Director – Strategic Collaborations & External Partnerships

Director – Strategic Collaborations & External Partnerships

Join Kite Pharma to help shape where our business and scientific advances go next. Kite Pharma is dedicated to curing cancer through personalized CAR T‑cell therapies and cutting‑edge immunotherapies.

We are seeking a Director of Strategic Collaborations & External Partnerships for Kite’s Evidence Generation organization. The role focuses on partnering with academic collaborators to deliver transformative data, supporting strategic priorities through a portfolio of external partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Establish a standard operating model for vetting, initiating, and evaluating strategic collaborations.

Partner with Evidence Generation Strategy Leads and Program Managers to define metrics for screening and evaluating proposals, ensuring each collaboration has KPIs to demonstrate effectiveness and lead best‑practice application.

Align product‑level evidence generation priorities with partnership objectives, communicating a refreshed and consistent strategic framework.

Provide strategic oversight for key collaborations, managing governance activities and supporting partner‑of‑choice delivery.

Collaborate with Alliance Management, Medical, and R&D stakeholders to maintain visibility into potential challenges, risks, and opportunities, fostering proactive issue resolution.

Prepare and present regular reports on progress, outcomes, and impact of collaborations to senior leadership.

Negotiate and manage partnership agreements, ensuring compliance and financial discipline, while contributing new project‑management approaches and reporting tools.

Basic Qualifications

Advanced scientific degree (MD, PharmD, PhD) and 8+ years of biotech / pharmaceutical industry experience, or

Master’s degree and 10+ years of industry experience, or

Bachelor’s degree and 12+ years of industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Strong scientific background in clinical / pre‑clinical research or experience in Clinical Research / Development or Medical Affairs.

Proven ability to build effective relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders in a matrixed, fast‑changing environment.

Strategic thinking, framework development skills, and experience applying them at scale.

Proactive, self‑motivated, and resourceful, able to navigate ambiguity and know when to seek support.

Strong presentation and stakeholder communication skills.

International experience and familiarity with a distributed workforce a plus.

Proficiency with Smartsheet, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), and other reporting tools.

Compensation

Bay Area : $226,185 – $292,710

Other US Locations : $205,615 – $266,090

Compensation may include discretionary annual bonus, stock‑based incentives, paid time off, and a benefits package, including company‑sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Kite Pharma is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Employment decisions are made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. “Reasonable accommodation” is available for applicants who require assistance during the application process.

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