Associate Director, Alliance Management

Tris Pharma, Inc. (www.trispharma.com) is a leading privately-owned biopharmaceutical company in the U.S. with a focus on development and commercialization of innovative medicines that address unmet patient needs. We have more than 150 US and International patents including applications and have marketed several branded and generic products in the U.S., have licensed our products in the US and international markets, and have a robust pipeline of innovative products spanning neuroscience and other therapeutic categories employing our proprietary science and technology.

We have an immediate opening in our Monmouth Junction, NJ facility for an Associate Director, Alliance Management.

Tris Pharma has a long track record of successful alliances, from global commercial partnerships to R&D collaborations to manufacturing/distribution partnerships. Alliance Management plays the critical role in establishing and maintaining relationships with these diverse partners. This role requires strong collaboration and communication with internal and external stakeholders spanning many departments across all stages of the product lifecycle. The Associate Director, Alliance Management will be accountable for managing alliances of high complexity and driving overall success of partnerships. Ultimately, this role will be instrumental in ensuring Tris, in conjunction with our partners, can deliver innovative and important medicines to individuals across the globe.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 

Primary duties/responsibilities

• Build relationships with our partners. Own and be accountable for the partner relationship. Serve as the main point of contact and develop a strong understanding of the partner company, including organization/leadership, strategic priorities, financials, etc. 
• Build relationships with key internal stakeholders. Collaborate with all Tris functions that contribute to the partnership, including R&D, Regulatory, CMC, Finance, Legal, and more. Understand their roles, their strategic priorities, how they interface with one another.
• Understand and manage the partnership. Develop a mastery of the partnership structure and process. Understand the critical tasks, the steps to achieve these tasks, and the relevant personnel required. Identify the key goals and success criteria. 
• Drive partnership success. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure objectives are being met. Be familiar and close enough to details to provide thoughtful direction and counsel to team members. Hold team members accountable while balancing their individual and the broader strategic priorities of Tris Pharma. Communicate effectively and proactively with the partner to minimize friction.
• Monitor progress. Track activities to ensure contractual obligations and deliverables are being completed in a timely manner. Document key discussion points and decisions.
• Lead partnership meetings. Ensure joint Tris-Partner committee meetings are productive. Create meeting agendas, identify meeting goals, and foster coordination and alignment between the parties. Lead team members in preparing for and engaging in interactions with our partners.
• Solve problems. Anticipate and resolve issues and conflicts arising out of changing priorities and unpredictable events. Prioritize issues and brainstorm solutions including to maintain high morale across teams and within organizations.
• Contribute to contract-related activities. Understand contract structure and obligations and communicate these elements to internal stakeholders. Partner with Legal, Finance, and other functions on alliance renegotiations and terminations as necessary.
• Communicate effectively. Regularly and proactively communicate with alliance management counterpart and other key partner stakeholders. Communicate complex issues and concepts in a structured and succinct manner with Tris leadership and other functions. 
• Support Business Development. Support expanding existing partnerships or other out-licensing projects, particularly ones similar to our current alliances. Leverage experience and knowledge of partnerships to help ensure BD transactions are structured and negotiated appropriately. 

Requirements 

• BS in a scientific discipline required. MBA, or graduate degree in life sciences preferred.  
• Minimum of 7 years of experience within a pharmaceutical company, with some combination across technical (e.g., research, product development, clinical development, regulatory, CMC) and business (e.g., business development, alliance management, commercial) functions.
• Drug development knowledge required. Experience with small molecules and complex formulation development strongly preferred. Familiarity with 505b2 regulatory pathway a plus. 
• Ability to build and manage collaborative relationships at all levels (internal and external).
• Excellent problem-solving skills: proven ability to identify, prioritize and resolve key project and partner issues, work with and harmonize demands from internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, build internal alignment, influence others, and manage differences effectively.
• Exceptional communication skills including ability to structure and distill complex concepts, identify critical pieces, and convey insights and recommendations to senior executives.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to effectively manage and track multiple projects and workstreams at once.
• Comfortability with complex contracts and legal concepts.

Tris Pharma, Inc. offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits package. To build and enhance our diverse workforce, we encourage applications from individuals with disabilities, minorities, veterans, women, LGBTQ, etc. Tris Pharma, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #LI-onsite