Associate Director/Director, Alliance Management and Business Development

Septerna is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, CA on a mission to develop life-changing medicines for patients with the vision to become the industry-leading G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused drug discovery company. The company’s Native Complex Platform™ recapitulates GPCRs with their native structure, function, and dynamics outside of the cellular context. This approach enables novel access to modern structural and screening technologies used in industrial-scale drug discovery for the entire class of GPCRs. Septerna has an emerging pipeline of GPCR-targeted small molecule programs with potential for growth to target many GPCRs that have been undruggable and unexploited to date.

We are excited to expand our multidisciplinary team of individuals focused on creating revolutionary medicines to address the unmet needs of patients. At Septerna we strive to embrace diversity of thought, expertise, and background through collaboration. To join our ambitious team, be prepared to bring your real self to work every day; grow and learn from a talented team of drug hunters, scientists, and business professionals; and contribute your passion, creativity, and energy to accomplish our mission. We share a fearless pursuit of ground-breaking innovations and cultivate an environment where our employees succeed by learning from each other and working as a team.

We are committed to the development of meaningful therapeutics for patients with indications of high unmet need. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with talented individuals on the frontlines of therapeutic discovery and development. You will directly help move therapies through preclinical research, positioning them for success in the clinic. The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients in a fast-paced environment.

For more information see: www.septerna.com.

THE ROLE

Septerna is seeking an experienced Associate Director/Director of Alliance Management and Business Development to lead external partnership management and to support external innovation initiatives for drug discovery activities. This individual will play a critical role in maximizing the impact of our R&D collaborations while also executing on business development opportunities to expand our discovery capabilities. This is a unique and dynamic opportunity that combines both Alliance Management and technology Business Development. The ideal candidate will have a strong scientific background in small molecule drug discovery, proficiency managing multiple complex R&D collaborations, and some experience with research platform technologies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage existing and future strategic alliances, ensuring alignment with collaboration agreements and overall alliance goals and objectives.
• Cultivate strong, trust-based relationships with external partners and internal stakeholders to support seamless collaboration and shared success.
• Work closely with internal cross-functional teams to coordinate partnership deliverables, timelines, and joint governance structures.
• Lead governance meetings (e.g., Joint Steering Committees), prepare agendas/materials, ensure clear documentation, and track action items and obligations.
• Monitor contract compliance, performance metrics, and partnership milestones, proactively identifying risks and opportunities for optimization.
• Collaborate with FP&A to build and manage the partnership budget.
• Support research teams to conduct due diligence on new opportunities to augment platform and early drug discovery efforts. Work closely with cross-functional teams including scientific leadership, legal, finance, and IP to negotiate and execute collaboration agreements, as well as integrate and manage new partnerships.

REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, or equivalent) in life science required.

• 8+ years of experience in biotech/pharma with at least 5 years in alliance management and / or business development. Experience working in a startup or high-growth company strongly preferred.

• Deep understanding of small molecule drug development processes across discovery, clinical, and regulatory stages. Familiarity with alliance structures including licensing, co-development, and co-commercialization agreements strongly preferred.
• Detail-oriented with strong project management capabilities. Able to prioritize and manage multiple partnerships in a fast-paced environment.

• Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and presentation skills. Comfortable interfacing with executive leadership and external stakeholders. Proven ability to influence without direct authority.

• Highly collaborative, possess a track record of building and maintaining cross- functional relationships, and able to communicate effectively with senior management and across cultures.

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in South San Francisco, CA is $185,000 - $250,000. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training. Septerna's compensation package also includes benefits, stock options, and annual target bonus for full-time positions.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. 

Note to Employment Agencies: Please do not forward any agency resumes. The company will not be responsible for any fees related to resumes that are unsolicited.