Senior Advisor-R&D

Elanco; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Elanco seeks a Senior Advisor, External Innovation to enrich its R&D pipeline by sourcing external opportunities from biotech, startups, universities, and industry partners. You will evaluate assets and lead alliance activities across Elanco's R&D, Global Strategy, Legal, and Regulatory teams to advance compelling proposals.

With 7+ years in animal health R&D or business development and strong communication skills, you will negotiate research agreements and build strategic collaborations that

Qualifications

• Education: DVM or PhD in a relevant biological field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in animal health R&D, development, or a related business development field.
• Proven ability to influence senior leadership and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Map, select, and assess innovation opportunities from diverse sources.
• Lead cross-functional technical assessments with R&D, Marketing, Legal, and Business Development.
• Collaborate with internal teams to design experiments and de-risk opportunities.
• Manage all stages of partner interactions and evaluation, including initial contact, securing internal interest, negotiation, and alliance management.
• Maintain awareness of the external landscape and engage in scientific conferences to scout for assets and advise leadership.
• Establish and maintain relationships with grant funding agencies and other R&D partners; represent Elanco publicly.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Leadership influence

Independent thinking

Biotech background

Education

DVM or PhD in biology

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets.

At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role: Senior Advisor, External Innovation

As a Senior Advisor on the External Innovation team, you will play a pivotal role in enriching Elanco's R&D pipeline. You will actively engage with a diverse network of external innovators—including start-ups, biotech, pharma companies, and universities—at all stages of development. Your primary responsibility is to identify, evaluate, and create compelling proposals for new assets or technologies, bringing them forward in partnership with Elanco's R&D, Global Strategy, Legal, and Regulatory teams. Through your efforts in sourcing and negotiating research agreements, you will directly contribute to Elanco's mission of enhancing pet health and farm animal well-being.

Your Responsibilities:

• Map, select, and assess innovation opportunities from a diverse network of sources, including biotech, start-ups, universities, and small to large companies, based on a strong understanding of target disease biology.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional technical assessments for new leads, working closely with R&D, Marketing, Legal, and Business Development to ensure timely, ethical, and thorough evaluations.
• Collaborate with internal scientific teams to design and implement experiments to validate external opportunities and support de-risking strategies.
• Manage all stages of partner interactions and evaluation, including initial contact, securing internal interest, negotiation, and alliance management activities as required.
• Maintain awareness of the external competitive landscape and engage in scientific conferences to scout for new assets, providing expert recommendations to R&D leadership on go/no-go decisions.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key grant funding agencies and other key R&D partners; represent the public face of Elanco R&D.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or a PhD in a relevant biological field.
• Experience: At least 7 years of experience in animal health research, development, or a related business development field.
• Top Skills: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to influence senior leadership and external partners, coupled with the ability to work independently and make complex business and technical decisions.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Additional experience (>3 years) specifically in Search and Evaluation, Business Development, or Alliance Management within the Animal Health industry.
• An established and relevant network of contacts in academia and within small to medium-sized enterprises in the Animal Health field.
• Demonstrated track record in managing complex collaborations and influencing interdisciplinary scientific and technical teams.
• Deep experience in the Farm Animal or Pet Health market, including the development of pharmaceutical products.
• Proven ability to thrive and provide leadership within a complex, matrix-based organization.

Additional Information:

• Travel: 20-30%

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.