Therapeutic Specialist, Canada

Astellas Pharma • Edmonton, AB

28d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Astellas, we strive to become a cutting-edge, value-driven life science innovator, working at the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients. We are a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, with a team of more than 14,000 managing operations in approximately 70 countries. We are in the Top 30 global biopharma company and predicted to be one of the Top 10 Cancer Drug Makers of 2024. In Canada, we are growing to meet exciting opportunities. The Therapeutic Specialist is responsible for achieving annual sales forecasts through professional implementation of approved sales and marketing materials. This involves managing a complex scientific, clinical, and customer landscape, navigating network structures of therapeutic area agencies, centers, hospitals, and private practice. The role requires a solid scientific understanding, clinical acumen, and expert knowledge of Astellas and competitor products to conduct knowledge exchange with multiple clinical specialties and promote Astellas products ethically.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science or administration is required
• Based in British Colombia
• Minimum of eight years sales experience in an established pharmaceutical company and a minimum of 3 years at a specialty/institutional level with strong preference for Hematology/Oncology
• Superior strategic planning experience and proven tactical execution.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and effectively communicate complex, scientific information is required.
• Proven ability to converse at a high level with clinical experts and translate complex data relating to targeted therapies, biologics, biomarkers and evolving research into impact to patients.
• Advanced ability to ask strategic, insightful questions to uncover implicit needs of each specialty and develop customized solutions to those needs to optimize patient care.
• Strong business analytical skills required to understand territory performance and changing market dyanmics and trends within a region (clinical and business landscape).
• Utilize data and insights to collaborate with internal stakeholders and drive activities and focus in territory business plan.
• Demonstrated strong territory organizational skills and well developed time management skills.
• Key account management experience.
• Excellent customer service skills with the ability to develop and maintain relationships.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and customer relationship management databases.
• Travel 25% to 40%. Overnight travel required including within territory and to conferences, training and sales meetings, including weekends.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced or professional degree in a health care discipline or in the life sciences or an advanced degree in business.

Responsibilities

• Achieves annual sales forecasts through professional implementation of approved sales and marketing materials.
• Promotes assigned Astellas brands to all associated and relevant targeted academic and community based health care specialities in a professional manner.
• Effective use of clinical studies to communicate the benefits of Astellas pharmaceutical brands.
• Manages a complex scientific, clinical and customer landscape across multiple tumor types and disease states.
• Responsible for navigating and understanding the complex network structure and interdependencies of therapeutic area agencies, centres, hospitals and private practice along with stakeholder mapping.
• Develops key account plans by leveraging knowledge of clinical and business landscape in the assigned therapeutic area in collaboration with Regional Sales Manager and internal teams.
• Creates and maintains an annual territory business plan to maximize business opportunities and achieve annual territory objectives.
• Manages territory.
• Contributes to the development and execution of national and regional strategies and tactics to ensure the achievement of annual sales goals within assigned geography.
• Contributes to annual strategic brand planning and tactical idea generation as required.
• Provides prompt and accurate feedback of customer responses to marketing pieces.
• Interacts with relevant stakeholders, including assigned therapeutic area nurses, pharmacists, and reimbursement navigators to ensure appropriate use of Astellas products, resolving and triaging reimbursement issues and ensuring product access.
• Experts on Astellas Patient Assistance Program including supportive services to increase patient care and access.
• Partners with Patient Access Managers to drive regional access strategies, clinician engagement and messaging as appropriate.
• Close collaboration with Medical Science Liasions as appropriate and head office colleagues to align on activities and information sharing.
• Identifies unmet educational needs of health care professionals and delivering non-promotional learning programs aligned with APCA Approved Education Strategies set forth by the brand team to facilitate exchange of information on related scientific and clinical issues.
• Organizes and conducts learning activity events adhering to Astellas Learning Programs SOP and IMC Code of Ethical Practices.
• Trains new Therapeutic Specialists on APCA brands as assigned by Regional Sales Manager.
• Creates and leads workshops at sales meetings as assigned by RSM.
• Assists with regional or national marketing initiatives and projects in part or in whole as agreed upon by Marketing and RSM.
• Uncovers opportunities that enhance the eventual quality of patient care and create greater visibility for APCA as a partner in Canadian Health Care.
• Completes all administrative responsibilities as outlined by the Regional Sales Manager or designate.
• Maintains a current database and customer interface history utilizing the software packages provided by APCA.
• Maintains a diary of ongoing performance in order to facilitate effective year end performance reviews and plan for ongoing development.
• Attends important national and international conferences as agreed upon by the Regional Sales Manager and approved by Director.
• Attends three sales meetings per year and other APCA and external meetings as required.
• Demonstrates consistent strong teamwork, winning attitude and and positive approach.
• Maintains at all times a professional, respectable and dignified image as a representative of APCA.
• Maintains all company capital in good working order, including computers, office equipment and company vehicle etc.
• Accountable for maintaining a thorough understanding and adherence to all applicable APCA and external codes, policies and regulations (i.e. Innovation Medicines Canada Code of Ethical Practices, Code of Conduct, Travel and Entertainment Policy etc.).
• Upholds a commitment to compliance and operates with integrity within all business activities.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation, Sick time and national holidays
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan Program (RRSP)
• Company paid life insurance
• Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions
• Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions
• Wellness programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees