Pharma Sales Director

Develop Health • San Francisco, CA

1d • $210,000 - $260,000

About The Position

Develop Health is hiring an individual-contributor Pharma Sales Director to win and grow partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers and brand teams. The role owns a sales number and manages deals from initial conversation through signed agreement and subsequent account expansion. Develop Health automates benefit verification and prior authorization within manufacturer HUB, specialty pharmacy, and direct-to-patient programs to shorten time to therapy and reduce patient abandonment.

The Director will open and qualify manufacturer accounts, build relationships across buying groups, develop proposals and business cases, negotiate agreements, and guide them through procurement, legal, and compliance. Sales cycles typically run several months. The role also expands live programs into additional brands and therapeutic areas, supports clean handoffs and launches, maintains an accurate CRM and forecast, and brings market feedback to internal teams. The position reports to the Head of Life Sciences & Partnerships and works with product, operations, data, engineering, HUBs, and pharmacies. Regular travel, approximately 50%, is required for client meetings and conferences.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience selling to pharmaceutical manufacturers in partnerships, business development, account management, or enterprise sales, in areas such as patient services, market access, HUB services, specialty pharmacy, or digital health.
• Demonstrated experience personally closing complex manufacturer agreements and explaining the sales process, stakeholders, and how obstacles were overcome.
• Knowledge of manufacturer buying processes, budget ownership across brand, market access, and patient services, procurement, legal, compliance, and typical sales-cycle duration.
• Knowledge of the patient journey from diagnosis and treatment start through adherence and ongoing support, including where access delays cause patient loss.
• Experience selling solutions that improve patient acquisition, adherence, or retention.
• Working knowledge of specialty medication access, including HUB workflows, benefit verification, prior authorization, affordability, and reimbursement.
• Consultative selling skills and the ability to use data to build a value story for brand leadership.
• Strong pipeline discipline, honest forecasting, and consistent CRM maintenance.
• Clear writing and executive presence, including the ability to prepare concise proposals and present to vice presidents.
• Willingness to travel approximately 50% for client meetings and conferences.

Nice To Haves

• Existing relationships with pharma brand, patient services, or market access leaders.
• Experience helping launch a brand access program or HUB.
• Understanding of pharma regulatory and compliance requirements, including the Anti-Kickback Statute, HIPAA, and FDA promotional rules, and their implications for patient support programs and manufacturer partnerships.
• Early-stage startup experience.

Responsibilities

• Source and qualify manufacturer opportunities through personal networks, outbound outreach, and industry events.
• Build senior relationships across Brand, Marketing, Patient Services, Market Access, Trade/Channel, and Commercial.
• Identify and coach internal champions who can guide deals through manufacturer buying committees.
• Represent Develop Health at industry conferences to build relationships, generate leads, and monitor competitors.
• Own deals end to end, including discovery, partnership design, pricing proposals, negotiation, and signature.
• Create presentations, proposals, and data-backed business cases tied to patient acquisition, time to therapy, adherence, and HUB cost.
• Travel for onsite meetings and planning sessions with manufacturer teams.
• Maintain accurate pipeline stages and forecasts in the CRM each week.
• Identify expansion opportunities within live manufacturer accounts, including additional brands, therapeutic areas, and programs.
• Hand closed deals to account management with clear scope, success metrics, and a go-live plan, and remain engaged after launch.
• Share market feedback with product and operations as clear requirements and involve relevant colleagues in solutioning and security reviews.
• Work with marketing on manufacturer-focused case studies, playbooks, and sales materials.
• Follow trends in patient support programs, pharma commercialization, and access technology, and share relevant learnings with the team.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Commission on closed revenue
• Meaningful early-stage equity
• Direct access to the Head of Life Sciences & Partnerships and company leadership
• Work that directly accelerates access to medication for hundreds of thousands of patients

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed