Director, Business Development

Job Title : Director, Business Development

Department : Program Management

Location : On-Site 4 days per week at our Menlo Park, CA, Miami, FL or Princeton, NJ office

About Summit :

Ivonescimab, known as SMT112, is a novel, potential first-in-class investigational

bispecific antibody combining the effects of immunotherapy via a blockade of PD-1 with the anti-angiogenesis effects associated with blocking VEGF into a single molecule. Ivonescimab displays unique cooperative binding to each of its intended targets with multifold higher affinity when in the presence of both PD-1 and VEGF.

Summit has begun its clinical development of ivonescimab in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with three active Phase III trials :

HARMONi is a Phase III clinical trial which intends to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated, locally advanced, or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who have progressed after treatment with a 3rd generation EGFR TKI (e.g., osimertinib).

HARMONi-3 is a Phase III clinical trial which is designed to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

HARMONi-7 is a Phase III clinical trial which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have high PD-L1 expression.

Ivonescimab is an investigational therapy that is not approved by any regulatory authority in Summit’s license territories, including the United States and Europe. Ivonescimab was approved for marketing authorization in China in May 2024. Ivonescimab was granted Fast Track designation by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the HARMONi clinical trial setting

Overview of Role :

The Director, Business Development plays a critical role in advancing the company’s external innovation strategy by identifying, evaluating, and supporting the execution of strategic partnerships or licensing opportunities. This leader works closely with the Department Head and cross-functional teams to drive company growth through external collaborations, to include joint clinical trials. The ideal candidate brings strong scientific & business acumen, transaction & alliance experience, R&D operational capabilities and the ability to navigate complex strategic landscapes with speed, rigor, and creativity. This is a hands-on, end-to-end experience role, where you’ll engage on strategy, searching and securing opportunities from a business development perspective, as well as operationalizing and contributing to the department’s maintenance of strategic alliances.

Role and Responsibilities :

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with R&D, Clinical, Commercial, Market Planning, Legal, and Finance teams to assess strategic fit, risks, and integration requirements for potential deals.

Strategy & Scenario Planning

Maintain a deep understanding of the oncology competitive landscape, emerging modalities, and deal trends to inform BD strategy and prioritization. Partner with internal experts and strategy team members to shape future scenarios and action plans.

Opportunity Identification & Assessment

Evaluate external assets, platforms, and technologies aligned with the company’s oncology strategy and pipeline priorities. Ability to triangulate and prioritize opportunities.

Transaction Support & Execution

Support or lead deal processes including diligence, external communication with potential collaborators, coordinating contracting and related requirements, and preparation of executive materials.

Alliance & Relationship Management

Contribute to collaboration alliance activities or clinical trial project oversight with partner, governance and performance tracking of key alliances, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and operational milestones.

Executive Communication

Prepare high-impact presentations and recommendations for the Department Head or executive leadership, translating complex data into actionable insights & plans. Ability to serve on joint committees and / or facilitate alliance working groups.

Innovation Mindset & Strategic Agility

Bring a proactive, solutions-oriented approach to identifying whitespace opportunities and shaping external growth initiatives.

All other duties as assigned.

Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills :

Bachelors degree required; Advanced degree preferred (MBA, Masters, etc.). Dual scientific and business background is a strong plus.

Minimum of 8+ years of experience in biopharma, with consulting or pharma investment with a focus on business development, strategy, and alliances.

Prior oncology drug experience in late-stage development and / or commercial stage required; strong understanding of oncology drug development, scientific platforms, and global commercial dynamics.

Experience supporting or leading pharma or biotech drug development licensing, M&A, or strategic partnership processes required.

Understanding or experience in collaboration kick-offs, joint clinical trial or project management to ensure successful contract implementation & relationship management.

Proficient user of MS Office suite (e.g., PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Project), experience using electronic document management systems, document review tools and can quickly build presentations for leaders / teams.

Prior experience with technology tools (e.g. Smartsheets, MS Project) in planning, maintenance and communication of information is highly desirable.

Excellent communicator in public-speaking, meeting facilitation and email communication

Ability to excel in a fast-paced, demanding and diverse environment that includes global virtual meetings outside standard business hours.

Ability to travel key congresses, collaboration meetings or business meetings, to include semi-frequent travel to hub office locations in Summit territories.

Role is primarily office-based.

The pay range for this role is $184,500 – $230,000 per year. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include bonus, stock, benefits and / or other applicable variable compensation.

Summit does not accept referrals from employment businesses and / or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses / agencies are required to contact Summit’s Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@smmttx.com to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to Summit.

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