Associate - Oncology Material Licensing

Do you have expertise negotiating and managing material licenses and transfer agreements in a life sciences research setting? If so, consider joining the Lilly Oncology Business Unit (OBU). This is an exciting time to be part of the OBU, as we boast an expansive pipeline, robust scientific expertise, and a proven team dedicated to making a difference. In this role, you will support the material licensing and transfer needs of our early phase oncology research teams, enabling scientists to access the tools, models, and biological materials that are critical to discovering the next generation of cancer treatments. Be a part of our mission to improve patient outcomes and make a lasting impact in the field of oncology. 

Position Summary: 

The Associate, Oncology Material Licensing in the Business Operations team is a skilled individual contributor within the Early Phase Oncology organization, responsible for executing the full lifecycle of material licensing and transfer agreements that enable scientific research.

This individual will assess incoming material requests, negotiate material transfer agreements and license agreements for cells, plasmids, animal models, and other proprietary biological materials, and maintain accurate records of licensed materials and associated use restrictions. The role requires a working understanding of the biological materials landscape, solid contracting fundamentals, and a systematic approach to compliance. The Associate operates with a strong sense of ownership within their portfolio, escalates complex issues to team leadership with well-formed options, and contributes to the team’s overall effectiveness by executing reliably and communicating proactively. 

Key Objectives/Deliverables 

• Manage an assigned portfolio of material licensing and transfer agreements in support of early phase oncology research, collaborating with Project Management, Scientific, Legal, and Business Operations teams to assess material requests, understand research scope, and structure agreements that enable the work in compliance with established internal policies and risk mitigation strategies 

• Assess incoming material procurement and in-license requests, determine the appropriate path forward, and manage a high volume of concurrent requests with rigor and reliability, maintaining momentum across the portfolio while demonstrating flexibility to reprioritize as directed  

• Negotiate and execute material license agreements with accuracy and consistency, including in-licenses for cell lines and genetically modified animal models, coordinating Legal and SME input as needed, making sound decisions within established frameworks, and escalating non-routine issues to team leadership with suggested paths forward  

• Review outbound material transfer requests against existing agreements, obligations, and applicable regulations to confirm whether requested transfers are permissible and compliant, applying scientific literacy to assess the validity of the request, evaluate the accuracy of information provided, and identify inconsistencies or gaps that require resolution before a transfer can proceed; apply awareness of material provenance and chain of custody to identify situations where upstream source restrictions may affect transfer permissibility, escalating those findings to team leadership for resolution 

• Assess whether licensed materials have been modified by internal research teams and independently evaluate the potential implications of those modifications on transferability, applicable use restrictions, and Lilly’s intellectual property position, escalating identified issues to team leadership and Legal through established processes 

• Participate in regular engagements with research and PM teams to stay current on upcoming material needs within assigned areas, including the nature of materials sought, scientific use cases, timelines, and prioritization; participate in applicable team projects as assigned, contributing reliably to project tasks and communicating status proactively 

• Engage with a variety of commercial and academic third-party providers professionally and constructively to advance material transfer, licensing and logistics discussions, applying established frameworks to identify and mitigate routine risks, and partnering with the third-party risk management team and leadership when issues fall outside standard parameters 

• Support internal business partners in the material licensing procurement process, including purchase requisition submission, tracking of licensing fees and payment milestones, and escalating invoice discrepancies as appropriate 

• Document and maintain accurate records of all licensed materials and associated use restrictions, entering applicable license information into required systems including material databases, the contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform, and project tracking tools, ensuring data integrity and accessibility for the broader research organization  

• Adhere to established team contracting policies, systems, templates, and business practices, including timely and accurate use of Lilly’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) system as the primary tool for contract intake, drafting, tracking, and reporting across all assigned material agreements  

Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in biology, biochemistry, or a related life sciences discipline preferred

• 3+ years of contract management experience, including negotiating and managing material transfer agreements and license agreements, preferably in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical setting

• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.

Additional Preferences: 

• Scientific literacy and the ability to engage credibly with research scientists regarding biological materials such as cell lines, plasmids, and genetically modified animal models used in early phase drug discovery 

• The demonstrated ability to manage an assigned portfolio of agreements accurately and on time 

• Ability to make consistent, sound decisions within established contracting frameworks and playbooks, and to escalate non-routine issues to leadership with clearly framed options and a recommended path forward 

• Strong contract drafting, review, and analysis skills across material transfer agreements, license agreements, and related transfer documentation for licensed and proprietary materials 

• Working knowledge of key legal and commercial provisions common to material licensing and transfer agreements in the life sciences, including intellectual property ownership and licensing, use restrictions, confidentiality, publication rights, and liability frameworks specific to biological materials 

• Ability to apply scientific knowledge to evaluate material transfer requests, including assessing the accuracy of scientific information provided and identifying when licensed materials have been modified in ways that may affect transfer eligibility, permitted use, or Lilly’s IP position, and escalating those findings appropriately through established processes 

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a high volume of concurrent material requests and licensing assignments with rigor and a sense of urgency; possesses the flexibility and capacity to function effectively in a dynamic environment, prioritize competing responsibilities, navigate ambiguity, and drive tasks to completion while maintaining quality 

• Commitment to becoming proficient in Lilly’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) system and other designated business tools, including cell banking databases and project tracking platforms, using them consistently and accurately as the system of record for all assigned material licensing activity 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to proactively communicate status, flag risks, and keep relevant parties informed to drive assigned work forward and resolve issues in a timely manner 

• Excellent attention to detail and critical thinking skills 

• MS Office skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) 

• In-depth knowledge of early phase drug discovery and development, including familiarity with the types of biological materials, research tools, and models commonly used in oncology research 

• Experience with project management, procurement, and contract lifecycle management software; familiarity with cell banking databases or similar biological materials tracking systems is a plus 

• Experience negotiating and managing in-licenses for cell lines, plasmids, genetically modified animal models, or other proprietary biological materials used in early phase drug discovery 

• Fluency with AI tools and a demonstrated willingness to embrace and apply emerging AI and automation solutions to improve the efficiency and quality of material licensing and request review workflows 

Additional Information:

• Travel: > 10%

• Location: US, Remote