Director, Alliance Partnerships (Office of Technology Licensing)

About City of Hope

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment organization for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope's translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin, monoclonal antibodies and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. AccessHope™, a subsidiary launched in 2019 serves employers and their health care partners by providing access to City of Hope's specialized cancer expertise.

A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is ranked among the nation's "Best Hospitals" in cancer by U.S. News & World Report and received Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California and in Arizona.

City of Hope's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We believe diversity, equity and inclusion is key in serving our mission to provide compassionate patient care, drive innovative discovery, and advance vital education focused on eliminating cancer and diabetes in all of our communities. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ensures we bring the full range of skills, perspectives, cultural backgrounds and experiences to our work -- and that our teams align with the people we serve in order to build trust and understanding. We are dedicated to fostering a community that embraces diversity - in ideas, backgrounds and perspectives; this is reflected in our work and represented in our people.

Position Summary

The Director of Alliances is responsible for seeking out, building, and maintaining research alliances with industry partners as well helping to build and maintain internal correlative research efforts within City of Hope Enterprise. This position is expected to play a key role in strategic development for the enterprise, both in external and internal innovation.

The Director of Alliances is a detail-oriented, responsible team player with a sense of urgency, whose duties include developing a coordinated strategy around external engagement with industry partners including organizing formal scientific exchanges and informal smaller meetings to facilitate translational and clinical collaborations, as well as the development/management of strategic collaborations with translational centers across City of Hope.

The Director is an integral member of the Office of Technology Licensing, which is housed in the City of Hope (COH) Strategy vertical ensuring effective communication among team members and with other stakeholders, and influences/gains the cooperation of others to drive projects forward. The successful candidate will have a depth and breadth of scientific knowledge and experience in working with or in industry in alliance management.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Serves as the primary point-of-contact for matters related to the institute and industry collaborations.
• Understands the culture, roles, and decision-making processes at between the institute and industry partners in order to facilitate productive discussions and decisions and remove barriers.
• Regularly evaluates strategy of the partnerships with institute leadership and manages the internal perception of the industry partnerships within the enterprise; manages how the Institution as a whole is perceived by industry partners.
• Regularly utilizes members of OTL and Research Business Development (RBD) to understand the landscape of Biopharma and Academic industry when exploring opportunities for value and growth. Proactively explores opportunities to create additional value and growth with academic and/or industry partners.
• Advise and assist investigators and collaboration participants on how the partnership contract should be implemented.
• Guides internal investigators on regulatory rules and regulations as they relate to transfer of data and materials between institution and industry partners.
• Negotiates with the industry partner regarding the interpretation of the contract in the event of a difference of opinion between the various sides.
• Maintains an understanding of the all institute alliances/partnerships and/or projects and contracts to ensure overlaps or conflicts are not of issue.
• Supports discussions around the licensing or development of new companies and start-ups derived from technologies in the program.
• Manages contractual obligations, such as milestone payments, upholding financial, operational, and legal obligations.
• Maintains frequent communication with the cross-functional project team members and key internal stakeholders so that all parties are aware of current project status, issues, contingencies, and milestones. Facilitates and supports solicitation of investigator participation and strategic proposal preparation.
• Establishes and ensures smooth operation of the collaboration ground rules, such as the protocol for formal governance meetings. Ensures procedures for decision making, project team meetings, data exchange, and other kinds of interactions are all agreed upon and documented in advance of formal governance meetings.
• Responsible for visibility over and for providing frequent updates on progress towards objectives and achievement of milestones of research programs to ensure timely delivery, highlighting any issues that might adversely impact overall research plans / timelines.
• Identifies and facilitates review of program with the leaders within OTL, RBD, and Commercialization R&D as needed. Prepares summary information on program progress, timeline updates and risk assessment for periodic presentations to City of Hope. Coordinate meetings and teleconferences as needed to facilitate the activities to ensure that the appropriate COH or external entities involved in the translation for each project are well informed about project progress and milestones.
• Identifies the important value drivers and key risks, ensuring those involved do not lose focus on strategic aspects. Leads efforts to mitigate risks and accelerate value creation; may also include looking for win-win opportunities to extend the relationship by expanding the existing partnership or creating additional spin-off collaborations.
• Manages oversight of the activities in each collaboration, e.g., License, Sponsored Research Agreement, Clinical Research Support Agreement, Manufacturing Agreement, or similar agreement with industry partners, including budgets, resources and project-related activities, and the timelines.
• Anticipates upcoming changes in project stages or collaboration participants. Manages transitions smoothly and serves as the industry partnership's memory. Facilitates complex discussions with the industry partner to map a way forward when unanticipated situations or corporate decisions in either party trigger the need for change.
• Leads and/or participates in team meetings and ensures that clear actions and decisions are documented, communicated and committed to.
• Leads efforts to increase alignment, mutual understanding, and trust between collaboration participants, including activities such as a kickoff event and joint committee discussions.
• Develops outreach strategies and materials to further build alliances and communities. Leads organizing of events, both internal and external, to promote, publicize, and grow the alliances, in collaboration with the partner.
• Builds strong working relationships across departments, with industry partners, (e.g., CROs, small to medium biotechs and pharma) to ensuring critical program activities are well coordinated and milestones are met.
• Oversees one or more industry-sponsored translational projects and Manages multiple industry sponsored translational projects simultaneously to include preparing project plans, allocating resources, prioritizing projects and maintaining communication regarding project status; develops and promotes a culture of partnership, team-work, and scientific excellence within the alliances.
• Possesses a deep understanding of the industry / academic relationships to achieve the goals of each industry partnership under their management, as well as of the logistics of each project including but not limited to patent portfolio, licensing, licensee compliance, revenue and research comprising - preclinical experiments and IND-enabling studies to clinical trial design, protocol and IND preparation, manufacturing, conduct of clinical trials, and commercialization.
• Works closely with various teams at the institution to ensure compliance and regular communication. Works cross-functionally and builds strong and effective working relationships with COH Senior Management and key COH groups (e.g., COH Research Operations, Clinical Trial Support Services, Center for Biomedicine and Genetics, T-Cell Translational Research Laboratory, Office of IND Development and Regulatory Affairs, Office of General Counsel, COH Finance, COH Shared Resources and laboratory and clinical laboratories to ensure transparency and to facilitate communication so that relevant parties are aware of current relationship status, issues, contingencies, and milestones.
• Has visibility into all operational aspects of the industry partnership, including communication, tracking of metrics, and deliverables.
• Leads periodic health checks on the status of the industry partnership. Plans and executes communication strategies to ensure critical information is shared in a meaningful and timely manner.
• Responsible for escalating appropriately and in a timely manner while identifying mitigation strategies to rectify issue(s). Communicate clear and timely deadlines, meeting outcomes, issues (delays, shortcomings, disputes, etc.), and any information that impacts the project and its accomplishment.
• Performs a variety of other tasks, as needed, to ensure the success of industry collaborations.

Basic education, experience and skills required for consideration:

• Requires a PhD in biology, immunology, virology, or other life science; or, a master's degree with at least five years of laboratory management experience in a healthcare/research/academic environment
• 7 years of business management experience in a healthcare/research/academic environment.

Preferred education experience and skills:

• PhD degree in Biology, Immunology, Virology, or other life science.

• 8+ years of business management experience in pharma/biotech or healthcare environment is preferred.
• Familiarity and experience working with commercial industry partners.

Additional Information:

• As a condition of employment, City of Hope requires staff to comply with all state and federal vaccination mandates.

City of Hope is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.