Director, BD Early Stage

CSL Vifor; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 231,000 - 299,000; Full time

Job summary

CSL Vifor seeks a Director of BD Early Stage to lead evaluation of early-stage external opportunities from Due Diligence Stage 2 through NBO negotiations. The role integrates scientific advances, therapeutic trends and market dynamics to guide CSL’s BD investment decisions, offering deep subject-matter leadership and enterprise-level judgement.

You will develop investment-ready assessments, translate complex narratives into concise recommendations, and shape governance papers for senior leaders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related; advanced degree preferred.
• 5–10+ years in pharma/biotech with exposure to Search & Evaluation, early‑stage BD, R&D strategy or new product planning.
• Demonstrated ability to assess scientific/commercial potential and influence governance decisions.
• Experience partnering across R&D, Commercial, Finance, Regulatory, and Transactions in a global matrix.

Responsibilities

• Lead evaluation of early-stage external assets, technologies, platforms and modalities aligned to TA Strategy from Due Diligence Stage 2 to Governance to negotiation of NBO.
• Integrate scientific, clinical, mechanistic, regulatory and commercial evidence into holistic assessments of attractiveness, differentiation and enterprise and TA strategic fit.
• Deliver investment-quality inputs such as valuation assumptions, scenario modelling, unmet need assessments, deal analogues and downstream implications.
• Translate complex scientific and clinical narratives into clear, concise and decision-ready recommendations for CSL senior leaders.
• Provide recommendations on progressing, deferring or declining opportunities based on enterprise priorities and the TA Strategy.
• Apply CSL’s evaluation standards and prioritization frameworks to ensure rigor, consistency and balanced risk-benefit assessment.
• Develop and maintain key external partnerships with potential partners in close collaboration with R&D Search.
• Partner with BD Transactions to shape valuation logic, risk scenarios, deal structures and diligence readiness for advanced opportunities.
• Engage with global cross-functional partners including Commercial, Medical, Clinical Development, Regulatory, Technical Operations, Strategy, Finance to inform integrated and robust evaluation outputs.
• Prepare high-quality evaluation summaries, strategic assessments and decision papers for enterprise governance and other senior bodies as needed.
• Ensure evaluation outputs reflect analytical depth, strategic clarity, scientific credibility and integrated cross-functional perspectives.
• Support enterprise capital allocation and portfolio shaping discussions with clear strategic logic and evidence-driven recommendations.
• Strengthen organizational capability in scientific evaluation, market analysis, disease modelling and structured diligence within the BD function.

Skills

Strong scientific literacy

High analytical capability

Relationship building

Executive level communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Comfort with ambiguity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related

Advanced degree (PhD, MD, PharmD, MSc, MBA)

Job description

The Director, BD Early Stage leads the assessment of early-stage external innovation opportunities from Due Diligence Stage 2 to negotiation of a Non-Binding Offer (NBO). The role integrates evolving scientific advances, therapeutic trends and market dynamics to guide CSL's long-range BD investment decisions in early-stage opportunities. It provides deep subject-matter leadership and enterprise-level judgement to ensure potential partnerships and acquisitions advance CSL’s portfolio impact, scientific differentiation and competitive positioning.

Responsibilities & Accountabilities

External Innovation Evaluation Leadership:

• Lead evaluation of early-stage external assets, technologies, platforms and modalities aligned to TA Strategy from Due Diligence Stage 2 through Governance to negotiation of NBO.

• Integrate scientific, clinical, mechanistic, regulatory and commercial evidence into holistic assessments of attractiveness, differentiation and enterprise and TA strategic fit.

Development of Investment-Ready Assessments:

• Deliver investment-quality inputs such as valuation assumptions, scenario modelling, unmet need assessments, deal analogues and downstream implications (e.g., biomarker requirements, specialized development pathways, manufacturing needs).

• Translate complex scientific and clinical narratives into clear, concise and decision-ready recommendations for CSL senior leaders.

Strategic Judgement and Opportunity Prioritization:

• Provide recommendations on progressing, deferring or declining opportunities based on enterprise priorities and the TA Strategy.

• Apply CSL’s evaluation standards and prioritization frameworks to ensure rigor, consistency and balanced risk-benefit assessment.

Cross-Functional Partnership and Collaboration:

• Develop and maintain key external partnerships with potential partners in close collaboration with R&D Search.

• Partner with BD Transactions to shape valuation logic, risk scenarios, deal structures and diligence readiness for advanced opportunities.

• Engage with global cross-functional partners including Commercial, Medical, Clinical Development, Regulatory, Technical Operations, Strategy, Finance to inform integrated and robust evaluation outputs.

Governance and Decision Support:

• Prepare high-quality evaluation summaries, strategic assessments and decision papers for enterprise governance (e.g. PRISM, REDC) and other senior bodies as needed (e.g. PDCa, IDC).

• Ensure evaluation outputs reflect analytical depth, strategic clarity, scientific credibility and integrated cross-functional perspectives.

• Support enterprise capital allocation and portfolio shaping discussions with clear strategic logic and evidence-driven recommendations.

Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Strengthen organizational capability in scientific evaluation, market analysis, disease modelling and structured diligence within the BD function.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology, Physiology or a related discipline (required); Advanced degree such as PhD, MD, PharmD, MSc, MBA, or equivalent scientific/commercial qualification (strongly preferred).

Experience

• 5-10+ years inpharmaceutical/biotechwith substantive exposure to Search &Evaluation, early‑stage BD, R&D strategy or new product planning

• Proven ability to assess scientific/commercial potential and influence governance decisions

• Demonstrated success evaluating external opportunities, leading negotiations and influencing cross-functional and senior-level decisions

• Experience partnering across R&D, Commercial, Finance, Regulatory, and Transactions in a global matrix

• Proven abilitysupportinginvestment cases and contribute meaningfully to diligence and strategic evaluations

Competencies

• Strong scientific literacy across modalities and early development (discovery/preclinical through Phase I)

• High analytical capability (competitive analysis, landscape mapping, scenario modelling, early valuation logic)

• Relationship ‑ building and external engagement

• Executive ‑ level communication and storytelling; concise, decision ‑ oriented materials for governance

• Cross ‑ functional influence and collaborationwithin a complex global, matrix environment

• Comfort with ambiguity and fast decision cycles in early‑stage deal environments

The expected base salary range for this position at hiring is $231,000 - $299,000. Please note this salary range reflects the minimum and maximum base pay that CSL expects to pay for this position at the Waltham, MA location as of the time of this posting. Individual base salary for a successful candidate is determined by qualifications, skill level, experience, competencies and other relevant factors. In addition to base salary, total compensation for this role may also include incentive compensation and equity.