Oncology Account Specialist (Sales)

Oncology Account Specialist (Sales) - Canada

Canada, Field – Territory includes but not limited to: British Columbia and Manitoba province

Astellas Canada – Oncology Account Specialist (Sales) / Therapeutic Specialist

At Astellas, we strive to become a cutting-edge, value-driven life science innovator. This means working at the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients.

What sets us apart is our focus on patients, our pioneering innovation, our collaborative culture, and the passion of our talented people.

Making a positive impact on patients’ lives is the purpose behind everything we do. At Astellas, we are relentless in our pursuit of scientific progress and in tackling unmet medical needs, demonstrated by our legacy in oncology, overactive bladder and transplant and our impressive pipeline in women's health, blindness and regeneration, genetic regulation, immuno-oncology, mitochondria and targeted protein degradation.

About Us:

We are a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, with a team of more than 14,000 managing operations in approximately 70 countries around the world. We are in the Top 30 global biopharma company based on global revenues and are predicted to be one of the Top 10 Cancer Drug Makers of 2024 by Fierce Pharma.

In Canada, we are growing to meet the exciting opportunities realized by our legacy brands and rich pipeline of innovative treatments.

We are looking for candidates who will thrive in our entrepreneurial and empowering environment where talent and leadership flourish. Do your values align with our Astellas Way - patient focus, ownership, results, openness and integrity? Then we would love to hear from you.

From the first day in role, everyone at Astellas has a responsibility for creating a brighter future for patients around the world. We nurture exceptional relationships with our employees to allow them to thrive, foster innovation, and deliver exceptional business results. We work to create a culture where our people feel empowered to pursue brave ideas and ambitious outcomes, to have the confidence to be accountable for a higher standard of performance and embody a competitive and solutions-oriented mindset.

Our expertise, science and technology make us a pharma company. Our open and diverse culture is what makes us uniquely Astellas.

Astellas Pharma Canada (APCA) is looking to fill vacant position – Oncology Account Specialist (Sales)

Description

Responsible for achieving annual sales forecasts through professional implementation of approved sales and marketing materials.  Results are achieved by managing a complex, scientific, clinical and customer landscape as well as by navigating and understanding the complex network structure and interdependencies of therapeutic area agencies, centres, hospitals and private practice.

Therapeutic Specialists have a solid  scientific understanding, clinical acumen and expert knowledge of Astellas and competitor products.  This knowledge is essential to conduct knowledge exchange with multiple clinical specialties in the assigned therapeutic area on clinical trials, disease state, screening and patient identification, practice structure, clinical care pathways and integrated models of care to enhance patient outcomes.  In addition, the Therapeutic Specialist engages with all targeted academic and community based health care specialists in a professional and ethical manner to promote and educate on assigned Astellas products.

Essential Job Duties

• Achieves annual sales forecasts through professional implementation of approved sales and marketing materials. Promotes assigned Astellas brands to all associated and relevant targeted academic and community based health care specialities in a professional manner. Effective use of clinical studies to communicate the benefits of Astellas pharmaceutical brands.
• Manages a complex scientific, clinical and customer landscape across multiple tumor types and disease states. Also responsible for navigating and understanding the complex network structure and interdependencies of therapeutic area agencies, centres, hospitals and private practice along with stakeholder mapping.
• Develops key account plans by leveraging knowledge of clinical and business landscape in the assigned therapeutic area in collaboration with Regional Sales Manager and internal teams.
• Creates and maintains an annual territory business plan to maximize business opportunities and achieve annual territory objectives. Manages territory Contributes to the development and execution of national and regional strategies and tactics to ensure the achievement of annual sales goals within assigned geography.
• Contributes to annual strategic brand planning and tactical idea generation as required. Provides prompt and accurate feedback of customer responses to marketing pieces.
• Interacts with relevant stakeholders, including assigned therapeutic area nurses, pharmacists, and reimbursement navigators to ensure appropriate use of Astellas products, resolving and triaging reimbursement issues and ensuring product access. Experts on Astellas Patient Assistance Program including supportive services to increase patient care and access.
• Partners with Patient Access Managers to drive regional access strategies, clinician engagement and messaging as appropriate. Close collaboration with Medical Science Liasions as appropriate and head office colleagues to align on activities and information sharing.
• Identifies unmet educational needs of health care professionals and delivering non-promotional learning programs aligned with APCA Approved Education Strategies set forth by the brand team to facilitate exchange of information on related scientific and clinical issues. Organizes and conducts learning activity events adhering to Astellas Learning Programs SOP and IMC Code of Ethical Practices.
• Trains new Therapeutic Specialists on APCA brands as assigned by Regional Sales Manager. Creates and leads workshops at sales meetings as assigned by RSM. Assists with regional or national marketing initiatives and projects in part or in whole as agreed upon by Marketing and RSM.
• Uncovers opportunities that enhance the eventual quality of patient care and create greater visibility for APCA as a partner in Canadian Health Care.
• Completes all administrative responsibilities as outlined by the Regional Sales Manager or designate. Maintains a current database and customer interface history utilizing the software packages provided by APCA.  Maintains a diary of ongoing performance in order to facilitate effective year end performance reviews and plan for ongoing development.
• Attends important national and international conferences as agreed upon by the Regional Sales Manager and approved by Director. Attends three sales meetings per year and other APCA and external meetings as required.
• Demonstrates consistent strong teamwork, winning attitude and positive approach.
• Maintains at all times a professional, respectable and dignified image as a representative of APCA.
• Maintains all company capital in good working order, including computers, office equipment and company vehicle etc.
• Accountable for maintaining a thorough understanding and adherence to all applicable APCA and external codes, policies and regulations (i.e. Innovation Medicines Canada Code of Ethical Practices, Code of Conduct, Travel and Entertainment Policy etc.). Upholds a commitment to compliance and operates with integrity within all business activities.

Quantitative Dimensions: Describe the measurable areas on which this position has direct or indirect impact. Include areas such as operating budget, sales, cost of goods, number of clients or vendors, number and complexity of clinical studies, etc.

• Achievement of annual territory and national sales forecast.
• Budget responsibility for the assigned territory.
• Proven ability to quickly learn new complex scientific material
• Communication of critical patient care information related to APCA products
• Demonstrates sales influence within the Territory, Region and in some instances National business
• Demonstrates collaboration and teamwork with internal departments.
• Responsible for adhering to regulatory guidelines for scientific and educational activities (Astellas SOPs and IMC Code of Marketing Practices)
• Responsible for managing territory tactical planning and execution as per approved business plan and commercial plan of action within budget. 
• Responsible for demonstrating leadership and contributing to a positive and collaborative team culture.
• Assist in the development of product training and workshops, as required. Train existing and new Therapeutic Specialists, as required.

Organizational Context: Describe the organizational positioning of the role; mention the reporting line, level above and below.  Include known job family information.  If a new  position or if an organizational change, attach an organizational chart.  Intent is to give a sense of the work environment in which the responsibilities are performed.

Reports to Regional Sales Manager

Individual Contributor

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor of Science or administration is required
• Based in British Colombia
• Minimum of eight years sales experience in an established pharmaceutical company and a minimum of 3 years at a specialty/institutional level with strong preference for Hematology/Oncology
• Superior strategic planning experience and proven tactical execution.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and effectively communicate complex, scientific information is required.
• Proven ability to converse at a high level with clinical experts and translate complex data relating to targeted therapies, biologics, biomarkers and evolving research into impact to patients.
• Advanced ability to ask strategic, insightful questions to uncover implicit needs of each specialty and develop customized solutions to those needs to optimize patient care.
• Strong business analytical skills required to understand territory performance and changing market dyanmics and trends within a region (clinical and business landscape). Utilize data and insights to collaborate with internal stakeholders and drive activities and focus in territory business plan.
• Demonstrated strong territory organizational skills and well developed time management skills.
• Key account management experience.
• Excellent customer service skills with the ability to develop and maintain relationships.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and customer relationship management databases.
• Travel 25% to 40%. Overnight travel required including within territory and to conferences, training and sales meetings, including weekends.

Preferred

• Advanced or professional degree in a health care discipline or in the life sciences or an advanced degree in business.

Working Environment

• This position is remote and is based in Canada.
• At Astellas we recognize the importance of work/life balance, and we are proud to offer a hybrid working solution allowing time to connect with colleagues at the office with the flexibility to also work from home. We believe this will optimize the most productive work environment for all employees to succeed and deliver. Hybrid work from certain locations may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines.

Salary Range: $100,000-$140,000 CAD annually per year (final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to proficiency levels and organizational equity considerations)

*The salary range provided applies to Canada only and does not apply to any other locations outside of Canada.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation, Sick time and national holidays
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan Program (RRSP)
• Company paid life insurance
• Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions
• Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions
• Wellness programs

Astellas may use artificial intelligence-enabled tools at various stages of the recruitment and selection process.

Additional Information

Astellas Pharma Canada welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the hiring process.

No telephone inquiries, in-person applications, or agencies please. While we appreciate all applications, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

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Category Sales

Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans