Director, Business Development & Licensing – Search & Evaluation for Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Respiratory & Metabolism, Europe Hub, London

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Director, Business Development & Licensing –Search & Evaluation for Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Respiratory, and Metabolism for our European Hub to be based in Moorgate, London.

This role is hybrid and requires presence onsite 2 days a week.

The Search and Evaluation (S&E) team is a core function within our company’s Global Business Development & Licensing (BD&L) organisation that is focused on identifying and evaluating external partnering opportunities that are aligned with our company’s Research & Development and Business Development & Licensing strategies.

The Search & Evaluation team interacts with biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, venture firms, and other key stakeholders in the life sciences industry, to explore potential opportunities to collaborate, license, or acquire assets.

Our team is responsible for leading global Search & Evaluation efforts for assets of high strategic value across the entire spectrum, from early-stage discovery to late-stage development or approved assets. They are accountable for leading scientific and technical due diligence to ensure an in-depth understanding of the underlying science behind each opportunity.

You will be a key individual contributor and an expert to our company’s European-based Business Development & Licensing efforts in the search, evaluation, due diligence, and execution of business development opportunities across the Immunology, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Respiratory, and Metabolism therapeutic areas.

What you will do:

• Identify, evaluate, and execute Immunology, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Respiratory, and Metabolism business development opportunities with a focus on cutting-edge science across all stages of development and modalities to enhance and expand our pipeline.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to analyse, review, and gain internal support for business development opportunities.
• Responsible for leading deep scientific due diligence, the quality of formal due diligence output, and the integration of internal subject matter expert input and senior management review and approval.
• Work closely with transaction leads, legal, commercial, and financial analysis team to ensure relevant deals of highest priority are being advanced and executed.
• Contribute to Immunology, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Respiratory, and Metabolism business development strategy with discovery and clinical development leadership.
• Collaborate with preclinical, clinical, and commercial team, as well as corporate business development colleagues to ensure alignment between activities and business development needs relating to the pipeline.
• Work closely with search and evaluation colleagues across our company’s business development & licensing team to ensure comprehensive coverage of the relevant opportunity space.
• Provide thorough and timely assessments and updates to appropriate management levels to ensure efficient communication and seamless cross-functional collaboration. 
• Manage a portfolio of complex business development projects serving as the primary scientific contact for potential licensing deals, acquisitions, collaborations, co-development partnerships, and strategic alliances.

Education:

• PhD, MD, MD/PhD in a life sciences field is required, preferably in one of the therapeutic areas for this role.

Required experience:

• Substantial experience within the biopharmaceutical industry or related role (e.g. management consulting, equity research, university technology transfer, etc.) with preferred experience in a Search & Evaluation business development role.
• Preferred experience in identifying, evaluating, and executing business development deals and partnerships that have resulted in substantial impact.
• Comprehensive understanding of drug discovery and development and a broad knowledge of the biopharmaceutical industry and the Immunology, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Respiratory, and Metabolism therapeutic areas.
• Thorough understanding of biopharmaceutical industry trends and competitive landscape with strong business acumen and ability to translate scientific and technical information to frame attractive business opportunities.

Skills/Competencies:

• Desire and proven ability to have an impact. Energetic self-starter with a strong work ethic, capable of thriving in a high growth, fast paced and intellectual environment.

• Experience with cross-functional leadership and collaboration with demonstrated conflict/issue resolution, time-critical project management, negotiation skills, ability to build effective coalitions to move the deals forward.
• Demonstrated ability to forge relationships and work in a hands-on collaborative fashion with many different disciplines both inside and outside the company.
• Ability to function autonomously, drive strategic decisions, and execute deals from sourcing to deal close.
• Comfortable in high visibility situations, ability to demonstrate executive presence, and gain the trust and respect of research and development colleagues.
• Strong presentation and communication skills, and the ability to influence and work successfully with varied audiences including colleagues, scientific and technical leaders, financial institutions, pharmaceutical and business partners, collaborators, and senior executives.

• Highly developed organisational skills, operational skills, and ability to understand the content of and memorialize interactions with potential partners.
• Ability to multi-task in while ensuring consistent attention and prioritisation of the most critical and visible projects.
• Self-motivated, attention to detail, and proven ability to work well on teams.

Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, and skill of our team, with an inclusive culture of respect, encouragement, and teamwork.  Members of our global team have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues, while developing their own careers.

Required Skills:

Acquisitions Divestitures, Acquisitions Divestitures, Animal Health Care, Biopharmaceutical Industry, Biopharmaceuticals, Biopharmaceutics, Coalition Building, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Developing Proposals, Drug Discovery Process, Environmental Scanning, Executive Presence, Financial Feasibility Studies, Immunoassays, Immunology, Immunotherapy, Market Research, Multitasking, New Business Development, Operations Analysis, Pharmaceutical Biology, Professional Networking, Project Management, Project Portfolio Management (PPM), Self Motivation {+ 2 more}

Preferred Skills:

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Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

07/13/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.