Director of External Research – Development

Amgen

Director of External Research & Development at Amgen leading business development efforts in innovative therapeutic evaluations. Collaborating across teams to identify external opportunities for licensing and partnerships.

Posted 5/28/2026full-timeThousand Oaks • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $191,355 - $258,893 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead Amgen’s business development efforts in identifying and evaluating innovative therapeutics being developed outside of Amgen
Develop and nurture a network of key industry and academic contacts
Ensure robust communication of ideas, interests and information between the external community and internal groups
Manage the search and identification of opportunities through networking and reviews of the external landscape
Assess and prioritize based on Amgen’s therapeutic area strategy
Lead the technical evaluations of opportunities by creating and managing cross-functional review teams
Provide recommendations based on robust scientific and drug industry knowledge
Ensure appropriate and efficient decision-making processes
Engage in business negotiations and work with legal to execute contractual agreements for certain projects
Responsible for leading strategic discussions and presentations with senior management, R&D, and Commercial.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Doctorate degree in a scientific field & 4 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development
Or Master’s degree in a scientific field & 7 years of experience in drug development industry and/or biopharma business development
Or Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field & 9 years of experience in R&D and/or biopharma business development
Strong leadership, scientific, organizational, communication, and project management skills
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Must demonstrate ability to foresee and solve problems, and prioritize and meet deadlines
Strong team player, experience in successfully managing direct reports and a demonstrated ability to interface effectively with all levels of staff across differing functional expertise.
Professional demeanor with strong decision making.
Be able to work independently, manage large cross functional teams, and mentor individuals.

Benefits

Comp & perks

A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions
group medical, dental and vision coverage
life and disability insurance
flexible spending accounts
A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
Stock-based long-term incentives
Award-winning time-off plans
Flexible work models where possible.

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

drug developmentbiopharma business developmentscientific knowledgetechnical evaluationsproject managementcontractual agreementsstrategic discussionscross-functional reviewnetworkingdecision-making processes

Soft Skills

leadershiporganizational skillscommunication skillsproblem-solvingprioritizationteam playermentoringindependenceinterfacing with staffprofessional demeanor

Certifications

Doctorate degreeMaster’s degreeBachelor’s degree