DIRECTOR, LICENSING & TRANSACTIONS

ABOUT US:

Scripps Research is a nonprofit biomedical institute ranked as one of the most influential in the world for its impact on innovation. We celebrated our 100-year legacy in 2024. This significant milestone marks a century of seminal discoveries in immunology, infectious diseases (such as COVID-19, flu, HIV), neuroscience, heart disease, cancer, and more. Located in La Jolla, California, the institute houses six research departments, multiple Nobel laureates, a top-ranked graduate school and a leading postdoctoral training program. Scripps Research encompasses two elite and highly innovative institutes, the Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines and Scripps Research Translational Institute, which merge foundational studies in biology, chemistry and computer science with translational science to produce pioneering drugs and advances in digital and precision medicine. Together, we cultivate new scientific leaders and expand the frontiers of knowledge to deliver medical breakthroughs impacting human health around the globe. If you have a passion for making a difference, this could be your opportunity to join our transformative team.

POSITION TITLE:

Director, Licensing & Transactions

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Licensing & Transactions is a leadership role within the Office of Technology Development (OTD), accountable for the execution of Scripps Research’s technology licensing and transactions program. The Director provides expert oversight of all complex technology licensing activities across the institute’s biomedical, chemical, and computational/software portfolio — from initial commercial assessment and term sheet development through final agreement execution, post-execution compliance, and licensee relationship management.

The Director brings deep expertise in pharmaceutical and biotechnology licensing, startup formation and equity transactions, and multi-party collaborative research agreements. In addition to personally leading the institute’s highest-value and most strategically complex transactions, the Director builds and mentors the OTD licensing team, establishes best practices and deal frameworks, and serves as a key institutional resource for commercialization strategy. The position plays a central role in advancing Scripps Research’s mission by translating scientific discovery into societal impact through well-structured, durable commercial partnerships.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

• Provides oversight of all licensing and transactions activity in OTD, setting strategic priorities, deal timelines, and performance metrics for the licensing team; ensures the portfolio advances institutional commercialization goals.
• Personally leads the negotiation of the institute’s most complex and high-value technology licensing transactions including exclusive and non-exclusive licenses, option-to-license agreements, collaboration agreements, and inter-institutional agreements and exercising full autonomy and accountability for deal outcomes.
• Drafts, reviews, and refines term sheets and agreements for complex licensing transactions, establishing deal frameworks including license scope, field-of-use definitions, financial terms (upfront fees, milestones, royalties, sublicensing income), equity provisions, and diligence obligations.
• Negotiates and executes a wide range of transactional agreements including sponsored research agreements, material transfer agreements, confidentiality agreements, collaboration agreements, inter-institutional agreements, and amendments to existing agreements.
• Leads the structuring and negotiation of complex pharmaceutical and biotechnology licensing agreements, including sponsored research and option arrangements with large pharma partners, and research collaborations with significant downstream licensing components; applies knowledge of industry-standard pharma deal to optimize institutional value.
• Leads licensing transactions associated with spin-out company formation, including founder equity arrangements, startup license structures, and related governance agreements.
• Applies expertise in software and computational technology licensing to structure agreements for software tools, algorithms, databases, AI/ML models, and research platforms, including appropriate source code provisions, use restrictions, open-source compatibility considerations, SaaS and cloud-based deployment models, and data governance terms.
• Develops and presents proposed deal terms, negotiation strategies, and portfolio priorities to OTD leadership and institutional administration, synthesizing market intelligence, comparable transaction data, and institutional objectives to inform recommendations.
• Partners with the Office of Patent Counsel on IP strategy as it relates to active licensing transactions, including freedom-to-operate considerations, claim scope analysis, and patent portfolio positioning.
• Maintains current knowledge of market deal terms, licensing trends, and best practices across the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and software/technology sectors, applying this knowledge to strengthen the institute’s negotiating position and define OTD deal standards.
• Represents Scripps Research OTD in external forums including AUTM, LES, BIO, and other professional associations relevant to academic technology transfer and licensing; enhances the institute’s visibility and reputation as a preferred commercial partner.
• Proactively engages licensees to monitor and enforce compliance with agreement obligations, including diligence milestones, royalty reporting, sublicensing notifications, and development progress requirements; leads communications and negotiations with licensees where compliance deficiencies are identified and works to resolve issues in a manner consistent with institutional interests.
• Directly supervises Licensing and Transactions staff; sets performance expectations, provides coaching and mentoring on deal strategy, term sheet construction, and complex negotiation scenarios; leads hiring, onboarding, and professional development for OTD licensing personnel; establishes and maintains deal templates, negotiation playbooks, and escalation protocols to ensure consistency across the team.
• Details of established essential functions for this position will be addressed/discussed during the interview process.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, computer science, or a closely related field required; advanced degree (PhD in a life or computational science discipline, JD, or MBA) strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10–12 years of progressive experience in technology licensing, technology transfer, transactional law, business development, or IP commercialization at a research institution, law firm, pharmaceutical company, or biotech/startup, with a demonstrated track record of independently leading complex, high-value deal negotiations to successful conclusion.
• Exceptional expertise in drafting and negotiating technology licensing agreements, term sheets, and sponsored research contracts across a range of transaction types and technology areas.
• Substantial experience structuring and negotiating pharmaceutical and biotechnology licensing agreements, including sponsored research and option structures with large pharma counterparts, milestone/royalty deal economics calibrated to drug development stage, and clinical co-development arrangements.
• Demonstrated experience closing licensing transactions with early-stage startup companies, including equity-in-lieu arrangements, founder licensing structures, SAFEs/convertible note contexts, and agreements that accommodate pre-revenue company constraints while protecting institutional value.
• Experience negotiating software licensing agreements, including familiarity with software-specific deal terms such as source code escrow, open-source license compliance, SaaS and cloud-based deployment models, AI/ML model agreements, and data use provisions.
• Prior supervisory or team leadership experience desired; demonstrated ability to build, develop, and retain a high-performing team of licensing professionals strongly preferred.
• CLP certification (Licensing Executives Society) or RTTP (Registered Technology Transfer Professional) strongly preferred.
• Candidates are encouraged to submit a deal sheet summarizing representative transactions they have led or significantly contributed to; preference will be given to applicants who provide this documentation.
• In-depth knowledge of Bayh-Dole Act obligations, NIH and federal funding compliance requirements, government use rights, and applicable export control regulations as they pertain to licensing transactions.
• Strong technical breadth to evaluate and negotiate across diverse technology domains including biomedical, chemical, and computational/software technologies.
• Proven ability to build trust-based relationships with faculty investigators, industry counterparts (including pharma BD executives and startup founders), legal counsel, venture capital partners, and institutional leadership.
• Outstanding negotiation, analytical, and communication skills; adept at presenting complex deal structures and rationale to diverse audiences including scientists, executives, and legal professionals.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. and international patent law, copyright, and trade secret principles as applied in licensing contexts.
• Extensive understanding of start-up formation, equity licensing structures, and venture formation agreements required.
• Proficiency with contract management systems (e.g., Inteum or comparable platforms) and Microsoft Office Suite; comfort with data analysis and portfolio reporting.
• Ability to manage a high-value transaction portfolio with competing timelines, exercising sound judgment and decisive action in a fast-paced environment.
• While subject to change based on business needs, this is an on-campus position requiring a minimum of 4 days per week working onsite from our La Jolla campus, with flexibility to work 1 day per week remotely from home.

COMPENSATION:

The expected hiring range for this position is $175,000 to $238,000/annually, commensurate with experience.

COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Employer Contributed Retirement Plan – Depending on eligibility, employees receive an employer contributed retirement plan (no employee contribution required) and the option to contribute to a 403(b) (which is similar to a 401(k) using your own pre or post-tax dollars)
• Full Suite of Health and Welfare plans including three medical plan options (including an HSA available option), dental, vision, life insurance, disability, EAP and more
• Access to Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical/Dependent Care)
• Competitive vacation and sick leave policies
• Free, on-site parking

The above statements describe the level of work performed and expected in general terms. The statements are not intended to list all the responsibilities, duties and/or skills required of employees so classified, and the content herein is subject to change due to the business needs of Scripps Research, with or without notice. Furthermore, nothing in this job description shall be interpreted to be in conflict with or to eliminate or modify in any way the employment-at-will status of Scripps Research staff.

EEO Statement :

The Scripps Research Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote diversity of thought, culture, and background in the fields of science. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.