Assistant Director/ Associate Director, Business Development

Ionis-Pharmaceuticals; Carlsbad (CA); Hybrid; USD 124,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits package

Job summary

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. seeks an Assistant Director/Associate Director, Business Development to drive strategic licensing, external innovation, and BD operations. You will manage transactions end-to-end, coordinating with research, development, commercial, and legal teams.

The role requires 8+ years in biotech/pharma BD with strong negotiation and cross-functional leadership. Onsite/hybrid work in Carlsbad, CA is available; travel and fast-paced collaboration are expected.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of Biotech/Pharmaceutical industry experience.
• 8+ years in business development, corporate development, consulting or investment banking within biotech/pharmaceutical industry.
• BS in Life, Physical or Behavioral Sciences; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Proven ability to influence without authority.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, writing, analytical and communication skills.
• Deep understanding of drug discovery and development process.
• Experience with secondary market research techniques (literature searches, market trends, competitive intelligence).
• Ability to multi-task and manage BD activities across multiple therapeutic areas.

Responsibilities

• Write thoughtful and concise business proposals, concept papers and term sheets for executive audiences.
• Establish productive relationships with BD leadership and department heads to align on goals.
• Lead meetings and support activities from concept to closing of deals.
• Lead due diligence in licensing transactions.
• Support or lead partnering meetings at conferences.
• Cultivate relationships with BD contacts and key decision makers.

Skills

Biotech/Pharma BD experience

Negotiation & deal leadership

Influence without authority

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS in Life/Physical/Behavioral Sciences

MBA or advanced scientific degree preferred

Job description

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following our Accessibility Accomodation for Applicants page.

Assistant Director/ Associate Director, Business Development

• Posted on November 6, 2026

Locations

Showing 1 location

• R&D Support - Ionis
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: IONIS004174

Description

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We’re pioneers in RNA-targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs. With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.

At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees.

With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive.

We’re building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you’re passionate about the opportunity to have meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR/ ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

SUMMARY

The Assistant Director/Associate Director will be responsible for supporting the business team and leading transactions in pursuit of key business initiatives. This individual will be primarily responsible for executing on Business Development goals including product licensing deals, external innovation, and BD operations. They will lead all aspects of structuring and managing a transaction, from generating leads to contract negotiation, and work closely with the research, development, commercial and legal teams on a wide range of projects.

This role requires strong attention to detail and prior experience supporting or leading transactions. A successful candidate must demonstrate an ability to think critically, adapt to shifting goals/strategy, perform under pressure, and navigate a complex multi-stakeholder environment. They will be expected to both thrive in a team environment and efficiently execute on individual project assignments.

WORK LOCATION

onsite/hybrid – Carlsbad, CA

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Write thoughtful and concise business proposals, concept papers and term sheets that effectively communicate the key tenets, strategic objectives and details of a transaction to an executive-level audience
• Quickly establish productive working relationships with BD leadership and other Department Heads to align on key partnering goals and issues
• Lead internal and external meetings and other support activities throughout the deal process from concept to closing
• Lead due diligence efforts in both the in licensing and out licensing transactions
• Perform technical analyses supporting business cases, including market sizing, research on specific companies or products, and industry trends
• Support or lead effective partnering meetings at business development and scientific conferences
• Cultivate high-quality relationships with business development contacts and key decision markers at potential partner companies
• Contribute to establishing and achieving the annual business development goals

REQUIREMENTS

• 8+ years of Biotech/Pharmaceutical industry experience
• 8+ years of directly related experience in business development, corporate development, consulting or investment banking within the biotech/pharmaceutical Industry
• Bachelors of Science degree preferably in Life, Physical or Behavioral Sciences (MBA or advanced scientific degree is preferred)
• Proven ability to achieve influence without authority
• Outstanding interpersonal skills as well as excellent organizational, writing, analytical, and communication skills
• Strong understanding of the drug discovery and development process
• Deep understanding of secondary market research techniques (literature searches, market trends, competitive intelligence)
• Ability to multi-task and manage business development activities for multiple therapeutic areas
• Ability to work successfully in an interdisciplinary team setting and collaborate with leaders across the company
• Confident and competent when interacting with varying levels of management and colleagues; comfortable participating in open debate to identify new ideas, and respectfully challenge concepts and hypotheses
• Assumes ownership of, and personal responsibility for jobs/projects and associated timelines
• Fosters substantive relationships and credibility internally and externally
• Able to be productive and successful in an intense work environment

Ionis offers an excellent benefits package! Follow this link for more details: Ionis Benefits

The pay scale for this position is $124,000 to $230,000

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. PRINCIPALS ONLY.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and all its subsidiaries are proud to be EEO employers.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.