Vice President, Innovation Lab

Contact: Glen Hersh
Phone: (267) 541-3090

Position Overview

Our client is a biopharmaceutical company that applies proven science and new technology to revolutionize treatment for patients, starting with eye care.

They are seeking a Vice President of Innovation, an entrepreneurial, outcomes driven, scientifically grounded, and commercially fluent leader to drive the next wave of eye care innovation from concept to the clinical stage.

Key Responsibilities:

• Shape and evolve the strategic direction and scaling of the Innovation Lab to align with our client’s long-term growth ambitions through category creation.
• Lead the Innovation Lab team on the robust current innovation candidate pipeline, and identify further prioritization and acceleration opportunities.
• Analyze bold, science-driven opportunities based on promising therapeutic target biological mechanisms, including possible analogues outside of eye care, with the potential to redefine standards of care in eye care and related areas.
• Review and provide input on the robust, actionable business plans for early-stage assets, ensuring alignment with market needs and scientific feasibility, which results in programs moving to clinic readiness.
• Rigorously evaluate unmet needs and innovation white space through physician engagement, patient insights, biology, and commercial analysis.
• Navigate clinical, regulatory, and reimbursement considerations to build accelerated, creative, and realistic paths to proof-of-concept, including repurposing approaches, and identification and/or creation of translational disease models and preclinical proof-of-concept approaches with the objective of optimizing clinical probability of success.
• Integrate a strong business lens into early development, balancing technical potential with commercial viability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including R&D, Business Development and Corporate Strategy, Regulatory, Clinical, Finance, and Legal/IP to ensure early programs are well-positioned to advance.
• Serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership—offering clear, data-driven recommendations with business impact in mind.
• Communicate complex scientific and strategic concepts with clarity and influence, tailored to a range of stakeholders.
• Cultivate and supplement the existing network of KOLs, innovators, VCs, CROs, and academic partners to source and shape novel therapeutic concepts.
• Evaluate early-stage opportunities for internal incubation or external collaboration, using a disciplined, outcome-oriented approach.
• Expand upon frameworks for rapid

Key Requirements:

• PhD, MD, or equivalent in life sciences or engineering; MBA or formal business training strongly preferred
• 15+ years of progressive experience in biotech, pharma, or life sciences early-stage ventures, including hands-on innovation and early development leadership and success at the VP+ level. Incubator, startup, and entrepreneur-in-residence type experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated track record of strategic thinking that includes shaping strategy, executing with urgency, and delivering measurable outcomes in ambiguous environments that is in alignment with overall business strategy.
• Business acumen, with a strong understanding of ophthalmology preferred; adjacent specialty experience considered with a compelling innovation background.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to communicate with confidence to influence across functions and levels, and deliver succinct, strategic, and actionable insights to senior executives and the Board of Directors.
• Innovative mindset that fosters unconventional thinking to improve organizational performance. Creates the conditions for innovation, consistently grounded in patient outcomes. Employs sound judgment, with the ability to think creatively, act rapidly and decisively, take calculated risks, and maintain focus on delivering results.

Location: Flexible

Location(s)

If interested, please send a MS Word version of your resume to [email protected]

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