Executive Business Director, East

Xenon Pharmaceuticals

5d•$300,000 - $345,000•Remote

About The Position

Xenon Pharmaceuticals is seeking a patient-centric, strategic, collaborative, agile, and results-oriented Executive Business Director, Epilepsy, to lead its East region. The role leads and develops a team of Regional Sales Managers and ensures execution of the company’s commercial strategy across a multi-state geography. As the senior field leader for the assigned area, the Executive Business Director is accountable for launch readiness, business performance, leadership development, field effectiveness, and cross-functional execution. The position reports to the Vice President, Sales and is fully remote. As Xenon prepares for its first commercial launch, this leader will help build the field organization, develop frontline leadership capabilities, establish performance expectations, and drive consistent execution across regions. The role connects national commercial strategy with field execution by translating corporate priorities into actionable plans and fostering collaboration across field teams and cross-functional partners. The successful candidate will lead Regional Sales Managers and their teams, oversee area launch readiness and commercial performance, support strategic account engagement and market insight gathering, and coordinate initiatives with headquarters functions. The position also entails compliance and culture leadership, budget and resource oversight, and developing organizational objectives in line with company strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
10+ years of biotechnology or pharmaceutical commercial experience.
7+ years of progressive commercial or sales leadership experience.
Significant biotechnology or pharmaceutical launch experience required.
Experience leading first-line sales leaders required.
Neurology experience required.
Proven success building, developing, and leading high-performing organizations and leadership teams.
Strong experience working with academic institutions, epilepsy centers, health systems, integrated delivery networks, and specialty markets.
Demonstrated ability to influence and lead within complex matrix organizations.
Strong strategic thinking, business planning, analytical, coaching, and organizational leadership capabilities.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and cross-functional leadership skills.
Proficiency with CRM platforms, analytics tools, and Microsoft 365 applications.
Ability to travel up to 75%.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Second-line leadership experience strongly preferred.
Epilepsy experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain a high-performing team of Regional Sales Managers.
Establish consistent leadership expectations, performance standards, coaching practices, and operating rhythms across the area.
Coach and develop Regional Sales Managers in leadership effectiveness, business planning, strategic account management, and organizational leadership.
Ensure Regional Sales Managers effectively recruit, onboard, develop, and retain high-performing field teams.
Conduct talent reviews, succession planning, development discussions, and performance management activities.
Foster an ethical, inclusive, and patient-focused culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
Lead launch-readiness activities across all regions in the assigned area; monitor milestones and identify risks, capability gaps, dependencies, and resource needs.
Partner with Regional Sales Managers to ensure launch plans are executed consistently and effectively.
Support field deployment planning, territory readiness, customer engagement preparation, and adoption of commercial systems and processes.
Translate national commercial priorities into aligned regional execution plans and provide field perspectives and recommendations to the Vice President of Sales and Commercial Leadership Team.
Drive achievement of area business objectives and commercial priorities; lead area business reviews and performance discussions.
Monitor business performance through leading and lagging indicators and implement actions to address performance gaps.
Ensure consistency in customer engagement, account planning, coaching effectiveness, CRM utilization, and execution standards across regions.
Collaborate with internal partners and Regional Sales Managers to improve productivity, resource allocation, and organizational effectiveness; identify and share best practices.
Provide leadership and support for key epilepsy centers, academic institutions, health systems, integrated delivery networks, and other strategic accounts spanning multiple regions.
Develop pre-launch relationships with key accounts across assigned regions and support Regional Sales Managers in navigating customer, health-system, and access-related opportunities and challenges.
Aggregate and synthesize field insights on customer needs, patient journey barriers, treatment trends, competitive developments, and market opportunities; communicate actionable recommendations and market intelligence to commercial leadership.
Serve as the senior field leader for cross-functional initiatives affecting the assigned area and partner with Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Patient Services, Commercial Operations, Commercial Training, Analytics, Human Resources, Legal, and Compliance.
Align cross-functional partners around launch plans, customer engagement activities, business priorities, and field execution; facilitate communication between field teams and headquarters.
Support coordinated resolution of business issues affecting multiple regions and customers, and promote transparency, accountability, and shared ownership.
Ensure field activities comply with company policies, industry regulations, and legal requirements; promote ethical leadership, compliance, and responsible decision-making.
Oversee area budgets, resource allocation, travel, meetings, and commercial investments; ensure Regional Sales Managers maintain strong compliance standards.
Develop and propose short- and long-term objectives for the function in accordance with company strategies and plans.
Plan and manage budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with company strategic and operating plans and Finance policies.
Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach, and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with company Human Resource policies and practices.
Act in accordance with company policies, including the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Some international travel may be required.