Executive Director, Strategic Planning & Enablement

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.•San Diego, CA

56d•Hybrid

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. Position Summary: The Executive Director, Commercial Strategy & Enablement is a key enterprise leader responsible for defining and executing the strategy that powers Acadia’s commercial success. This role oversees three critical functions—Strategic Forecasting, Omnichannel Enablement, and Field Force Effectiveness—ensuring seamless alignment between corporate strategy and field execution. The Executive Director will drive data-driven planning, resource optimization, and cross-functional collaboration across Commercial, Finance, IT, and Marketing to enable high-impact customer engagement and measurable business growth. This leader will translate insights into action, leveraging technology and analytics to enhance field performance, omnichannel coordination, and portfolio value. Reporting into senior Commercial leadership, this executive will shape how Acadia engages customers, deploys resources, and measures performance across brands. The ideal candidate combines strategic foresight with operational excellence and brings a strong track record in forecasting, field optimization, and omnichannel transformation within a biopharma setting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, STEM, or other related field. MBA preferred. An equivalent combination of relevant education and applicable job experience may be considered. Minimum of 20 years of relevant progressive experience in the pharmaceutical/medical device industry with a focus in cross functional leadership experience.
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Life Sciences, or a related field. MBA or advanced degree is strongly preferred.
Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with at least 5 years in a leadership/executive role overseeing strategic planning, commercial operations, or analytics functions.
Deep expertise in Strategic Sales Forecasting is required.
Extensive experience with Field Force Effectiveness and Incentive Compensation design, governance, and execution in a US pharmaceutical setting.
Proven track record of driving and enabling Omnichannel/Digital engagement strategies and technology platforms (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce CRM).
Demonstrated ability to lead large, complex projects, manage multi-million dollar budgets, and drive organizational change/transformation.
Exceptional executive presence and communication skills (written and verbal) with the ability to influence senior-level internal and external stakeholders.
Must possess strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, translating complex data into clear, actionable business strategies.
Commitment to high ethical standards and full compliance with all laws, regulations, and policies governing the conduct of pharmaceutical activities.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision:
Define, articulate, and champion the multi-year strategic vision and roadmap for commercial planning and enablement, directly linking team activities to corporate goals and revenue objectives.
Serve as a key strategic partner to Commercial, Brand, Finance, and IT leadership, providing objective insights and recommendations to inform go-to-market strategy, resource allocation, and investment decisions.
Lead the integration of the three verticals to ensure seamless strategy-to-execution enablement for the field and marketing teams.
Strategic Forecasting (Lead Vertical):
Oversee the development, maintenance, and presentation of robust, data-driven short- and long-term product and portfolio forecasts, including scenario planning and risk/opportunity assessments.
Drive continuous improvement in forecasting methodology, tools, and processes, incorporating primary market research, secondary data (claims, sales), and competitive intelligence.
Partner with Finance and Brand teams to ensure forecast alignment with budgeting, Long-Range Planning (LRP), and P&L commitments.
Omnichannel Enablement (Lead Vertical):
Direct the strategy and operational execution of an integrated omnichannel customer engagement model (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce, digital platforms).
Ensure the commercial technology stack effectively enables seamless and personalized customer experiences across all channels (field, email, web, paid media).
Lead the development and utilization of "Next Best Action" (NBA) logic, segmentation, and dynamic targeting to optimize content delivery and improve field/customer engagement efficiency.
Field Force Effectiveness and Incentive Compensation (Lead Vertical):
Provide strategic oversight for Field Force Effectiveness (FFE) initiatives, including sales force sizing, alignment, territory planning, and call plan strategies.
Lead the design, governance, and management of the Field Incentive Compensation (IC) strategy, ensuring plans are compliant, motivating, and directly aligned with brand strategy and forecast goals.
Oversee the field performance reporting, dashboards, and analytical insights needed to drive accountability and continuous improvement across the sales organization.
Team Leadership and Development:
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of leaders and individual contributors across the three specialized verticals (Forecasting, Omnichannel, FFE/IC).
Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making, strategic thinking, collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence, ensuring a patient-centric and compliance-first mindset.

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