Associate

Job Description: Associate

Office: Boston, MA; must currently reside in the Boston area or be willing to relocate there before starting. Must have U.S. Citizenship or Green card.

Overview:

Locust Walk is a global investment bank that integrates corporate development strategy and execution with capital raising for innovative life science companies of all stages. We partner with founders, executives, and board members through all aspects of corporate development across company, asset, and deal lifecycles. Through our extensive market intelligence interfacing with investors, large pharma, biotechs, and academic leaders, we have a deep understanding of how science and data translates into actionable transactions and business strategy.

Why is this role right for you?

If you are looking to build your career with a fast-growing professional services firm with both investment banking and consulting offerings with significant upside potential in position, responsibility, and compensation, we are looking for you. The role is like working as a business or corporate development professional in a biopharma company, but you get the opportunity to work with multiple clients simultaneously on both the strategy and execution of transaction assignments, providing a more dynamic environment, richer experience, and opportunity to grow professionally. The hours are more manageable than an investment bank and the work more integrated than a consulting firm.

A week in the life for this role?

The focus for the Associate is to play a key role in leading the firm’s engagements and to participate in the firm’s new business development activities. Our engagements range from Strategy & Analytics projects (strategic consulting related to transactions) to Strategic Transactions (business development and M&A transactions), and Capital Markets (private capital raises, IPO advisory, and in the near-term public underwriting). Our Associates work with those above and below them to drive high value projects and closing transformational deals. The Associate is responsible for leading execution and overseeing deliverables and analysis generated by Analysts, identifying, and managing discussions with target partners, and supporting deal negotiations and closing. They conduct outreach to potential partners, coordinate investor conversations, and play an active role in generating interest in and concluding a deal. The Associate is often tasked with managing all aspects of the day-to-day execution of a client engagement, including leading update calls with the client, and overseeing all aspects of the Analyst’s work. Business development activities, including participation at networking events and building relationships with industry peers and prospective clients, are essential to furthering our growth. An Associate will help with pitch materials and prepare thought pieces for our marketing materials. Our senior deal team is dedicated to the professional growth and development of our Associates so they can rise through the ranks. Each engagement provides a new learning opportunity.

Experience in life science consulting, investment banking, venture capital industry or internal biotech business/corporate development is a requirement. We are looking for someone who is currently working in a life science strategy consulting firm or investment bank and is frustrated by either not seeing their consulting projects through to execution or find banking or equity research too high level without the ability to impact a company in more material ways. Handing a deliverable to the client and wishing them good luck is not satisfying nor is simply making decks / memos and handing execution to the capital markets or M&A teams. Additionally, if you are in a business development or corporate development role and miss or long for the intellectual stimulation of working in a fast-paced environment on multiple projects but also want to do deals, this job is for you. The candidate must be able to demonstrate the following set of skills:

• Strong life sciences corporate strategy and/or transaction execution experience, including: new opportunity prioritization; partnering and M&A strategy; business development and transaction support; M&A and/or licensing execution; private placement execution; asset forecasting and valuation; portfolio management; or commercialization strategy
• Either a proven track record of working with and managing teams or relevant leadership skills that demonstrate an ability to do so successfully
• Drive strategic recommendations and execution, and act as primary client contact for Strategy and Analytics and transaction execution engagements
• Solid understanding of financial modelling, including at least revenue modeling. Full P&L and discounted cash flow modeling a plus but can be learned on the job; ability to lead trainings on modeling and large database analysis
• Strong communication skills and comfort presenting in front of company management, Boards of Directors, and speaking directly with physicians and other key opinion leaders
• Excellent written and presentation development skills, with ability to offer training in PowerPoint a plus
• Strong competitive spirit balanced by a proven ability to work as part of a team

If you do not have prior biopharma consulting, investment banking, equity research, venture capital, corporate development, or business development experience, then unfortunately this job is not the right fit. An MBA from a top institution is a plus but not a requirement with the right work experience.

Passion for life sciences and transactions. At our core, we strive to help each of our clients achieve success through strategic insights and deal making. While we do not expect consultants to have prior transaction experience or investment bankers to have prior consulting experience, a strong interest and desire to “do deals” is important for this role where everything we do from a strategy and execution perspective revolves around transactions.

What is our culture?

We look for entrepreneurial, growth-oriented individuals who are committed to the success of others. We have a high-performance culture that rewards creative solutions to daily challenges, as well as a strong work ethic while enjoying the ride. Locust Walk offers a mindful work-life balance within the context of a transaction-focused professional services firm. While we have always connected in our physical locations, ate lunch together and enjoyed other team activities, we have now created a hybrid environment of in-office and work from home flexibility. We are open and honest with each other and transparent in our dealings, including information about the health of the business.

Key career background and experience for this position?

This person needs to live the Locust Walk values. We are looking first for people who fit our culture. Culture is very important to us, and that fit is critical. A brief overview of our core values and who we are looking for is below:

Commitment to the Success of Others

• Global team-based culture with individual accountability
• No team member is left behind: we are committed to succeeding together for the benefit of both our clients and the company.

Open and Courageous Communication

• In the spirit of caring for each other's success, we commit to being truthful and transparent in our communication and feedback, both to clients and inside the company and we do so with empathy and success.
• We commit to thoughtful and rigorous debate and feedback at all levels of the company.
• The Locust Walk Leadership Team always strives to be as transparent as possible with the company.

Growth Mindset

• We thrive on challenge and are life-long learners. We are not afraid of failure yet see it as a springboard.
• Honest bi-directional feedback is important for building trusted, productive relationships.
• Feedback should be given as soon as possible after an event or situation occurs rather than waiting for the moment to pass.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

• We are self-motivated to succeed and will do whatever it takes for our clients to succeed in an ethical manner.
• We will always have a small firm ethos with an entrepreneurial mindset and minimized bureaucracy.

Enjoy the Ride

• We care about and for our clients and each other.
• We work hard and integrate fun into the core of what we do. We all have unique interests and find common ways of sharing that with each other.
• Wins should be celebrated.
• It is about the journey, not the destination.

How much could someone earn in this role?

Our firm has a multi-part compensation and benefits structure:

• We pay a competitive base with other transaction focused professional services firms.
• Every person at Locust Walk will be eligible to earn a bonus based on exceptional individual and firm performance that encourages both accountability as well as teamwork and helping to grow the overall business.
• We offer a great competitive Total Benefits package which includes health, dental, and vision, as well as other great competitive benefits.
• We have a flexible vacation policy on top of 9 official company holidays.
• We offer a 401k match.
• Hybrid work schedule (Tuesday through Thursday in office)

For More Information:
Visit Locustwalk.com or send your resume to careers@locustwalk.com