of communication to ensure partner perspectives are heard and well represented internally.
  • Proactively identifying and resolving conflicts as needed, and/or raising conflicts and disputes to the Director, Strategic Alliances, appropriate management, or committees for timely resolution.
  • Interfacing closely with Corp BD and Legal groups to clarify contractual aspects of R&D licensing agreements with intent of providing guidance internally to team members and senior management to ensure appropriate boundaries are set and guide decision-making.
  • Supporting evolution of R&D licensing agreements through their life cycles, including negotiation/drafting of contractual amendments, and management of any necessary agreement terminations and close-out processes.
  • Working closely with Finance, Investor Relations, Public Affairs and partners to manage appropriate financial obligations and disclosures that may be material to the Client or its partners.
  • Maintaining a database that captures all current rights/obligations under portfolio of R&D licensing agreements.
• Support R&D alliances/collaborations managed by Director/Associate Director, Strategic Alliances.
  • Working with a Director or Associate Director, Strategic Alliances as well as internal stakeholders and joint teams, support the productive operational relationship between the Client and assigned R&D collaboration partners, including ensuring alliance governance is established and functions efficiently, consistent with agreement intent; ensure process is in place to facilitate timely, joint decision-making.
  • Preparing for, facilitating and documenting outcomes of R&D alliance meetings, ensuring meetings have clear purposes and objectives, and that conflict is surfaced and resolved.
  • Preparing reports that summarize R&D collaboration status/issues and documents for senior management and alliance committees.
• Support Alliance Management operations and business initiatives.
  • Serving as process owner of critical cross functional/cross-divisional business operation processes and initiatives involving the GPAM MRL Alliance Management team.
  • Developing and implementing clear process guidance for the GPAM MRL Alliance Management team.
  • Defining key metrics to ensure GPAM MRL Alliance Management team's compliance with the deliverables of the business processes and initiatives.

• Bachelor's degree required; concentration in a scientific or applied discipline preferred.
• Advanced degree (MBA, MS, PhD or equivalent) preferred.
• A minimum of 5 years' experience in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry.
• A minimum of 1 year in an engagement, alliance management or equivalent relationship management role.
• Broad understanding of global pharmaceutical and biotech industries with a solid understanding of drug discovery and development processes.
• Demonstrated leadership and ethics, including ability to hold others accountable for delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team setting, including experience building and leading teams, accomplishing goals, etc.
• Strong collaboration and problem-solving skills; ability to establish good working relationships with internal and external colleagues at all levels, resolve conflict and provide feedback, and devise and implement creative solutions to problems.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written; demonstrated ability to speak up appropriately and to raise issues to teams and management.
• Highly organized and capable of working with attention to detail.
• Able to relate project and alliance details to larger project and alliance objectives.
• Experience in understanding and interpretation of contractual language.
• Experience in implementing and improving business processes.
• Up to 5-10% travel required.