Manager/Sr. Manager, Strategy & Corporate Development

(posted 2/28/2023)

Company: Circle Pharma
Position: Manager/Sr. Manager, Strategy & Corporate Development
Location: South San Francisco, CA

Please apply here

ABOUT CIRCLE PHARMA:

Circle Pharma has developed a platform that combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to generate first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for undruggable targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle’s technology facilitates the design and synthesis of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address both intra- and extra-cellular therapeutic targets, and can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration.

Circle’s macrocycle drug discovery & development platform is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases; the company is initially focusing its development efforts on intracellular protein-protein interactions that are key drivers in cancer. Its pipeline targets include cyclin proteins, including cyclins A and E, which are part of the regulatory machinery that controls progression of cells through the cell cycle. Inhibition of cyclin A has been reported to be synthetic lethal to cancer cells that carry mutations causing dysregulation of the Rb pathway – such mutations are frequently found in small cell lung cancer. Cyclin E upregulation is found in many tumor types including uterine and ovarian cancer and is often associated with resistance to widely used cancer therapies, including trastuzumab and cdk4/6 inhibitors. 

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Manager/Senior Manager, Strategy & Corporate Development will support a broad range of corporate development and strategic initiatives for Circle Pharma, a dynamic biotech company that has raised $160 million to-date from industry-leading investors, is transitioning into a clinical-stage company, and is developing a first-in-class precision oncology pipeline that addresses severe unmet medical needs by harnessing a novel, cell-permeable, oral macrocycle platform.

Our Manager of Strategy & Corporate Development will help drive our business development efforts and provide business and market insights for the executive team, functional departments, and program leads to inform decision-making around buyside, sellside, and M&A transactions, as well as portfolio planning and financing strategies. Reporting to our CBO (who also serves as acting CFO), you will have high-impact in this versatile, collaborative, and visible role. 

What You'll Do:

    • Support – and at times lead – various aspects of the transaction process (opportunity assessment, approach, due diligence, valuation, deal negotiations, deal structuring, internal governance processes, closing process, and integration planning). Help develop a solid business case for each transaction
    • Ideate novel partnering strategies and creative deal structures that can create value for the company
    • Utilize robust, nuanced quantitative skills – e.g., financial modeling, deal comparables, valuation tools – to elucidate scenarios and options in support of executive decision-making
    • Partner and collaborate across functions internally to drive due diligence and other processes
    • Prepare presentations for internal and external meetings (e.g., corporate presentations, board meetings, investor conferences)
    • Stay abreast of emerging industry trends and assess their potential impact on the business
    • Collect, synthesize, and deliver key insights about the competitive environment and implications to Circle’s pipeline
    • Build new market research initiatives in support of portfolio and program strategies
    • Support investor relations in preparation for Series D financing and potential filing of S-1 and public offering
    • Manage relationships with pharma and biotech BD counterparts, bankers, investors, consultants, and vendors
    • Help establish key internal operations for corporate development; build and maintain library of external data sources and analytical tools
    • Report to our CBO (who also serves as acting CFO)
    • This position requires on-site presence in Circle’s South San Francisco office at least 3 days a week and may require up to 25% business travel
    • As a rapidly growing organization, Circle highly values versatility in its personnel, and a diverse set of duties may be distributed across the team. In the role, you will contribute to an array of cross-disciplinary projects and initiatives. 

About You:

    • Master’s Degree in business, biotechnology, or related field and 4+ years of experience OR;
    • PhD/MD/PharmD in relevant scientific discipline and 2+ years of experience in a relevant business function OR;
    • BS or BA or equivalent and 6+ years of relevant corporate development, venture capital, or investment banking experience
    • Mission-driven, motivated to be a part of an organization seeking to serve patients with severe unmet medical needs
    • Strong knowledge of the drug development and commercialization process and industry landscape; facility with scientific concepts and a continuous learning posture
    • Ability to act independently and proactively in a dynamic, sometimes ambiguous, and rapid growth environment; enjoys taking part of company-building
    • Strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, as well as an ability to communicate and present effectively with all levels of staff
    • Solutions-oriented, a self-starter, and strategic thinker
    • Driven and highly motivated with positive attitude and strong work ethic; well-organized and strong attention to detail
    • Hands-on, leads by example, able to balance multiple projects and deliverables
    • Highly collaborative, works well in teams, and possesses a transparent communication style
    • The ability to build and maintain strong interpersonal relationships, gaining trust and confidence from all levels within and external to the organization

The anticipated salary range for candidates who work in South San Francisco, CA is $135,000 to $180,000. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, education, etc.

Circle Pharma recognizes that the success of our endeavors depends on the success of every team member. Your well-being is our top priority, and we are proud to offer a comprehensive total rewards package. Our benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, and vision care. We also provide a 401(k) plan with a generous company contribution, and all of our offers contain a stock option component. We provide company-paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability. Additionally, we provide many company-paid holidays, including a winter break at the close of the calendar year.

Circle Pharma is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse workplace. All applicants will be considered equally without regard to race, color, ethnicity, veteran status, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, membership in an organization or any other non-merit factors.