Associate Director, Business Development - Due Diligence Management

The Associate Director, Business Development – Project Management will support global business development transactions.

The candidate should have a scientific background and project management experience, capable of overseeing cross-functional teams and driving deliverables. Key responsibilities include leading project management standardization, setting priorities, managing timelines, and ensuring effective communication and collaboration in a matrix team environment. The role involves organizing and driving due diligence, developing and executing project plans, and maintaining communication channels with stakeholders, to advance Otsuka's portfolio interests.

Job Description

Lead the execution of cross-functional project plans for individual BD due diligence projects, including transaction coordination and negotiation.

Act as a central point of contact for project / program-related actions, decisions, risks, and mitigation plans, with a focus on transaction management.

Collaborate with senior leadership to define strategies, goals, and objectives that align BD project management with the department's mission, including negotiation strategies.

Ensure best practices in executing multiple cross-functional project team activities simultaneously, with an emphasis on transaction coordination.

Maintain communication channels with key internal stakeholders to ensure all parties are aware of current project status, issues, contingencies, and milestones, including transaction progress.

Document, communicate, and commit to clear actions and decisions, enabling timeline achievement and successful negotiation outcomes.

Build strong working relationships across departments, with key stakeholders, and Senior Management to ensure transparency and facilitate communication, especially during negotiations.

Implement project management tools and systems that scale with the growth and complexity of function and company, supporting transaction coordination.

Drive the activities of cross-functional teams to ensure excellence, accountability, governance expectations, and preparation for key decision point discussions, including negotiation sessions.

Identify misalignment issues between functional groups and assertively drive issues to resolution. Proactively identify risks, and develop and implement risk mitigation and contingency plans, particularly in transaction coordination and negotiation.

Qualifications

Required

Knowledge and Experience

Bachelor's degree in a technical subject with 5+ years in a project management role in the pharmaceutical industry.

Experience in transaction coordination and negotiation.

Detail-oriented and a self-starter who will proactively take ownership of building internal relationships and learning the Otsuka culture.

Strong organizational, oral, and written communication skills.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Experience monitoring, tracking, and reporting on progress of multiple projects simultaneously.

PMP Certification strongly preferred.

Graduate degree related to biomedical sciences; PhD preferred.

Required Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills to work with internal and external partners.

Strong customer service and client consulting service orientation is expected.

Management skills to lead cross-functional teams.

Ability to think strategically and to manage and resolve conflicting / competing priorities.

Interest and ability to interpret scientific data.

Preferred

PhD preferred.