Job Location : Dublin, Ireland International HQ - Alternatively in Zaventem, Belgium. (office-based)
Role Description:
The Business Development Lead will be responsible for identifying, assessing, and executing external transactions including company and assets acquisitions to meet Zoetis' strategic and financial objectives. The role requires ~25% travel. Otherwise, the role is office-based with an expectation of being on site at least 60% of the time. The position is based in Dublin, Ireland in our international headquarters. Alternative European Zoetis locations may be considered, including Zaventem, Belgium.
The successful candidate will be partnering with multiple corporate functions including Legal, Finance, Manufacturing, Research & Development, Global Product Marketing, Global Medical Affairs and the Commercial Business.
Primary Responsibilities
Opportunity prospection and identification
Leading and executing a broad range of business development transactions, including acquisitions (companies, businesses, or assets), divestitures, research and licensing deals, and distribution agreements.
Acting as the Business Development lead, with end-to-end responsibility for advancing the process from target identification and initial engagement through diligence, negotiation, signing, and closing.
Establishing and leading an ad hoc cross-functional transaction team for each opportunity and coordinating contributions from relevant corporate functions to ensure alignment, accountability, and execution against timelines.
Bringing strong project management capabilities to the role, including planning, prioritization, issue identification, follow-up, and ensuring that functional inputs are complete, well supported, and decision-ready.
Overseeing due diligence across all disciplines, ensuring rigorous evaluation of strategic fit, commercial value, key risks, and integration considerations, and serving as the guarantor of the overall quality and coherence of the process.
Leading deal structuring and negotiation strategy in close partnership with BD Finance, Legal, and senior leadership.
Presenting opportunities, recommendations, and strategic rationale to the Zoetis Executive Team and Board of Directors.
Working closely with the Business Integration team to support effective transition planning and handoff from signing through integration execution.
Experience Required
Demonstrated track record of leading and closing acquisition transactions as a BD lead, with 10-15 years of relevant experience in business or corporate development, investment banking, or private equity.
Proven experience managing end-toend M&A processes, including target identification, due diligence, negotiation, and closing.
Network within the healthcare, life sciences, or technology sectors; Animal Health experience is a significant advantage.
Demonstrated strategic and critical thinking, as well as strong judgement and executive-level decision-making ability.
Attention to detail and highly organized working style.
Executive-level communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex strategic rationale to senior stakeholders across a range of mediums (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, meetings, etc.).
Strong leadership and ability to interact with and influence senior level executives, outside consultants, investment bankers, potential partners, as well as all internal Zoetis stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a multicultural, multinational environment.
Fluency in English required; additional European languages are a plus.
Willingness to travel across Europe and internationally as required.
Strategic thinker who can balance near-term execution with long-term portfolio shaping.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence outcomes across diverse stakeholders and senior executives.
Able to communicate complex business and financial concepts clearly to executive and board-level audiences.
Operates with resilience, adaptability, and decisiveness in dynamic environments; autonomous when appropriate, consultative when needed.
Knowledge, Skills, Ability Requirements
Knowledge of relevant disciplines: valuation methodologies including DCF, contracting, intellectual property, tax, anti-trust, commercial understanding, regulatory compliance, due diligence, information systems, human resources and business processes.
Leadership skills: Able to inspire and motivate people to enhance team drive for sustained success and colleague development.
Business Acumen: identify value-drivers within competitive landscape; able to apply objective business criteria and valuation models to the assessment of novel opportunities and clearly evaluate and communicate the short- and long-term commercial benefits.
Change management: Flexible to the needs of a changing business environment.
Communication and Cooperation: engages in effective partnerships, can facilitate effective brainstorming, project work activities; able to manage multi-functional teams.
Influencing skills: perceived as a convincing colleague/partner who can persuade and encourage others to enter into mutually beneficial partnerships. A strategic thinker who brings creative ideas, has good judgment to detect innovative opportunities that are aligned with Zoetis' growth of Zoetis strategy.
Acts decisively: demonstrates the capability to anticipate, act quickly and decisively, and keep a strong focus on achieving results within agreed timelines.
Possesses or able to quickly develop a strong understanding of the animal health business and Zoetis.
Qualifications (Training, Education, & Prior Experience)
Advanced degree in Science or Veterinary field (Master or above) preferred.
MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred; Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a business, finance, or related discipline required.
10-15+ years relevant Acquisition/BD/transaction experience.
Proven experience in healthcare transactions; Animal Health experience strongly valued.
Strong Awareness of Financial Valuation Models and Legal contracts as they relate to business collaborations and transactions
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