Associate Director, Business Development, Discovery Transactions
Job description
Job Description
Brief Description of Position
Transact Globally to Provide Business Support to our company's Research Laboratories; Work with our company's Research Laboratories, internal partners, and global external collaborators to draft, negotiate and execute a variety of agreement types to further the knowledge, pipeline and reputation of our company.
Advance discovery research via engagement and collaboration with universities, government, not-for-profits, biotech and pharma to support our company's Research Laboratories key objectives and programs, provide access to critical assets, reagents, technologies, access external innovation, and protect our company's intellectual property.
Effectively work cross-functionally and collaboratively with Discovery Transaction colleagues, Corporate Legal, Patent Legal, Research Procurement, Sourcing, our company's Research Laboratories Finance, Clinical Global Agreements Management, Compliance, Discovery Operations, Privacy Office, and our company's Research Laboratories stakeholders and management to transact Agreements in support of our company's Research Laboratories projects to ensure Freedom to Operate and protect our company's Intellectual Property (IP).
Actively listen and seek to understand differing perspectives. Show leadership by working together to achieve common goals. Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure transparency.
Speak openly, honestly and with conviction; have the courage to take appropriate risks and make difficult decisions.
Adhere to the highest standards of trustworthy and ethical behavior in all interactions and hold others to the same standards; comply with all laws, policies, and regulations; identify and address ethical issues without hesitation.
Work with LKR team to utilize SAP/COMET as appropriate for funded agreements and to Add vendors and enter contracts into SAP as needed. Capture SAP payment information in LKR records and Midas Memos.
Adhere to all our company's policies on expenses and expense reporting. If a manager, follow “U.S. Manager’s Policies”.
Contribute to our company's Research Laboratories transformation efforts through communicating our company's vision and reinforcing our company's cultural attributes (ethics and integrity, respect and candor, scientific excellence and ROI, and confidence and humility).
Within BD&L: Support transformation goals of decreasing cycle time, increasing productivity, and increasing employee engagement.
Develop prioritized cross-franchise lists of early space academic and biotech collaborations in support of our company's Research Laboratories objectives.
Execute or enable Discovery Transaction Managers (both TMs and DTMs) to execute, non-exclusive or patent licenses, study agreements, evaluation agreements, MTAs, consulting agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and research collaboration agreements in support of our company's Research Laboratories objectives.
Make timely, rapid and disciplined decisions at the appropriate level with the relevant data and support them once made. Be aware of our company's Policies and Grants of Authority. Alert BD&L management to major upcoming decision points in agreements.
Drive Results by setting clear performance standards; overcoming obstacles; holding ourselves and others accountable for achieving results.
Participate in Discovery Transactions once monthly Senior Staff meetings, Best Practices meetings, and every other week face to face meetings with Direct Reports. Encourage and emulate collaboration and a “Team” environment within the DT group.
Continue active participation and membership in Licensing Executive Society (LES) , University-Industry Development Partnership (UIDP) and Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).
Maintain and encourage others to maintain LES CLP certificate
Provide visible leadership to our company's Research Laboratories clients about compliance and applicable laws and regulations.
Memorialize all interactions in LKR to ensure internal compliance. Follow written guidelines for all LKR documentation for agreements. Enter appropriate descriptions such that report generated from LKR needs no further editing. Follow all BD&L processes for review, approval, and documentation of licensing opportunities.
Provide input to the LKR re-platforming team as appropriate to ensure that improvement of the RFA process is highlighted and the requirements of the DTMs and TMs are met.
Qualifications, Skills & Experience
Bachelor’s in science/law; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 5 years experience in contract negotiation with a fundamental understanding of legal concepts and contract terminology.
Understanding of basic and clinical science, as well as academic, biotech and pharma business.
Solid understanding of the drug development process and enterprise-wide strategic initiatives.
Strong and demonstrable history of working collegially and constructively with internal partners and external collaborators.
Required Skills:
Business Development, Contract Agreements, Contract Negotiations, Contractual Drafting, Developing Proposals, Drug Discovery Research, Due Diligence, Licensing, Pharmaceutical Industry, Transaction Management
Preferred Skills:
Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Licensing, Patent Licensing
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:
We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
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The salary range for this role is
$156,900.00 - $247,000.00
This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.
The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
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:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:
No
Travel Requirements:
10%
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
n/a
Job Posting End Date:
09/4/2026
*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.