External Innovation Executive Director

Role Summary

External Innovation Executive Director leads end‑to‑end identification, evaluation, and advancement of external opportunities that strengthen Vertex’s R&D pipeline across modalities and enabling technologies. The role orchestrates integrated, cross‑functional analyses and converts opportunity signals into decision‑ready recommendations for EI governance and the Executive Committee.

Responsibilities

• Enterprise‑wide scouting & horizon scanning: Lead data‑driven surveillance of assets, platforms, and enabling technologies, linked to Vertex strategy and sandbox criteria.
• Integrated opportunity assessments: Manage cross‑functional workstreams to pressure‑test fit, feasibility, and impact; distill pivotal questions and drive to objective answers.
• Diligence leadership and deal readiness: Direct scientific/clinical diligence; structure work plans and competitive reads; ensure transfer of findings and proposed deal constructs to Transactions.
• Governance & decisioning: Prepare decision memos and present at EI Science/BDSC; align on sandbox nominations and program recommendations for EC review.
• Team leadership & operating model: Manage and coach an analyst team; deploy resources in a scrum‑like model; set standards for analysis quality and executive communications.
• External ecosystem & relationship management: Interface with VCs, biotech/pharma, academia, and founders for proprietary access and early looks.
• Portfolio gap analysis & DST partnership: Conduct gap analyses vs. strategies; partner with DSTs to define options, risks, and timing to advance opportunities.
• Operating excellence & continuous improvement: Codify playbooks and metrics for throughput and decision quality; institutionalize learnings across EI and BD Ops.
• Culture & talent: Foster an environment aligned with EI competencies.

Qualifications

• Required Education: PhD (or equivalent advanced degree) and 15+ years of biotech/pharma experience spanning discovery and/or early development, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Required Experience: Breadth across multiple therapeutic areas and modalities with a track record of leading complex evaluations from scouting through governance decision; demonstrated success influencing executive‑level decisions with crisp, evidence‑based recommendations; proven ability to build and manage high‑performing analyst teams.
• Required Knowledge & Skills: Scientific depth and learning agility; business acumen; program & portfolio judgment; influential communication; stakeholder leadership; operating discipline.

Education

• PhD (or equivalent advanced degree) and 15+ years of biotech/pharma experience spanning discovery and/or early development; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills

• Scientific depth + learning agility
• Business acumen
• Program & portfolio judgment
• Influential communication
• Stakeholder leadership
• Operating discipline