Executive Director, Head of Sales – PNH

AstraZeneca • Boston, MA

3d • $239,757 - $359,635 • Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director, Sales, PNH is responsible for leading all sales activities related to PNH in the U.S. market. This role will serve as the second-line sales leader for the PNH field organization, leading a team of Regional Sales Directors (RSDs) who manage Regional Account Managers (RAMs). The Executive Director will provide strategic direction, operational discipline, and inspirational leadership to drive execution of the PNH strategy, achieve annual sales goals, and advance performance across regions and territories. As a member of the U.S. Rare Hematology and Nephrology leadership team, this leader will be accountable for strong cross-functional collaboration, disciplined execution, talent development, and compliant business performance. The role will partner closely with Marketing, Medical, Market Access, Diagnostics, Patient Services, Strategic Accounts, Compliance, Business Operations, Learning and Development, and Sales Force Effectiveness to ensure the field team is aligned, equipped, and executing against key strategic imperatives. This framing builds from the current PNH and Hematology examples, which position the Executive Director as accountable for U.S. sales activities, field leadership, marketing strategy execution, annual sales goals, and cross-functional leadership within Hematology and Nephrology.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and/or biopharmaceutical industry, including significant experience managing pharmaceutical and/or biopharmaceutical sales teams in the U.S. market.
• Significant sales leadership experience, including demonstrated success leading leaders.
• Experience in specialty pharmaceutical sales.
• Successful track record of leading, developing, and managing the performance of sales teams to deliver strong results.
• Demonstrated ability to convert business insights, market dynamics, customer needs, and performance data into actionable strategies that grow the business.
• Strong business acumen, scientific acumen, communication skills, learning agility, and executive presence.
• Strong history of leadership, teamwork, and cross-functional collaboration resulting in significant accomplishments within an organization.
• Proven ability to operate successfully in a fast-paced, highly complex, and challenging environment.
• Ability to travel regularly within the U.S., approximately 50% of the time.
• The duties of this role are generally conducted in a field environment. As is typical of a field-based role, employees must be able, with or without accommodation, to travel by public transportation, automobile, train, or plane; work comfortably in a clinical setting; use a computer; communicate via phone, video, and electronic messaging; problem solve; engage in complex and non-linear thought, analysis, and dialogue; collaborate with others; and maintain general availability during standard business hours.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Scientific background highly desirable.
• Previous experience in one or more of the following areas: Marketing, Business Operations, Sales Training, Sales Force Effectiveness, Market Access, Product Launch, or Sales Operations.
• Experience in Hematology, Hem/Onc, rare disease, orphan drug, institutional accounts, integrated delivery systems, and/or community accounts.
• Experience leading through periods of market evolution, competitive intensity, product lifecycle change, or launch/expansion execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead the U.S. PNH sales organization in achieving sales performance targets and annual business objectives.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, development, and performance management to Regional Sales Directors, ensuring strong second-line leadership across the PNH field team.
• Ensure Regional Sales Directors effectively lead, coach, and develop Regional Account Managers to deliver against territory, regional, and national goals.
• Develop and ensure optimal execution of national, regional, and territory sales plans; manage the annual sales budget with discipline and accountability.
• Translate PNH brand strategy, market insights, customer needs, and performance trends into clear field priorities and actionable sales execution plans.
• Actively review performance metrics, KPIs, market/customer insights, and executional progress with RSDs; ensure timely and appropriate actions are taken to address challenges and opportunities.
• Build a high-performing, inclusive, compliant, and accountable sales culture across the PNH organization.
• Hire, lead, coach, motivate, inspire, and develop the Sales Management Team and strengthen leadership capability across the organization.
• Collaborate closely with the PNH Marketing team to shape and execute the sales components of the U.S. marketing plan in alignment with strategic imperatives.
• Oversee local team engagement with key accounts and ensure best-in-class customer experience across strategic accounts, centers of excellence, integrated delivery networks, community practices, and other priority accounts.
• Create, build, and maintain relationships with national Key Opinion Leaders in partnership with Marketing and Medical Affairs.
• Leverage AI-driven analytics and predictive insights to shape national sales strategy, optimize resource allocation, identify growth opportunities, and inform business decisions across regions; translates AI-generated intelligence into clear strategic priorities for Regional Sales Directors and cross-functional partners.
• Champion compliant adoption of AI-enabled tools, automation, and advanced analytics across the sales organization; establishes expectations, governance, and capability-building to enhance forecasting accuracy, field execution, customer engagement, and overall commercial performance.
• Ensure operational systems, business processes, and field tools are in place to enable RSDs and RAMs to evaluate regional and territory activity, performance, and results.
• Ensure close collaboration between the PNH sales team and Strategic Accounts, Diagnostics, Patient Support, Medical, Market Access, Compliance, Business Operations, Sales Training, and Sales Force Effectiveness to optimize Alexion’s approach to meeting customer and patient needs.
• Partner with internal leaders and enabling functions to ensure appropriate and efficient execution of brand strategies in a manner consistent with company policies, procedures, and compliance expectations.
• Ensure all activities under responsibility meet the highest ethical standards, comply with the Alexion Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, and align with company policies and procedures.
• Play an active role in Senior Leadership Business Reviews through proactive analysis and reporting of KPIs, market/customer insights, business risks, opportunities, and continuous improvement priorities.

Benefits

• short-term incentive bonus opportunity
• equity-based long-term incentive program
• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive