Director/Sr. Director, Business Development & Corporate Strategy
Dendreon · Seal Beach, California, United States · onsite
WHO WE ARE:
At Dendreon, we’re transforming the battle against cancer with personalized immunotherapy. Our flagship product, PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T), was the first FDA-approved immunotherapy for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, utilizing a patient’s own immune cells to fight the disease.
If you’re driven by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on cancer patients’ lives, we invite you to join our team. With Immunotherapy Manufacturing Facilities in Seal Beach, CA, and Union City, GA, a talented team of scientific, clinical, regulatory, and corporate professionals based in Seal Beach, and a commercial organization operating across the United States, Dendreon continues to advance innovation in personalized cancer treatment.
CORE VALUES:
- Put Patients First: Every day is an opportunity to improve the lives of those living with cancer.
- Act with Integrity: We commit to transparency, honesty, and always doing what’s right.
- Build Trust: Trust is earned through candid, open communication and a collaborative approach.
- Raise the Bar: We embrace continuous improvement and innovation, always striving to elevate our people.
- Drive Results: We are accountable to each other and deliver success together.
WHO WE ARE:
At Dendreon, we’re transforming the battle against cancer with personalized immunotherapy. Our flagship product, PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T), was the first FDA-approved immunotherapy for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, utilizing a patient’s own immune cells to fight the disease.
If you’re driven by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on cancer patients’ lives, we invite you to join our team. With Immunotherapy Manufacturing Facilities in Seal Beach, CA, and Union City, GA, a talented team of scientific, clinical, regulatory, and corporate professionals based in Seal Beach, and a commercial organization operating across the United States, Dendreon continues to advance innovation in personalized cancer treatment.
CORE VALUES:
- Put Patients First: Every day is an opportunity to improve the lives of those living with cancer.
- Act with Integrity: We commit to transparency, honesty, and always doing what’s right.
- Build Trust: Trust is earned through candid, open communication and a collaborative approach.
- Raise the Bar: We embrace continuous improvement and innovation, always striving to elevate our people.
- Drive Results: We are accountable to each other and deliver success together.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Director/Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy will drive Dendreon’s growth through strategic partnerships, licensing, and corporate development initiatives. This role requires an experienced biotech or pharmaceutical business development leader with a track record of advancing innovative, late-stage (Phase II/III), first-in-class assets. The Director/Senior Director will lead global opportunity sourcing, diligence, and deal execution, while partnering cross-functionally to evaluate international assets and collaborations, support CDMO business development, and engage with financial investment partners.
Responsibilities:
- Strategic Partnerships & Investment-Driven Growth
- Serve as a key corporate strategist identifying high-impact opportunities for external innovation and investment.
- Identify, evaluate, and lead strategic transactions and investments aligned with Dendreon’s business strategy, including first-in-class and differentiated therapeutic modalities (e.g., ADCs or other complex platforms).
- Biotech Business Development & Asset Acquisition
- Lead the search, evaluation, and acquisition of innovative clinical- to commercial-stage therapeutic assets, with emphasis on late-stage (Phase II/III), first-in-class programs aligned with Dendreon’s core therapeutic areas, including immunotherapy, urology, and oncology.
- Evaluate complex therapeutic modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) or similarly advanced platforms, assessing scientific differentiation, clinical risk, and commercial potential.
- Conduct robust diligence with cross-functional support from Clinical, Regulatory, CMC, IP, Commercial, and Finance to drive informed decisions and maximize asset value.
- Develop detailed market assessments, forecasts, valuation models, and scenario analyses for internal and external opportunities.
- Partner closely with internal teams (R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, Commercial, Finance, Legal/IP) to perform scientific and commercial diligence, valuation modeling, and competitive landscape analyses.
- CDMO Strategy & Business Development
- Build and execute a business development plan to position Dendreon’s manufacturing capabilities as a CDMO partner for emerging and established biotech clients.
- Identify and engage prospective CDMO partners, from early-stage startups to mid-size biotechs, structuring proposals and partnerships that leverage Dendreon’s technical and operational strengths.
- Collaborate with Technical Operations, Quality, and Regulatory to ensure operational readiness and partner alignment on timelines and technical feasibility.
- Represent Dendreon at relevant CDMO and manufacturing conferences and in client-facing discussions.
- Deal Structuring, Negotiation & Execution
- Lead the structuring, negotiation, and execution of term sheets and definitive agreements for BD and CDMO transactions.
- Manage internal due diligence processes, coordinate with legal on contract development, and align stakeholders on deal terms and governance.
- Executive Strategy & Portfolio Planning
- Partner with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to refine corporate strategy and long-range planning.
- Prepare and present executive summaries, board materials, and strategic recommendations based on external opportunity assessments
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Required Experience & Skills:
- 7-10+ years of progressive experience in business development in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry.
- Demonstrated ability to lead BD, M&A, licensing, or investment transactions from sourcing through execution.
- Advanced degree required: MBA, PhD, MD, or equivalent scientific or financial training.
- Strong understanding of complex therapeutic modalities, such as ADCs, biologics, cell therapies, or other advanced platforms.
- Deep financial acumen including valuation modeling, risk/return analysis, and deal structuring.
- Executive presence and excellent communication skills with ability to build trust internally and externally.
- Strong cross-functional leadership with proven ability to influence stakeholders across Clinical, Technical Ops, Regulatory, and Legal.
- Deal Sheet Required.
- Willingness to travel up to 50%+, including international travel.
Preferred Experience:
- Board-level exposure or experience presenting to board/investment committees.
- Direct experience supporting or leading CDMO strategy or partnerships.
- Strong network within the VC/PE community focused on early- to mid-stage biotech.
- Familiarity with oncology, immunotherapy, urology, or cellular immunotherapies. Prior operating experience within a biotech or biopharma company.
- Consulting or operating experience in high-growth biotech or commercial-stage biopharma environments.
- Global experience with international partnerships, particularly the biotech or pharmaceutical environments in China.
- Experience in venture capital, private equity, or investment banking within the life sciences industry.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
- On-site in Seal Beach, CA. This position is NOT remote.
- This position operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential funct