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External Innovation Pharmaceutical Jobs (NOW HIRING)

We're a growing pharmaceutical company that is breaking through in neurology and oncology, with a ... Ensure external innovation activities support both near-term execution and long-term portfolio ...

Senior Manager, External Innovation

Cambridge, MA · On-site

$136.80 - $179.60/hr

We're a growing pharmaceutical company that is breaking through in neurology and oncology, with a ... Ensure external innovation activities support both near‑term execution and long‑term portfolio ...

Senior Innovation Manager

Raritan, NJ · On-site

$200K - $212K/yr

Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are ... pharmaceutical business. Act as a thought partner to the leadership team by scanning the external ...

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External Innovation Pharmaceutical information

What is external innovation in the pharmaceutical industry?

External innovation in the pharmaceutical industry refers to the process by which companies seek new ideas, technologies, or products from outside their own organization. This often involves collaborating with academic institutions, biotech startups, or other pharmaceutical companies through partnerships, licensing agreements, or acquisitions. The goal of external innovation is to accelerate drug discovery and development, reduce costs, and bring innovative medicines to market more efficiently. It complements internal research and development efforts by leveraging external expertise and resources.

How does the external innovation role in pharmaceuticals typically collaborate with internal R&D and external partners?

In an External Innovation Pharmaceutical role, professionals act as a bridge between internal research teams and external partners such as biotech firms, academic institutions, and startups. Collaboration involves identifying promising technologies or assets outside the company, facilitating due diligence, and aligning external opportunities with internal R&D objectives. Regular cross-functional meetings and joint project teams are common, ensuring transparent communication and alignment of goals. This collaborative approach accelerates innovation while managing potential risks and intellectual property concerns.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an external innovation specialist in the pharmaceutical industry, and why are they important?

To excel as an External Innovation Specialist in pharmaceuticals, you need a strong scientific background, expertise in drug development, and knowledge of partnership or licensing processes, typically backed by an advanced degree in life sciences or related fields. Familiarity with databases for scouting technologies, intellectual property management systems, and project management tools is highly valued. Outstanding networking, negotiation, and analytical thinking skills set professionals apart in this collaborative and strategic role. These capabilities are crucial for identifying and securing external opportunities that drive innovation and long-term growth in a competitive industry.

What is the difference between External Innovation Pharmaceutical vs External Innovation Pharmaceutical?

AspectExternal Innovation Pharmaceutical

Since the comparison is with the same job title, there is no difference between External Innovation Pharmaceutical and External Innovation Pharmaceutical. Both roles focus on identifying and collaborating with external partners to drive pharmaceutical innovation, requiring similar credentials, work environment, and industry usage. This role typically involves liaising with biotech firms, academic institutions, and other external entities to source new drug candidates or technologies, making it a key position in pharmaceutical R&D collaborations.

What cities are hiring for External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs?

Cities with the most External Innovation Pharmaceutical job openings:

What states have the most External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs?

States with the most job openings for External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs include:

What job categories do people searching External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for External Innovation Pharmaceutical jobs are:

Infographic showing various External Innovation Pharmaceutical job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution.

Senior Manager, External Innovation

Eisai

Cambridge, MA

$136K - $179K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 16 days ago


Job description

At Eisai, satisfying unmet medical needs and increasing the benefits healthcare provides to patients, their families, and caregivers is Eisai's human health care (hhc) mission. We're a growing pharmaceutical company that is breaking through in neurology and oncology, with a strong emphasis on research and development. Our history includes the development of many innovative medicines, notably the discovery of the world's most widely-used treatment for Alzheimer's disease. As we continue to expand, we are seeking highly-motivated individuals who want to work in a fast-paced environment and make a difference. If this is your profile, we want to hear from you.

This role integrates search & evaluation (S&E) with hands-on alliance management to translate external innovation into meaningful impact for Eisai's portfolio. A central component of this position is the end-to-end management of external collaborations to ensure delivery against scientific, strategic, and contractual objectives.

In parallel, this role is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing new external opportunities across academia and industry. The position serves as a scientific and strategic thought partner, ensuring both effective execution of ongoing collaborations and continued development of the external innovation pipeline.

Key Responsibilities:

Alliance Management & Execution

  • Lead and manage active external collaborations, ensuring delivery against scientific objectives, timelines, and contractual commitments
  • Drive collaboration governance, including meeting leadership, milestone tracking, and issue resolution
  • Ensure alignment between scientific activities and contractual terms
  • Translate scientific discussions into clear deliverables, action plans, and next steps

Search & Evaluation (S&E)

  • Conduct S&E of external opportunities including novel therapeutics, platforms, models, and consortia
  • Develop competitive and technology landscapes across priority therapeutic areas
  • Identify and cultivate relationships with external experts and key opinion leaders (KOLs)
  • Prioritize opportunities for diligence using scientific and strategic criteria

Strategic Integration

  • Provide scientific and strategic input into collaboration workplans and external opportunities
  • Partner cross-functionally to align external activities with internal program and portfolio strategy
  • Ensure external innovation activities support both near-term execution and long-term portfolio growth

Qualifications:

  • Master's degree with 5+ years of biotech/pharma industry experience. PhD preferred.
  • Direct experience independently managing external collaborations in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry setting
  • Strong scientific expertise in neurology with an interest in exploring other therapeutic areas.
  • Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate novel technologies and platforms, particularly in the neurodegeneration space
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex scientific ideas
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional colleagues and engage senior stakeholders in a global matrixed environment. This includes openly sharing knowledge and resources, valuing different perspectives, and contributing to a positive work environment.
  • Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners
  • Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on alliance management with proactive opportunity identification

#LI-CC

Eisai Salary Transparency Language:

The annual base salary range for the Senior Manager, External Innovation is from :$136,800-$179,600Under current guidelines, this position is eligible to participate in : Eisai Inc. Annual Incentive Plan.

Final pay determinations will depend on various factors including but not limited to experience level, education, knowledge, and skills.

Employees are eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs. For additional information on Company employee benefits programs, visit https://careers.eisai.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

Certain other benefits may be available for this position, please discuss any questions with your recruiter.

Eisai is an equal opportunity employer and as such, is committed in policy and in practice to recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status. Similarly, considering the need for reasonable accommodations, Eisai prohibits discrimination against persons because of disability, including disabled veterans.

Eisai Inc. participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of all new hires in the United States. Please click on the following link for more information:

Right To Work

E-Verify Participation


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About Eisai

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Eisai is a global pharmaceutical company (headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, US), renowned for its innovative research and development in neuroscience and oncology. The primary focus of the company is to provide therapeutic treatments and solutions for diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, and other neurological disorders. Eisai was founded in Japan in 1941 and has since developed a strong presence across international markets. Eisai's core values center around their philosophy of 'human health care' (hhc), where they aim to make significant and positive contributions to patients and their families' healthcare worldwide.

Industry

Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing and biotechnology research and development

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Nutley, NJ, US

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