Associate Director, US Professional Education

Apellis Pharmaceuticals•Waltham, MA

1d•$179,000 - $269,000•Onsite

About The Position

Apellis is seeking a passionate and talented marketer for the role of Associate Director, US Professional Education (Prof Ed) on our Geographic Atrophy (GA) Marketing Team. It is an outstanding opportunity to make a significant impact for Eyecare Professionals (ECPs) and the company that launched the first FDA approved therapy to treat Geographic Atrophy, an irreversible disease. The US GA Prof Ed Associate Director will lead highly compliant marketing activities that involve Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in promotional efforts. These channels will primarily be live events but also include non-personal promotion (NPP). This role will be responsible for developing the Prof Ed plan for key channels (e.g., speaker bureau, symposia, exhibit talks, and NPP activities) including pull-through strategies and tactics. The role will lead the design and development of these activities and ensure compliant implementation. They will be deeply engaged with cross-functional partners, fostering collaboration and accountability. This role will have a high degree of engagement with the US GA Sales Organization and the Thought Leader Liaison (TLL) team. They will report to the Senior Director, US Brand Lead GA. The role will also be responsible for leading the development and execution of advisory boards and other HCP consulting projects to better understand key business problems facing the brand team. The Prof Ed lead will work with internal subject matter experts and external experts to define the key questions and determine the optimal format for answering these questions to address unmet business needs.

Requirements

BS/BA degree, MBA preferred
7+ years of pharmaceutical commercial experience
Broad marketing background with at least 5 years of experience in HCP marketing including PP, NPP, digital marketing, and agency management
US launch experience and ophthalmology experience is strongly preferred
Experience in sales or customer-facing roles is a plus
Passion for understanding and championing the needs of people living with debilitating diseases, translating them into market-moving insights
Previous experience in designing and launching HCP marketing material including medical/legal/regulatory approval, KOL training, and performance evaluation / metric analysis
Experience with policy-setting, high-level compliance discussions, and senior leadership alignment
Strong understanding of clinical decision-making process, drivers and barriers of HCP behavior, and approach to marketing across distinct segments and different customer-types
Ability to access and influence various functional areas and motivate groups to action without direct line management responsibility
Ability to quickly digest scientific and clinical updates and translate into marketing tactics
Demonstrated strong written, communication, and presentation skills
Must have superior analytical ability to analyze current and future landscape and specific market insights to make recommendations that impact our brands
Ability to navigate and be successful in a fast-paced, results-driven environment, managing through ambiguity
An entrepreneurial spirit coupled with the drive to embrace innovation and develop creative but well-reasoned solutions to business challenges
Motivation to be a part of envisioning and building the infrastructure, systems, and tactics to ensure launch success
Demonstrated integrity on the job, including an understanding of relevant rules and regulations

Responsibilities

Manage team of internal and external partners in creation of new professional education content for speaker program and symposia use
Oversee operations for speaker programs and symposia including strategic direction, budget management, sunshine reporting, and program analysis
Lead development and execution of speaker training for speakers bureau including content and event management team, medical team, and thought leader liaison team
Liaise with cross-functional partners on the selection and use of speakers
Ensure necessary sponsorships for conference educational events are submitted and approved as needed
Work with senior leaders in the planning and development of annual brand plans to leverage the voice of the KOL in promotional activities and ensure alignment with overall strategic objectives
Responsible for leading the development and execution of advisory boards or other methods to better understand key business problems facing the Ophthalmic Franchise
Partner with internal and external stakeholders to determine key business questions and appropriate format/audience/timing for answering them
Oversee content development and approval by review committee
Ensure compliant execution and tracking of all KOL engagements including ad boards
Disseminate ad board feedback internally so that learnings can be acted upon quickly
Think holistically about the business and closely monitor performance against key metrics, taking accountability for driving success of KOL initiatives
Help breed a culture of customer-centricity and a focus on patient unmet needs throughout the organization
Efficiently and thoughtfully administer the Prof Ed marketing budget
Work closely with regulatory, legal, and compliance to build policies and procedures related to ECP marketing