Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. Posted October 22, 2026

Associate Business Development Director

US CA San Diego, United States Full time
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Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Who We Are:

Neurocrine Biosciences is a leading biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs. We are dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, psychiatric, endocrine and immunological disorders. The company's diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, chorea associated with Huntington's disease, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome, endometriosis* and uterine fibroids*, as well as a robust pipeline including multiple compounds in mid- to late-phase clinical development across our core therapeutic areas. For more than three decades, we have applied our unique insight into neuroscience and the interconnections between brain and body systems to treat complex conditions. We relentlessly pursue medicines to ease the burden of debilitating diseases and disorders, because you deserve brave science. For more information, visit  neurocrine.com , and follow the company on  LinkedIn ,  X , Facebook and YouTube . ( *in collaboration with AbbVie )

About the Role:

Leads business development activities focused on identifying, evaluating, and advancing licensing opportunities, strategic partnerships, and other transactions in the biopharmaceutical space. Independently drives search and evaluation, scientific and commercial assessment, due diligence, valuation, business case development, and deal execution for complex opportunities. Integrates scientific, clinical, commercial, intellectual property, financial, and legal considerations to develop recommendations and influence decision-making. Serves as a key cross-functional leader for business development initiatives, builds productive relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners, and provides advice and counsel to senior leadership on opportunities that may impact pipeline and business strategy. _

Your Contributions (include, but are not limited to):

Leads complex business development transactions and strategic partnering initiatives from initial identification and evaluation through diligence, negotiation, contracting, execution, and transition, as applicable

Independently identifies and evaluates external assets, technologies, platforms, and companies that align with the Company’s strategic priorities and pipeline objectives

Leads cross-functional internal and external teams supporting business development opportunities, establishing workplans, decision points, timelines, and deliverables

Directs scientific, clinical, commercial, intellectual property, financial, and operational due diligence in partnership with subject matter experts; synthesizes findings into clear recommendations for senior leadership

Leads valuation analyses and business case development for potential transactions, integrating scientific risk, development assumptions, market opportunity, competitive dynamics, and deal economics

Develops transaction strategy and leads or plays a significant role in deal structuring, term sheet development, contract review, and negotiations in close collaboration with Legal, IP, Finance, and other partners

Provides strategic recommendations regarding the prioritization and advancement of business development opportunities based on Company strategy, portfolio needs, and external market dynamics

Maintains deep knowledge of industry trends, companies, therapeutic areas, emerging technologies, treatment modalities, and competitive landscapes relevant to the Company

Partners closely with Research and Development and other functions to define areas of strategic interest and translate internal priorities into external search and evaluation activities

Builds and maintains relationships with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, investors, bankers, advisors, and other external partners to support sourcing and transaction activity

Represents the Company in partnering meetings and conferences and develops high-quality presentations, proposals, and decision materials for internal and external audiences

Provides functional expertise and mentorship to less-experienced colleagues and may lead critical projects or workstreams without direct people-management responsibility

Contributes to the development and continuous improvement of Business Development processes, tools, best practices, and team infrastructure

Ensures all interactions and activities are conducted in compliance with internal policies, governmental regulations, and applicable best practices

Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

BS/BA degree in life sciences, finance, business, or a similar field AND 10+ years of applicable experience in business development, venture capital, investment research, investment banking, corporate development, or a related area; biotechnology/pharmaceutical scientific experience preferred OR

Master’s degree in a scientific field AND 8+ years of similar applicable experience OR

PharmD, or PhD in an applicable field AND 6+ years of similar applicable experience

A strong deal sheet encompassing deals of various size and complexity describing the transactions as well as level of involvement and scope of responsibilities

Demonstrated expertise in search and evaluation of preclinical and clinical-stage assets and platforms across relevant therapeutic areas and modalities

Significant experience in biotechnology/pharmaceutical business development, search and evaluation, corporate development, venture capital, investment research, investment banking, or a related function

Strong scientific acumen and the ability to identify key differentiation, risks, and value drivers for potential partner programs, assets, and platforms

Strong understanding of the biotechnology/pharmaceutical competitive landscape, drug development process, regulatory approval pathways, and key value inflection points

Demonstrated experience leading or materially contributing to due diligence, valuation, deal structuring, contracting, and negotiation activities for business development transactions

Ability to integrate business objectives and strategic direction into recommendations on complex opportunities and critical external relationships

Excellent project leadership and project management skills, with the ability to lead multiple complex initiatives and cross-functional teams

Strong business judgment and demonstrated ability to integrate scientific, commercial, financial, intellectual property, and legal considerations into business development recommendations

Advanced analytical and creative problem-solving skills; ability to assess complex and ambiguous information and develop practical, well-supported recommendations

Strong influencing and negotiation skills, including the ability to communicate complex concepts and gain alignment across functions and with senior leaders

Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the ability to tailor communications to executive, technical, and external audiences

Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, prioritize competing demands, and deliver with a high degree of accuracy, urgency, and follow-through

Demonstrated ability to build productive internal and external relationships and collaborate effectively across functions

Proficiency with tools used to support business development analysis, presentations, project management, and transaction execution

#LI-CL1

Neurocrine Biosciences is an EEO/Disability/Vets employer.

We are committed to building a workplace of belonging, respect, and empowerment , and we recognize there are a variety of ways to meet our requirements. We are looking for the best candidate for the job and encourage you to apply even if your experience or qualifications don’t line up to exactly what we have outlined in the job description.

_

The annual base salary we reasonably expect to pay is $173,900.00-$238,000.00. Individual pay decisions depend on various factors, such as primary work location, complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. In addition, this position offers an annual bonus with a target of 30% of the earned base salary and eligibility to participate in our equity based long term incentive program. Benefits offered include a retirement savings plan (with company match), paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
BD&L & Strategic Planning
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
US CA San Diego, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active BD&L & Strategic Planning role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 131 comparable Director BD&L & Strategic Planning roles across 46 biopharma companies.

131Comparable roles tracked
122Currently active
46Companies hiring similar roles
16Countries represented

Salary context

51 of 131 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $173,900/yr – $238,000/yr
Lowest disclosed · Principal Scientist II, Translational Biomarker Strategy Lead · Novartis $114,100/yr – $211,900/yr
Highest disclosed · Sr. Director, US Policy Strategy · CSL Behring L.L.C. $297,000/yr – $364,000/yr
Peer group range $163,000 – $330,500 (median $235,450)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 131 comparable roles

United States85
China19
Japan5
United Kingdom5
Switzerland3
France2

+ 10 more countries

Seniority mix

131 of 131 peers have a known seniority level

Director93
Senior Director30
Principal8

Therapeutic area mix

34 of 131 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology11
Neuroscience11
Immunology8
Respiratory2
Dermatology & Aesthetics1
Vaccines & Infectious Disease1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

60%similar
Amgen Inc. Remote, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Boehringer Ingelheim Fremont, California, United States Director
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60%similar
Boehringer Ingelheim Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States Director
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60%similar
Merck Rahway, New Jersey, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
AbbVie North Chicago, IL Director
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60%similar
AbbVie North Chicago, IL Director
Same function Same seniority Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

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How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.