Associate Director, Sales Strategy, Operations & Execution- Rare Disease Franchise

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.•United States - Remote, IL

1d•$152,000 - $190,400•Remote

About The Position

Acadia is committed to turning scientific promise into meaningful innovation that makes the difference for underserved neurological and rare disease communities around the world. Our commercial portfolio includes the first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome. We are developing the next wave of therapeutic advancements with a robust and diverse pipeline that includes mid- to late-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, along with earlier-stage programs that address other underserved patient needs. At Acadia, we’re here to be their difference. This is a remote based position with flexibility to be located anywhere in the U.S., near a major airport. 30% travel is estimated. Position Summary: The Associate Director, Sales Operations & Execution serves as a key strategic partner and operational leader supporting the Vice President, Rare Disease Sales and Senior Director of Rare Disease Strategy and Operations. This role strengthens sales force effectiveness by driving sales planning, analytics, operational rigor, and execution excellence across the rare disease field organization. In addition, this role will have an opportunity to work on key strategic projects for the marketing team including high visibility with the commercial leadership team. This individual serves as the connective tissue between sales leadership, field teams, marketing team and cross-functional partners, delivering insights, enabling execution, shaping sales operating rhythms, and supporting high-impact initiatives that elevate performance. The role blends strategic thought partnership with hands-on execution support, enabling the VP of Sales and the broader field team to operate with greater clarity, consistency, and efficiency.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred.
Experience in sales operations, commercial operations, sales strategy, analytics, or relevant commercial roles within pharma/biotech preferred.
Proven track record supporting senior commercial or sales leaders with insights, analytics, and operational leadership preferred.
Strong expertise with analytical and reporting tools (Power BI, Veeva, Salesforce CRM, advanced Excel).
Deep understanding of sales force effectiveness, territory alignment, targeting, call planning, incentives, and KPI frameworks.
Exceptional communication required, and executive‑level presentation skills preferred.
Strong project management capability with ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment required.
High emotional intelligence with strong relationship-building skills across leadership levels.
Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and operate effectively within a complex, matrixed environment.
Adaptable, proactive, and comfortable navigating ambiguity; consistently models Acadia values and sales‑aligned culture.
A desire for growth and a versatility to be a commercial and/or sales leader.

Responsibilities

Partner with the VP of Sales to refine and operationalize short‑ and long‑term sales strategy.
Support annual and quarterly sales planning processes, including goal-setting, resource allocation, and prioritization aligned to brand and enterprise objectives.
Anticipate market dynamics, competitive shifts, and execution risks; recommend data‑driven adjustments to strengthen sales impact.
Lead preparation for leadership meetings, QBRs, field leadership summits, national sales meetings, and executive updates.
Partner with Commercial Operations & Business Optimization (COBO) to enhance KPI monitoring, field reporting, and incentive compensation support.
Translate complex data sets into clear, actionable insights for Sales Leadership and field teams.
Partner with COBO to support clear sales dashboards, performance tracking tools, scorecards, and executive-level summaries.
Support territory database management needs in collaboration with Sales Leadership and COBO.
Establish and optimize sales operating rhythms (e.g., weekly priorities, monthly business reviews, quarterly business review prep, communication cadence).
Build and maintain sales‑facing communication, messaging, and operational materials to ensure clarity and alignment.
Identify process inefficiencies across the sales operating model and proactively bring forth solutions that improve consistency, speed, and execution.
Serve as a key liaison between headquarters and the field organization to ensure timely feedback loops, alignment, and cross‑functional coordination.
Lead or support high-impact projects that enhance sales execution, field readiness, or customer engagement quality.
Partner with Marketing, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Training, Advocacy, and Commercial Operations to ensure tools, data, and resources are aligned with sales needs.
Manage special projects on behalf of the VP of Sales, including ad hoc analyses, strategic recommendations, and operational initiatives.
Support change management efforts associated with new systems, capabilities, or field resources, ensuring clear communication, training, and adoption.
Lead key projects for brand planning, national and regional sales meetings, and support for key commercial executive and board of directors presentations.

Benefits

Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
15+ vacation days
13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
10 days of paid sick time
Paid parental leave benefit
Tuition assistance