Vice President of Business Development

Vice President of Business Development

Serna Bio is building the world’s first map of the druggable transcriptome, systematically opening up the universe of RNA biology to small molecule drug discovery. Using our Discovery Platform, we are tackling the classically intractable targets ranging from coding and non-coding RNA.

We are looking for a dynamic, versatile and accomplished individual to work alongside our CEO as VP of Business Development. The role calls for someone with considerable experience in early-stage biotech or management consulting, building commercial strategy, partner acquisition and contribution to funding rounds. 

In this role, you will own the delivery of commercial strategy objectives across the company. The VP of Business Development will work alongside the CEO to develop a comprehensive plan to support BD, strategic partnerships, platform deals and portfolio goals. We are looking for an individual with both domain, technical and executive skills.

You will lead from the front as the sole dedicated BD hire for the business. Your remit will encompass strategic, operational and tactical elements of building commercial revenue. Ours is a rapid iteration business with a strong emphasis on personal ownership and integrity. We are looking to find an accomplished commercial leader with a no-job-too-small mentality. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Develop and evolve materials for external interface (BD deck, website, external communications). 
• Lead engagement with potential Pharma partners
• Develop outreach and fundraising strategy in close coordination with CEO and Advisory Board, manage operational aspects of fundraising process including organization of meetings and meeting materials (Q&A, diligence and virtual data room)
• Participate in presentations to the Advisory board, new investors and other external meetings; clearly articulating our scientific story at key meetings
• Work closely with R&D to establish and evolve a strategy that aligns with the company’s overall vision, anticipates data milestones and fundraising developments
• Integrate cross-functional input into/and maintain Target Product Profiles (TPP) across pipeline programs
• Lead, manage and cultivate the company’s pharma relationships to derive a nuanced understanding of potential partners’ interests, strategies and internal stakeholders
• Manage investor and pharma tracker, track milestones and identify opportunities for enhancing relationships with individual parties
• Manage deal term sheets negotiation and execution
• Support and manage relationships with key opinion leaders, advocacy and patient groups

Requirements

• Around 10 years’ experience including at least 3 years operating in senior roles in a pre-Series A biotech company, or at a Management Consultancy in a Biotech advisory capacity.
• PhD Degree in a life science domain, preferably accompanied by an MBA, or experience in a consulting firm. 
• Experience in commercial operations within Biotech, including R&D, Program and portfolio strategy and management.
• A proven commercial track record for developing pharmaceutical partnerships with an extensive deal sheet.
• Demonstrated experience in deal execution and negotiation, project management, market insight and building business cases.
• Outstanding attention to detail, critical thinking and documentation skills.

About Us

Serna Bio is a preclinical drug discovery company developing small molecules that can modulate translation and splicing, by targeting RNA. Founded in 2021, Serna Bio leverages the convergence of synthetic biology, machine learning (ML), and massively multiplex screening to tackle the historical challenges of drugging the RNA universe.

Our core innovation lies in the Serna Discovery Platform, which systematically maps RNA structures to a vast chemical universe, generating large proprietary datasets. The platform incorporates both experimental wet lab and AI capabilities.  We use our platform to tackle undruggable targets and novel biology inaccessible by classical drug discovery. 

The Values You’ll Share 

• The Data Decides: The future of drug discovery will be computationally led. Opinions are just hypotheses. The data rules.
• Unapologetic ambition: The work we do matters. We maximise its value by striving to make the biggest impact, fastest. We don’t take the easy path, or wait for lower risk. We show up with a plan. We define what victory looks like. We make our time count.
• We don’t rely on experience, we run the experiment: We are humble in the face of work that has never been done before. We never default to experience. We use what we already know to train the machines to outperform us.
• Only the highest standards: We are inspired by challenge. We work hard. Our efforts are guided by the utility of every failed experiment and the value of new learning. Metrics matter to us. Effort, integrity, honesty, execution, and excellence are what we owe each other.
• We are one company: We operate with a ‘company first, team second’ mentality. We learn from the perspectives of others. Our is an antedisciplinary idea meritocracy. Ego is valueless. Diverse perspectives, integrity, resilience and teamwork are priceless.
• High-density, high-frequency communication: We share Work in Progress. We offer and accept critical opinions on this work so that the final versions are excellent. We communicate clearly to enable rapid decision-making, and we bring solutions, not just problems to the team.