Senior Director, Launch Excellence

Sobi•Boston, MA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Launch Excellence will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight to ensure the successful, on-time, and high-quality launch of Sobi's launches in future pipeline products, including two core upcoming launches across the North America region. This pivotal role will establish and lead Sobi's Launch Excellence framework, integrating cross-functional planning, governance, and performance measurement to drive consistent, best-in-class commercialization outcomes. The Senior Director will serve as the central orchestrator of launch readiness, ensuring alignment across Commercial, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, and other key functions. This leader will embed a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement—leveraging data-driven insights and market intelligence to optimize launch performance and patient impact in rare disease markets.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology commercialization, program management, launch excellence, or management consulting
Proven track record of leading multiple successful product launches, ideally in rare disease or specialty markets.
At least 8+ years of experience leading complex, cross-functional project teams in a matrix environment.
Background in management consulting strongly preferred
Demonstrated experience building and leading cross-functional teams in a global or regional setting.
Deep understanding of commercial readiness, market access, medical affairs, and regulatory launch processes.
Experience establishing launch governance frameworks and performance metrics.
Experience working with market research, competitive intelligence, and analytics data to support strategic decision-making.
Familiarity with regulatory submissions (e.g., NDA, BLA, MAA) and interactions with regulatory agencies is a plus.
Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capability.
Consulting-level approach to problem-solving and process design.
Exceptional leadership presence with the ability to influence, motivate, and lead teams without direct authority.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, capable of summarizing complex information clearly for diverse audiences.
Proficiency in project management software (Smartsheet, Monday.com, or similar platforms) and MS Office Suite.
Comfort with data analytics tools and dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and ability to interpret insights from data to inform decision-making.
Familiarity with AI-powered tools and platforms for market research, project management, and business intelligence (e.g., AI-assisted analytics, predictive forecasting tools, intelligent automation).
Proficiency with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) is a plus.
Enterprise mindset with the ability to connect strategy to execution and build scalable, repeatable processes
Change management capability—able to drive organizational transformation, manage resistance, and build buy-in for new frameworks and processes.
Passion for improving patient outcomes in rare diseases.
Collaborative, decisive, and resilient leader who thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments.
Commitment to operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA, PharmD, PhD, or MS) preferred.

Responsibilities

Define and lead the North America Launch Excellence strategy, ensuring alignment with global and regional business objectives and market insights.
Establish and evolve a repeatable launch framework that drives consistency, accountability, and excellence across all product launches.
Oversee the end-to-end launch planning and execution process, setting clear milestones, timelines, and deliverables.
Monitor progress, identify potential bottlenecks, and take proactive measures to ensure on-time completion of deliverables.
Partner with global and regional leadership to ensure launch readiness governance, including stage gates, KPIs, and risk management processes.
In partnership with an Asset Launch Lead, lead a high-performing, cross-functional launch team including representatives from Marketing, Sales, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Customer Experience, Insights and Operations, Supply Chain, and Regulatory Affairs.
Serve as the executive-level integrator across functions, ensuring strategic alignment and timely decision-making.
Facilitate executive steering committees and senior leadership updates, ensuring transparency and alignment on launch progress, risks, and mitigation plans.
Drive operational discipline through integrated project plans, milestone tracking, and proactive issue resolution.
Provide oversight on best-in-class project management methodologies and tools (e.g., Smartsheet, dashboards, AI-assisted project management software) to enhance visibility, accountability, and efficiency.
Leverage market research insights, competitive intelligence, and analytics to inform launch strategies and identify market opportunities and risks.
Identify and embed lessons learned from prior launches to continuously improve launch readiness and execution.
Champion a culture of excellence, fostering collaboration, agility, and innovation across teams.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives, implementing project management best practices and tools to enhance team efficiency and launch processes.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, providing data-driven insights, recommendations, and updates on launch performance.
Ensure effective, accurate, and timely communication of project status, challenges, and achievements to all stakeholders, tailoring the message to the audience.
Represent North America in global launch governance forums, ensuring regional needs and perspectives are integrated into global plans.

Benefits

Competitive compensation for your work
Generous time off policy
Opportunity to broaden your horizons by attending popular conferences
Emphasis on work/life balance
Collaborative and team-oriented environment
Making a positive impact to help ultra-rare disease patients who are in need of life saving treatments
A competitive 401(k) match to support your financial future.
Tuition and wellness reimbursements to invest in your personal and professional growth.
A comprehensive medical, dental, and vision package to prioritize your health and well-being.
Additional recognition awards to celebrate your achievements.