Director Business Development Transactions Early & Late Stage, Moorgate, London

You will operate on a small but high intensity team with significant responsibility for helping our company achieve its ambitious Business Development & Licensing goals.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA) preferred.
• Candidates must demonstrate sufficient scientific/clinical fluency to engage credibly with internal experts and external partners.

Required experience:

• Substantial experience in pharmaceutical commercial business development and/or partnering, with demonstrated ownership of deal workstreams and experience executing commercial collaborations and/or in-licensing/out-licensing of Late Stage assets.
• Hands-on experience with Early Stage licensing and commercial collaboration deal structures and terms, and familiarity with relevant market benchmarks.
• Demonstrated leadership and structured problem-solving skills, including the ability to frame complex issues, develop options and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders.

Skills/Competencies:

• Excellent deal execution skills, including ability to develop negotiation strategy, manage contracting/legal processes, and partner effectively with  internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Proven ability to communicate clearly with executive leadership and to influence decisions through concise synthesis of science, strategy, risk and financial trade-offs.
• Excellent judgment in structuring and negotiating agreements, escalating issues appropriately, and balancing risk, scientific uncertainty and strategic value.
• Balanced of scientific, commercial and deal financial acumen (e.g., scenario analysis, profit-share economics, valuation) and sufficient scientific and clinical fluency to pressure-test assumptions and align stakeholders on key value drivers and risks.
• Self-motivated, attention to detail, and proven ability to work well on teams.

Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, and skill of our team, with an inclusive culture of respect, encouragement, and teamwork. Members of our global team have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues, while developing their own careers.

Closing date for applications: 17th July 2026

Required Skills:

Business Administration, Developing Proposals, Executive Presence, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Licensing, Strategic Planning

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

07/18/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.