Director Business Development Search & Evaluation

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc; United States; On-site; USD 203,000 - 226,000; Full time

Job summary

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals is seeking a Director of BD Search & Evaluation to identify and prioritize licensing, acquisition, and partnership opportunities on a global scale. This role reports to the VP and supports Angelini Pharma and the Global Rare Disease unit, guiding diligence and strategic messaging.

The director will drive competitive intelligence, coordinate internal SMEs and external partners, and model patient adoption, revenue forecasts, and business cases for leadership review.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in science; PhD preferred.
• 5–7 years in pharma/biotech strategy or life sciences.
• 3+ years due diligence in licensing, acquisitions or partnerships.
• Proficient with CI databases to monitor markets and tech.
• Strong understanding of drug development and cross-functional roles.
• Advanced Excel with forecasting experience.
• Experience creating concise executive-level presentations.
• Familiar with AI-enabled search and analytics tools.

Responsibilities

• Identify BD opportunities via monitoring disease landscapes and conferences.
• Maintain a real-time BD opportunities database with key fields.
• Prepare overviews to enable prioritization across the portfolio.
• Triage incoming BD opportunities and provide timely feedback.
• Lead preliminary evaluations with SMEs and third parties as needed.
• Provide status updates and present recommendations for leadership.
• Support diligence with internal SMEs and external parties as needed.
• Lead scientific CI efforts across indications and market dynamics.
• Develop Excel-based patient adoption models using epidemiology data.
• Collaborate with M&A to transition to formal due diligence.
• Build relationships with pharma/biotech, academia, investors globally.

Skills

Advanced Excel skills

PowerPoint expertise

Strong communication

Analytical thinking

Independent research

Multi-project management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Advanced scientific degree

Doctorate preferred

Tools

AlphaSense

Biomedtracker

Evaluate

Global Data

Pharmaprojects

IPD Analytics

Excel

Job description

Director Business Development Search & Evaluation

Fully Remote Remote Worker - N/A

The Director, BD Search & Evaluation plays a pivotal role in advancing Angelini Pharma's global growth strategy through the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of strategic licensing, acquisition, and partnership opportunities. This global role supports both Angelini Pharma and the Global Rare Disease Business Unit, helping drive portfolio expansion and long‑term value creation.

Reporting to the Vice President, BD Search & Evaluation, the Director leads the team’s competitive intelligence efforts and preliminary evaluation of potential BD opportunities to inform strategic decision‑making. The position collaborates closely with internal subject matter experts and external stakeholders to conduct due diligence (including scientific, clinical, medical and regulatory assessments). The successful candidate will provide critical support to advance the BD team’s portfolio expansion goals while strengthening Angelini Pharma's reputation as a preferred strategic partner within the global biopharmaceutical industry.

Requirements

Responsibilities (included but not limited to):

• Identify potential BD opportunities via real‑time monitoring of disease landscapes, routine engagement with internal (e.g. R&D colleagues) and external (bankers, advisors) colleagues and participation at key conferences and partnering events
• Develop best practices and leverage in‑house tools to maintain a database for real‑time tracking of all BD opportunities including company/asset‑specific information, project status, timelines, next steps, effective organization of related documents
• Prepare an overview of all new BD opportunities using consistent fields to highlight key information and enable comparison and prioritization of opportunities across the portfolio
• Triage incoming BD opportunities (e.g. from bankers, advisors, target companies, etc) and provide timely, well‑informed feedback
• Lead preliminary evaluations of select BD opportunities (coordinate review by internal SMEs and third parties, as needed) to assess key criteria (e.g. strategic fit, synergies, scientific rationale, probability of clinical/regulatory success and commercial opportunity)
• Provide routine overviews and status updates for BD opportunities with planned/ongoing evaluations (for informational purposes) and present findings/recommendations for BD opportunities once evaluation is complete (for decision‑making purposes)
• Work closely with internal SMEs and engage external parties (as needed) to support diligence efforts and integrate findings into completed assessment for presentation to leadership
• Lead scientific competitive intelligence (CI) efforts using CI databases and tools to maintain up‑to‑date competitive landscapes across selected indications, emerging technologies, and market dynamics
• Regularly communicate relevant CI news and insights to leadership to inform BD strategy
• Develop Excel‑based patient adoption models using well‑informed assumptions regarding disease epidemiology, target patient population, unmet need, competitive threats, reimbursement
• Work closely with M&A team to transition selected BD opportunities from preliminary evaluation to formal due diligence, lead scientific assessments, contribute to business case and valuation
• Establish relationships with pharma/biotech companies, academia, venture investors, incubators and innovation ecosystems globally and build/strengthen Angelini Pharma’s global reputation as a preferred partner

Education/Experience/Skills:

• Advanced scientific degree is required; Doctorate degree is preferred
• 5-7 years of experience in pharma/biotech or life science strategy/consulting; Rare disease experience is preferred
• At least 3 years of experience conducting due diligence assessments of pharma/biotech companies and assets in support of licensing, acquisition and partnership opportunities
• Proficiency with competitive intelligence databases (AlphaSense, Biomedtracker, Evaluate, Global Data, Pharmaprojects, IPD Analytics) to monitor competitive landscapes, emerging technologies and market dynamics
• Strong understanding of the drug development process across all phases (pre‑clinical through approval) and functions (R&D, regulatory, medical affairs, manufacturing, quality, commercial, advocacy
• Advanced Excel skills with experience developing patient adoption models and revenue forecasts
• Demonstrated expertise in developing concise, executive‑level presentations and strategic messaging using PowerPoint
• Experience leveraging AI‑enabled tools and technologies to enhance search evaluation and analytical capabilities is preferred
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong independent research & analytical skills
• Ability to triangulate large amounts of information into concise messaging
• Strong communication, inter‑personal and presentation skills
• Experience working with multi‑disciplinary teams (internal and external)
• Ability to consistently deliver high quality work while managing multiple projects with minimal supervision

The base salary for this position will range from $203,000 to $226,000. Candidate experience, professional licensing, and geographic location will be taken into consideration.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of all required screening and verification processes, including for authority to work in the United States.

EEO Statement

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Agency resumes will only be accepted if the agency is formally engaged by Catalyst Human Resources.