Vice President, Business Development

Vice President, Business Development

Who we are:

Agios is a biopharmaceutical company that is fueled by connections. We thrive in a supportive, fun, and flexible environment full of people empowered to bring their whole selves to work. We care deeply about our work, each other, and the patients who count on us. Our teams cultivate strong bonds with patient communities, healthcare professionals, partners and colleagues, which helps us discover, develop and deliver therapies for rare diseases – and make a bigger difference in their lives. In the U.S., Agios markets a first-in-class pyruvate kinase (PK) activator for the treatment of hemolytic anemia in adults with PK deficiency. Building on the company’s leadership in the field of cellular metabolism, Agios is advancing a robust clinical pipeline of investigational medicines with active and planned programs in alpha- and beta-thalassemia, sickle cell disease, pediatric PK deficiency and MDS-associated anemia.

The impact you will make:

Agios Pharmaceuticals is searching for a dynamic Vice President, Business Development to join our growing Corporate Development team. We want someone who cares about this important work, and who’s driven to connect to our mission of helping these patient communities. The Vice President, Business Development will report to the Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer and will play a critical role in shaping and executing Agios’ strategic growth initiatives through licensing, partnerships and other deal making activities. This individual will be responsible for transaction structuring, negotiation and execution to enhance the company portfolio, expand market opportunities and drive long term value creation.

What you will do:

• Lead the process of identification and evaluation of potential business development opportunities globally. This may exist in both the form of in licensing, out licensing, strategic partnerships, or joint ventures.
• Lead deal negotiations, term sheet development and contract structuring to ensure optimal deal execution
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including R&D, legal, finance, commercial teams to conduct due diligence and assess opportunities 
• Cultivating of external relationships for prospective partners or pipeline targets
• In collaboration with the Chief Corporate Development and Strategy Officer, maintain ownership and development of Agios’ business development strategies by monitoring market trends, analyzing competitive landscape, and identifying emerging opportunities
• Develop financial models business cases in partnership with the finance team and risk assessment to support decision making for potential deals
• Effectively lead complex business transactions with both internal and external teams utilizing strong qualitative and quantitative skills
• Lead, develop, and inspire a high performing team while promoting our strong culture of collaboration, patient allyship, flexibility, and psychological safety

What you bring:

• Advanced degree required (PhD, MSc, MPH, MBA or equivalent)
• Minimum 12 years’ experience in biotech/pharma, including a minimum of 8 years within a business development function
• Demonstrated experience in the rare disease sector strongly preferred
• Proven track record of success in deal execution
• Comprehensive understanding of the drug discovery and development process
• Deep knowledge of business development processes and pharma deal-making drivers
• Strong strategic, analytical, and financial acumen
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Ability to collaboratively influence and drive decision making consensus
• Extremely strong interpersonal skills and ability to respectfully collaborate with both internal and external partners
• Strong organization and project management skills
• Ability to tap into existing and develop new strong internal and external networks
• Experience leading high performing teams of both direct reports and cross-functional partners
• Ability to flex and navigate change while driving forward with decision-making

Work Location:

Location Agnostic: Work location for this role is based on employee's individual preference. This role has the ability to be either remote in the US or hybrid in our Cambridge Headquarters. Hybrid schedules vary but are generally less than 3 days per week onsite and hybrid employees are expected to live within commutable distance to our Cambridge Headquarters. Remote employees work entirely from home except for attending Company sponsored events/ meetings. For employees who choose to work remotely, travel may be required for certain company events commensurate to the above job description.

What we will give you:

• Deliberate Development. Your professional growth as one of our top priorities. 
• Flexibility. We’re all about individual needs. We embrace different perspectives, work styles, health and wellness approaches, care of families and productivity. When you’re at your best, we’re at our best. 
• Premium benefits package. We invest in the health, wellbeing and security of our people with a premium benefits package that is well-rounded and flexible to help meet the varied personal and professional needs of every member of our team.
• Competitive performance-based compensation. This includes both short- and long-term incentives that are connected to our business strategy.
• Psychological safety.  We support an environment of fearlessness. We want you to share your ideas, speak candidly and take data-informed risks to help push the boundaries.
• Commitment to diversity. We strive to foster a welcoming workplace where everyone can thrive. We’re continuously looking to improve the inclusivity of our workforce.
• Commitment to community. We’re an active participant in the communities that surround us – the communities where we live, and the community of people and their loved ones in need of better treatment options for conditions that are often overlooked.

Interested in learning more about what makes our culture unique? Visit the Inside Agios section of our website.