Sr Alliance Manager, China External Innovation

Scorpion Therapeutics; Virginia (IL); On-site; USD 89,000 - 133,000; Full time

Job summary

Scorpion Therapeutics in Shanghai seeks a senior Alliance Management and Project Lead to coordinate end-to-end external collaborations with biotech companies and academic institutions, guiding deal execution, governance, and post-deal outcomes.

You will serve as the primary operational interface between Scorpion Therapeutics and external partners, ensuring negotiations, governance, and execution from contract signature through science and pipeline milestones.

Qualifications

• PhD in life sciences or related field.
• 5+ years' experience in alliance management and project management in pharma/biotech.
• Experience with biotech partnerships and SRAs/co-research agreements.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end external collaborations with biotech companies and academic institutions, covering deal execution and post-deal alliance management.
• Serve as the primary operational and governance interface between Scorpion Therapeutics and external partners to ensure collaborations are negotiated, governed, and executed from contract signature through outcomes.
• Deal execution & contracting coordination: coordinate external collaboration deal execution, align internal stakeholders (scientific, legal, BD, finance).
• Support negotiation of research scope, milestones, governance, and contractual terms.
• Work with sourcing Directors, Alliance Management, Legal, IP, and BD to translate scientific intent into executable agreements and ensure alignment with standards and compliance requirements.
• Support progression through R&D External Innovation governance and decision processes.
• Post-deal alliance management & project coordination: act as day-to-day alliance lead after deal signature, establish governance structures; coordinate meetings, milestones, timelines, and deliverables.
• Track budgets, payments, and contractual obligations; ensure clear roles/responsibilities and communication flows.
• Proactively identify/manage risks, issues, and dependencies; escalate when needed.

Skills

Alliance management

Project management

Contract negotiation

Governance

Stakeholder management

Education

PhD in life sciences, pharmacology, chemistry, biology, or related discipline

Job description

Role purpose / responsibilities:

• Coordinate end-to-end external collaborations with biotech companies and academic institutions, covering deal execution and post-deal alliance management.
• Serve as the primary operational and governance interface between Novo Nordisk and external partners to ensure collaborations are efficiently negotiated, well-governed, and successfully executed from contract signature through scientific and pipeline outcomes.
• Deal execution & contracting coordination:
  • Coordinate external collaboration deal execution, aligning internal stakeholders (scientific, legal, BD, finance).
  • Support negotiation of research scope, milestones, governance, and contractual terms.
  • Work with Sourcing Directors, Alliance Management, Legal, IP, and BD to translate scientific intent into executable agreements and ensure alignment with Novo Nordisk standards and compliance requirements.
  • Support progression through R&D External Innovation governance and decision processes.
• Post-deal alliance management & project coordination:
  • Act as day-to-day alliance lead after deal signature: establish/run governance structures; coordinate meetings, milestones, timelines, and deliverables.
  • Track budgets, payments, and contractual obligations; ensure clear roles/responsibilities and communication flows.
  • Proactively identify/manage risks, issues, and dependencies; escalate when needed.

Qualifications:

• PhD in life sciences, pharmacology, chemistry, biology, or related discipline.
• 5+ years’ experience in alliance management and project management, including external collaborations within pharma/biotech.
• Hands-on experience managing biotech partnerships and academic SRAs/co-research agreements.
• Familiarity with research collaboration contracts, milestone-based agreements, and governance models in R&D collaborations.

Working conditions:

• Based in Shanghai; up to ~20% travel within China as required.