Overview
Who We Are:
At Dendreon,we’retransforming the battle against cancer with personalized immunotherapy. Our flagship product,PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T), was the first FDA-approved immunotherapy for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer,utilizinga patient’s own immune cells to fight the disease.
Ifyou’redriven by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on cancer patients' lives, we invite you to join our team. With Immunotherapy Manufacturing Facilities in Seal Beach, CA, and Union City, GA, a strong Research & Development group in Seattle, WA, and a highly skilled Commercial team across the nation, Dendreon is at the forefront of cancer treatment innovation.
Core Values:
- Put Patients First:Every day is an opportunity to improve the lives of those living with cancer.
- Act with Integrity:We commit to transparency, honesty, and always doingwhat’sright.
- Build Trust:Trust is earned through candid, opencommunicationand a collaborative approach.
- Raise the Bar:We embrace continuous improvement and innovation, always striving to elevate our people.
- Drive Results:We are accountable to each other and deliver success together.
Job Summary:
TheDirector/Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy will drive Dendreon’s growth through strategic partnerships, licensing, and corporate development initiatives. This role requires an experienced biotech or pharmaceutical business development leader witha track recordof advancing innovative, late-stage (Phase II/III), first-in-class assets. TheDirector/Senior Director will lead global opportunity sourcing, diligence, and deal execution, while partnering cross-functionally to evaluate international assets and collaborations, support CDMO business development, and engage with financial investment partners.
Responsibilities
- Strategic Partnerships & Investment-Driven Growth
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- Serve as a key corporate strategistidentifyinghigh-impact opportunities for external innovation and investment.
- Identify, evaluate, and lead strategic transactions and investments aligned with Dendreon’s business strategy, including first-in-class and differentiated therapeutic modalities (e.g., ADCs or other complex platforms).
- Biotech Business Development & Asset Acquisition
- Lead the search, evaluation, and acquisition of innovative clinical- to commercial-stage therapeutic assets, with emphasis on late-stage (Phase II/III), first-in-class programs aligned with Dendreon’s core therapeutic areas, including immunotherapy, urology, and oncology.
- Evaluate complex therapeutic modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) or similarly advanced platforms, assessing scientific differentiation, clinical risk, and commercial potential.
- Conduct robust diligence with cross-functional support from Clinical, Regulatory, CMC, IP, Commercial, and Finance to drive informed decisions and maximize asset value.
- Develop detailed market assessments, forecasts, valuation models, and scenario analyses for internal and external opportunities.
- Partner closely with internal teams (R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, Commercial, Finance, Legal/IP) to perform scientific and commercial diligence, valuation modeling, and competitive landscape analyses.
- CDMO Strategy & Business Development
- Build and execute a business development plan to position Dendreon’smanufacturing capabilities as a CDMO partner for emerging andestablishedbiotech clients.
- Identifyand engage prospective CDMO partners,from early-stage startups to mid-sizebiotechs,structuring proposals and partnerships that leverage Dendreon’s technical and operational strengths.
- Collaborate with Technical Operations, Quality, and Regulatory to ensure operational readiness and partner alignment on timelines and technical feasibility.
- Represent Dendreon at relevant CDMO and manufacturing conferences and in client-facing discussions.
- Deal Structuring, Negotiation & Execution
- Lead thestructuring, negotiation, and execution of term sheets and definitive agreements for BD and CDMO transactions.
- Manage internal due diligence processes, coordinate withlegal oncontract development, and align stakeholders on deal terms and governance.
- Executive Strategy & Portfolio Planning
- Partner with theCEO and SeniorLeadershipTeam to refine corporate strategyand long-range planning.
- Prepare and present executive summaries, board materials, and strategic recommendations based on external opportunity assessments.
Qualifications
Job Requirements:
- Required Experience & Skills:
- 7-10+ years of progressive experience inbusinessdevelopment in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry.
- Demonstrated ability to lead BD, M&A, licensing, or investment transactions from sourcing through execution.
- Advanced degreerequired: MBA, PhD, MD, or equivalent scientific or financial training.
- Strong understanding of complex therapeutic modalities, such as ADCs, biologics, cell therapies, or other advanced platforms.
- Deep financial acumen including valuation modeling, risk/return analysis, and dealstructuring.
- Executive presence and excellent communication skills withabilityto build trust internally and externally.
- Strong cross-functional leadership with proven ability to influence stakeholders across Clinical, Technical Ops, Regulatory, and Legal.
- Deal Sheet Required.
- Willingness to travel up to 50%+, including international travel.
- Preferred Experience:
- Board-level exposure or experience presenting to board/investment committees.
- Direct experience supporting or leading CDMO strategy or partnerships.
- Strong network within the VC/PE community focused on early- to mid-stage biotech.
- Familiarity with oncology, immunotherapy, urology, or cellular immunotherapies.Prior operating experience within a biotech or biopharma company.
- Consulting or operating experience in high-growth biotech or commercial-stage biopharma environments.
- Global experiencewith international partnerships, particularly the biotech or pharmaceutical environments in China.
- Experience in venture capital, private equity, or investment banking within the life sciences industry.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
- On-site in Seal Beach, CA. This position is NOT remote.
- This positionoperatesin a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filingcabinetsand fax machines.
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employeeis regularly required totalk or hear. The employeefrequentlyis required tostand,walk;use hands to finger, handle orfeel;and reach with hands and arms.
