VP, Head of US Commercial Insights and Analytics

Position Summary:

Zenas is seeking a seasoned, dynamic commercial leader with extensive specialty product experience (I&I, MS & SLE preferred) to grow and lead the company’s Commercial Insights & Analytics organization.  Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, The VP Head of US Commercial Insights & Analytics will support the success of Zenas’s portfolio through operational excellence and driving data-driven decision-making across the organization.  This position plays a pivotal role in driving understanding of the future markets where Zenas will eventually compete in the future. The VP Head of US Commercial Insights & Analytics will be one of the first commercial hires and is a critical senior commercial leadership role that will be instrumental in Zenas evolution into a fully integrated commercial-stage company.

Key Responsibilities:

• As a member of the Zenas commercial leadership team, the VP Head of US Commercial Insights & Analytics, will play a critical role in critical role in leading the commercial organization including the vision, structure, talent base, infrastructure, capabilities, and operating model. 
• Lead the development of the Commercial Insights & Analytics plan (structure, roles, budget, key activities and deliverables, etc.) encompassing all areas of responsibility including market research, forecasting, field operations, data management, advanced analytics, and reporting.
• Ensure Commercial Insights & Analytics team is working effectively with cross-functional commercial partners in Marketing, Market Access, Sales, and Commercial Training & Development to maintain strategic alignment, produce high quality deliverables, and achieve performance objectives.
• Recruit, motivate, develop, and retain a team of highly skilled commercial operations and analytics professionals.
• Partner with Marketing & Market Access teams to develop and maintain deep commercial insights through market research, competitive intelligence, and business analytics.
• Lead the ongoing design, development, implementation, and maintenance of Zenas commercial data. To include data strategy, sourcing, integration, and management; data infrastructure build and implementation; analytics and reporting needs assessment and development; key vendor partner identification and integration; etc. 
• Lead a high performing field operations team responsible for supporting sales, market access, and medical affairs field teams.  Key work streams and deliverables to include field team sizing, territory optimization, incentive compensation design and adjudication, CRM design and implementation, reporting, and field communications and administration.
• Ensure regular, effective communication with sales leadership to identify challenges and opportunities and deliver solutions as needed
• Lead a high performing market research and forecasting function that will serve as a primary source of business insight and planning for the commercial organization.  To include primary and secondary market research, competitive intelligence, and forecasting.
• Partner with Finance to optimize and execute a quarterly “latest estimate” financial planning process to inform key downstream needs such as Wall Street guidance on net sales performance, production planning, incentive compensation, etc.
• Work with other commercial functions to define KPIs and ensure methods are in place to measure and report on them on a regular basis to assess performance and identify opportunities for improvement
• Work closely with Finance team to ensure data and systems are in place and functioning optimally for sales tracking, revenue recognition, government price reporting, and contract adjudication and payment
• Develop a close, collaborative relationship with Medical Affairs leadership to ensure teams are working effectively together both internally and in the field
• Partner with Market Access to ensure oversight for channel inventory management and channel partner performance metrics as well as captures all needed data from the patients access & reimbursement support provider (hub)
• Demonstrate Commercial Insights & Analytics thought leadership and represent Zenas at key meetings, functions, and conferences, etc., when appropriate.
• Ensure successful agency/vendor partnerships
• Develop and delivers presentations to senior leadership
• Role may involve moderate business travel (i.e., up to 10-15% of time)

Qualifications:

• BS/BA degree in business or related discipline.  Advanced degree preferred (e.g., MBA, MPH, PharmD, PhD).
• Fifteen (15) or more years of experience within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries including at least 5-7 years in commercial ops and analytics senior leadership roles.  I&I , including launch experience, is strongly preferred.
• Experience building and optimizing teams and commercial capabilities is required.
• Experience in and understanding of other commercial functions (e.g., marketing, market access, sales operations, sales training, insights/analytics, business development, etc.) will be an important consideration for this role.
• Must be a true team player – authentic, humble, professional, flexible, and coachable – able to build a positive team spirit and lead teams through the ups and downs of drug development, puts success of the company and the overall commercial organization above own interests and supports everyone’s efforts to succeed, grow, and develop.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate and lead teams and have the managerial courage to make and stand by difficult decisions
• Highly skilled in influencing cross-functional teams, including interfacing with key internal and external stakeholders and with scientific and commercial teams
• Must be a resourceful, creative problem solver who seeks out, and is receptive to, new ideas and approaches to solving persistent challenges.
• Ability and willingness to work effectively and seamlessly at multiple “altitudes” within the organization.  Maintains a “no job is too big or too small” attitude necessary to succeed in a small company environment and ensures direct reports do the same.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills (including ability to successfully convey insights and recommendations via PowerPoint), including ability to synthesize data and deliver a clear overview of the state of the business, drivers of performance, opportunities and risks, and recommended action plans.  Strong executive presence and comfortable presenting to CEO and board of directors.
• Demonstrated ability to attract top talent with diverse backgrounds and to build cohesive, high performing teams
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to changes in the work environment. Manages competing demands. Changes approach or method to best fit the situation. Able to deal with frequent change, delays, unexpected events, or uncertainty/ambiguity with maturity and professionalism.

#LI-Hybrid

The position is eligible for a competitive compensation and benefits package.

Zenas is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary pay range for this role is $290,000 to $340,000. Actual compensation packages will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to depth of experience, education, skillset, overall performance and/or location.

Zenas believes in providing a competitive compensation and benefits package to all employees. Our base salary is just one component of Zenas’ competitive total rewards strategy that also includes annual performance bonus, equity, full range of benefits and other incentive compensation plans.