SENIOR DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS — ASSET LEAD
Biotech · San Francisco, CA · Confidential Search · Managed by TSE Executive Search
THE COMPANY
This is a high-conviction biotech that operates with the discipline of a top-tier firm and the urgency of a startup. The organization is advancing value-driving programs that require someone who can hold scientific credibility and business rigor in the same hand — and who is energized by the complexity that comes with both.
THE OPPORTUNITY
This is not a traditional BD or program management role. As Senior Director, BD & Operations — Asset Lead, you will function as the de facto CEO of the programs in your portfolio. You will own the scientific strategy, the business plan, the financial model, the competitive landscape, and the external relationship strategy — and you will lead the team that executes against all of it.
You will build and own the business plan, scientific plan, budget, and strategy for each program. You will lead teams, drive competitive intelligence, build NPV models, manage industry relationships, and translate extraordinarily complex scientific and financial information into clear, decision-ready communication for senior leadership, partners, and investors.
This role is for someone who treats the programs they cover as if they are their own company — because in every meaningful way, they are.
WHAT YOU WILL OWN
Scientific & Program Leadership
- Develop deep command of the scientific, operational, and external-facing dimensions of assigned programs — including mechanism of action, competitive differentiation, translational rationale, and path to value inflection
- Set, prioritize, and manage milestones and deliverables for team members across one or more programs
- Coordinate cross-functional team meetings and delegate effectively to scientific, clinical, regulatory, and CMC experts — holding the team accountable to quality, precision, and speed
- Interpret, collate, and communicate key data findings in a succinct, executive-ready manner to senior management
- Develop and maintain the scientific plan for each program — questioning assumptions, stress-testing strategy, and identifying blind spots before they become problems
Business Development & Financial Analysis
- Own the business plan, strategy, and budget for programs in your portfolio
- Build and maintain NPV models and financial frameworks that underpin investment, prioritization, and partnership decisions
- Lead competitive intelligence efforts — synthesizing landscape data into clear strategic implications
- Drive the BD process — identifying, cultivating, and managing relationships with potential partners, co-investors, licensees, and collaborators
- Understand deal structures, term sheets, and what makes a partner or investor say yes — and use that knowledge to advance the program
- Identify problems independently, locate the right resources, and drive data-driven solutions without waiting for direction
External Presence & Stakeholder Leadership
- Serve as the authoritative voice on your programs — internally to leadership and externally to partners, investors, scientific advisory boards, and key opinion leaders
- Represent programs with conviction at investor forums, scientific conferences, and BD events
- Distill complex scientific and business issues into clear, compelling narratives for any audience — from bench scientists to Board members
- Inspire excellence in the teams and colleagues around you — modeling the intellectual rigor, ownership mindset, and patient-first values that define the organization’s culture
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Education
- Advanced degree (PhD, MD, MBA, or equivalent) from a top-tier academic institution required; combination degrees (MD/PhD, PhD/MBA) a strong differentiator
- Scientific undergraduate degree with highly distinguished industry experience considered
Experience
- Asset leadership, program leadership, or BD experience within a biotech startup or top-tier pharma — with a track record of advancing programs toward value-creating milestones
- Strategic planning, operating, and program management experience in a fast-moving, cross-functional life sciences environment
- Management consulting from a top-tier firm or investment banking experience strongly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and question scientific strategy across molecular biology, chemistry, translational medicine, and/or clinical development
- Track record of building financial models, NPV analyses, business plans, and competitive intelligence frameworks that have supported real investment or BD decisions
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing external industry relationships
Competencies
- Founder’s mindset — you treat the asset as if it is your own; you don’t wait to be asked, and you don’t stop at the edge of your job description
- Scientific depth — you can engage credibly on mechanism of action, preclinical data packages, and development strategy; you know what the FDA, investors, and partners will ask
- BD fluency — you understand deal structures, term sheets, and what makes a partner or investor say yes
- Financial acumen — comfortable with NPV modeling, scenario analysis, valuation frameworks, and investor-ready financial narratives
- Communication excellence — you translate complexity into clarity for any audience, every time
- Executive presence — you represent programs with conviction to SABs, investors, and potential partners
- Independent judgment — you make decisions quickly, with incomplete data, and you’re accountable for the outcomes
THE RIGHT PERSON
This organization describes its best team members in four ways — and in this role, all four are equally required:
Founder — You think like a program owner from day one. You own the outcomes, not just the workstreams. When something isn’t working, you fix it — you don’t escalate it.
Scientist — You have enough scientific depth to challenge the data, shape the development strategy, and earn the respect of the research team. You don’t need to be in the lab — but the lab needs to respect you.
Dealmaker — You understand what partners and investors are looking for, you build relationships before you need them, and you know how to structure a deal that advances the program.
Builder — You are energized by the blank page — by the challenge of creating a team, a strategy, and an organization around an asset that doesn’t yet have one.
And across all of it:
Patient Champion — Every decision starts and ends with the patient.
Truth Seeker — Detailed, rational, and humble. Finds the real answer, not the comfortable one.
LOCATION
San Francisco, CA — in-person /local hybrid
HOW TO APPLY
This search is managed exclusively and confidentially by TSE Executive Search.
Qualified candidates should submit a resume/CV and deal sheet to:
jobs@tseworldwide.com
All applications are held in the strictest confidence.
TSE Executive Search · tseworldwide.com