Director, Business Development

St. Jude; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital seeks a Director of Business Development to drive translation of scientific innovations into market-ready therapies, diagnostics, and digital health solutions.

The role leads industry collaborations, licensing, and strategic alliances, aligning business objectives with the hospital’s mission to improve outcomes for children worldwide. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in life sciences business development, technology commercialization, and

Qualifications

• Expertise in translating scientific innovations to market opportunities.
• Experience leading BD strategies across biopharma, diagnostics, medical devices, or digital health.
• Proven track record negotiating licenses and strategic collaborations.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development efforts for translation of innovations to market pathways, including partnerships, licenses, and startup recruitment.
• Execute the organization's business development strategy aligned with the mission.
• Perform due diligence on market, regulatory, and feasibility aspects of innovations.

Skills

Life sciences business development

Technology commercialization

Strategic partnerships

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Industry conferences

Job description

The Director, Business Development is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive business development, partnering, and commercialization strategies that maximize the impact of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's technologies. This role leads the identification, evaluation, negotiation, and management of industry collaborations, licensing, strategic alliances, and other transactional opportunities that accelerate the translation of research into therapies, diagnostics, digital health solutions, and other products that improve outcomes for children worldwide.

Serving as a key liaison with external industry partners, the Director cultivates and maintains relationships across the life sciences ecosystem, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, medical device, and healthcare technology organizations. The role provides strategic leadership in assessing commercial opportunities, developing partnership and licensing strategies, structuring and negotiating terms, and ensuring alignment between business objectives and St. Jude's mission to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases.

The successful candidate brings deep expertise in life sciences business development, technology commercialization, and strategic partnering, along with a demonstrated ability to navigate complex scientific, business, and financial considerations. This leader collaborates across multidisciplinary teams and drives initiatives that expand the global reach and impact of St. Jude innovations while generating resources and partnerships that support the mission.

Through strategic industry engagement and innovative partnership models, the Director, Business Development plays a critical role in translating breakthrough science into real-world impact, ensuring that discoveries originating at St. Jude reach patients, healthcare providers, and researchers worldwide while advancing the institution's mission and long-term research objectives.

This position may be eligible for remote work. However, St. Jude requires all remote employees to:

Travel to our Memphis campus for the interview process and/or orientation, if selected

Travel to Memphis to work on‑site for one week per quarter, or as requested based on business needs, if hired.

This position is remote within approved U.S. locations. Due to state‑specific employment regulations, we are unable to consider applicants currently residing in California for remote work; however, candidates based in California who are willing to relocate to an approved location may be considered.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead business development efforts for the translation of innovations to market pathways, including strategic industry partnerships and collaborations, licenses, and startup executive and investor recruitment.
• Execute the organization's business development strategy in alignment with the mission.
• Conduct of due diligence, including development, market, and regulatory assessments, and other required aspects to determine market feasibility of innovations.
• Once market feasibility is reasonably established for mission innovations, create a business development plan to market innovations to industry collaborators/partners, life sciences executives, investors, and investment bankers.
• Identify and evaluate new business development opportunities, including partnerships, collaborations, and licensing agreements.
• Lead negotiations with potential partners and collaborators to ensure engagements align with the organization's mission and when warranted secure favorable terms and agreements.
• Engage with internal stakeholders conducting research and making discoveries to drive the successful development of innovations for translation to market pathways.
• Oversight of external consultants and services engaged to perform work as required.
• Ensure early, close, and continuous collaboration with the organization's Clinical, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Legal, Compliance, and other teams for reporting, awareness, smooth handoffs, co-management, and full engagement to achieve consistency, compliance with organizational policies, industry regulations, and ethical standards.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external key stakeholders and collaborators, including researchers, scientists, doctors, investors, industry partners, and other institutions to optimize outcomes.
• Represent the organization at industry conferences, events, and with industry partners, investors and entrepreneurs.
• Monitor industry trends and competitive landscape to identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to assess market trends, competitive landscape, and potential growth opportunities
• Design new processes and supporting business structures and recommend solutions that drive process standardization and simplification across the depart