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Finance
South San Francisco, California, United States
03/09/23

Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Strategy

At Lyell, our vision is to develop curative cell-based immunotherapies for solid tumor cancers. We have innovative science originating from our founder’s world class labs and a unique and disruptive approach to research and development. Our company is first and foremost focused on understanding the science. We are a learning organization, dependent on deep collaborative relationships between all of our colleagues, partners and founders. Our culture is based on Science, Respect, Collaboration and Courage and it reflects who we are and the environment we are creating.

Position Summary:

This position provides business development leadership on analyzing and executing the company’s partnering strategy and ecosystem building/expansion/evolution, ensuring cross-functional alignment and support by working closely with the Lyell Executive Committee and appropriate governance teams. The corporate strategy component of the role ensures that the company has a clear, data-driven strategy that accurately evaluates and understands internal and external opportunities to support and guide Lyell’s vision and direction.

Key Role and Responsibilities:

Business Development:

  • Lead the identification, evaluation, and due diligence of partnering opportunities in line with Lyell’s strategy and needs. Partner closely with Research & Development to evaluate new technologies and potential opportunities
  • Negotiate and implement major company contracts in partnership with Lyell’s Legal Team, including in-licensing and out-licensing deals and strategic collaborations
  • Lead the company’s Transaction Team, a cross-functional group comprised of Business Development, Legal, Intellectual Property, and Alliance Management which vets and develops detailed recommendations for company transactions large and small (with final presentation and facilitation of decision-making at corporate-level governance committees)
  • Own the company’s Alliance Management effort to facilitate the lifecycle of all Lyell partners, including potential expansion of scope and advancement to development and commercialization

Corporate Strategy:

  • Build and maintain a detailed understanding of Lyell’s pipeline, technologies, and scientific position to help the organization make informed short and long-term decisions about Lyell’s strategy and direction
  • Guide Lyell’s Executive Committee in analyzing business decisions and special projects related to Lyell’s strategy through meticulous, insightful analysis and influential communication and interpersonal skills
  • Partner with Program Management, Legal/Intellectual Property, and Finance to accurately reflect the ongoing state of key programs and partnerships within the Corporate Strategy
  • Work collaboratively across the company to facilitate strategic alignment amongst Research, Development, Information Sciences, and CMC
  • Collaborate closely with Finance to ensure Lyell’s Long Range Plan has robust and clear assumptions and supports near- and longer-term strategic objectives
  • Lead the company’s competitive intelligence efforts for awareness and to inform strategic decisions in the context of the broader competitive landscape

Preferred Experience and Education:

  • Strong executive leadership experience with business/corporate development or operations familiarity
  • In-depth mergers and acquisitions experience within a biotech industry
  • BSc in biology, oncology or related field with a minimum of 20 years’ experience; or
  • MBA or MSc in biology, oncology or related field with a minimum of 17 years experience

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Demonstrated ability to build, lead and empower teams across multiple functions
  • Collaborative leadership style
  • Proven strength in contract negotiation with an understanding of legal, IP and regulatory requirements
  • Strong executive presence with the ability to lead executive discussions, focus on detail, and think strategically
At Lyell, we believe that highest performing teams include people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences who respectfully challenge each other. We are committed to building an open, diverse and inclusive culture for all employees.

Lyell is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.
 
The Company complies with all laws respecting equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants with regard to any protected characteristic as defined by federal, state, and local law.  This position requires you to work onsite at the Company’s facilities and the Company requires that all employees working in its facilities be fully vaccinated (except as required by applicable law).  Therefore, this position requires you to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law.  The Company considers you fully vaccinated once 14 days have passed since you received either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.  The vaccine must have been FDA approved, have emergency use authorization from the FDA, or, for persons fully vaccinated outside of the U.S., be listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization.”
 
We’ve learned from experience that some of the best people don’t always match our requirements perfectly - if you’re interested and think you could fit, please don’t hesitate to apply.
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