Senior Director, Alliance Management and Strategic Partnerships

Zealand Pharma; Søborg; On-site; DKK 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Zealand Pharma is seeking a Senior Director of Alliance Management to lead the partner-to-market agenda, govern partnerships and maximize value across the asset lifecycle. You will drive cross-functional collaboration with Business Development, commercial teams and external partners to ensure strategic alignment from early science through launch and lifecycle management.

You will shape deal theses, assess portfolio gaps, and manage governance, milestones and risk across the partnership

Qualifications

• 10+ years in biopharma, partnering, alliance management or BD
• Deep drug development and commercialization knowledge
• Strong strategic/commercial deal sense and value reasoning
• Experience with US market dynamics and pricing
• Knowledge of China market is a plus
• Ability to challenge early science with end product in mind

Responsibilities

• Shape partner-to-market agenda and strategy
• Lead strategic partnership assessments with BD
• Maximize value via governance and milestone delivery
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Zealand and partners
• Prepare partnerships for commercial launch and market access
• Unlock lifecycle expansion opportunities with partners

Skills

Alliance management

Strategic/Commercial acumen

Relationship management

Negotiation

Job description

Your new position

Does it excite you to work with partners to bring new medicines to the market and to patients, and do you have experience with taking partnerships from early science through to launch? If this sounds like you, and you are ready to take on a broad area of responsibilities, then you could be our new colleague.

This Senior Director position reports to the SVP for Alliance Management, within a growing area of Commercial. The ambition is to evolve the mandate from ensuring partnerships are well governed and deliver against contractual obligations to maximizing the strategic, scientific and commercial value of our external partnerships across the asset lifecycle: from early science through development, regulatory approval, launch and lifecycle management. As we grow, the position offers the opportunity to build a "partner-to-market" value proposition for the entire organization and to shape the area that delivers it.

We Offer Exciting Responsibilities

• Shape and drive the partner-to-market agenda, keeping the route to market in focus and contributing to the strategy, operating model and growth of the area
• Lead strategic partnership assessments, from partner identification and deal thesis development to close collaboration with Business Development and the identification of portfolio and capability gaps that partnerships can address
• Maximize the value of partnered assets through strong alliance governance, timely milestone delivery and proactive risk management across the partnership portfolio
• Drive cross-functional alignment between Zealand teams and partners, and resolve escalations and conflicts constructively and swiftly
• Prepare partnerships for commercial success through launch readiness, market access collaborations and co-commercialization models
• Unlock lifecycle expansion opportunities with partners, including new indications that extend the value of Zealand assets

Your profile

You are motivated by the path from molecules to market, and by combining Zealand's strengths with those of our partners to reach patients faster and further. Alliance management experience is a strength, and you have a genuine motivation to drive partnership progress with the patient always in view. You are a strategic and commercially minded partner who builds trust easily, influences without relying on formal authority, and is energized by building something new in a growing organization. Curiosity, resilience and a bold, collaborative approach come naturally to you.

• Minimum 10 years of experience in biopharma or big pharma, within partnering, business development, alliance management, commercial or development roles
• Deep understanding of drug development and commercialization, demonstrated through hands‑on experience from regulatory approval, launch readiness, market access or co-commercialization, and the ability to connect early scientific decisions to commercial outcomes
• Strong strategic and commercial acumen, including deal structures, partnership economics and deal thesis development, with the ability to assess where a partnership creates the most value for patients and for Zealand across the asset lifecycle
• Solid understanding of US market dynamics, including pricing, payer and market access considerations that shape partnered commercial strategies
• Solid understanding and experience working with Chinese market is an advantage
• Ability to challenge early science and clinical development programs with the end product in mind, ideally with experience within obesity and metabolic health

Your new team

Alliance Management reports to the Executive Vice President for Commercial and works at the interface between our partners and our internal functions across research, development, regulatory, commercial and business development

Let\'s bond and be bold

We have a unique culture, characterized by excellent teamwork and strong engagement across the organization. And we want you to help us strengthen this culture.

Making bonds is at the core of everything we do. From discovering and developing the best new peptide drugs for patients, to engaging with our partners or connecting with each other. We bond through curiosity and playfulness as a team, allowing ourselves to challenge common thinking and drive future innovation. Join us and \"let\'s bond and be bold.\"

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and welcome applications from all job applicants.

About Zealand Pharma A/S

Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) is a biotechnology company focused on advancing medicines for obesity and metabolic health. Combining more than 25 years of peptide R&D expertise with a proprietary data platform that leverages advanced data‑driven and AI/ML approaches, Zealand Pharma aims to lead a new era in obesity and metabolic health. To date, more than ten Zealand Pharma‑invented drug candidates have entered clinical development, of which two products have reached the market and three candidates are in late‑stage development. The Company has collaborations with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners for research, development, and commercialization. Founded in 1998, Zealand Pharma is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a U.S. presence in Boston, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.zealandpharma.com.