What are the responsibilities and job description for the District Manager position at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals?
Description
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARWR) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.
Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.
Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI and San Diego, CA. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.
The Position
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is seeking an experienced, high-impact District Manager to lead and develop a team of Sales Representatives within our expanding cardiometabolic franchise. This leadership role is critical to launch excellence and sustained growth as we bring innovative RNAi therapies, including Plozasiran, to patients with rare and high-need cardiovascular conditions.
The District Manager will drive prescriber activation, performance accountability, and disciplined execution across a defined geography. This leader must combine strong coaching capability, strategic business acumen, and operational rigor to build a high-performing team in a fast-paced launch environment.
Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Talent Development
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARWR) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.
Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.
Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI and San Diego, CA. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.
The Position
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is seeking an experienced, high-impact District Manager to lead and develop a team of Sales Representatives within our expanding cardiometabolic franchise. This leadership role is critical to launch excellence and sustained growth as we bring innovative RNAi therapies, including Plozasiran, to patients with rare and high-need cardiovascular conditions.
The District Manager will drive prescriber activation, performance accountability, and disciplined execution across a defined geography. This leader must combine strong coaching capability, strategic business acumen, and operational rigor to build a high-performing team in a fast-paced launch environment.
Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Recruit, hire, and onboard high-caliber Sales Representatives aligned to launch competency expectations.
- Provide structured field coaching through regular ride-alongs, performance reviews, and individualized development plans.
- Develop sales capability in clinical acumen, account planning, access navigation, and compliant promotional execution.
- Foster a culture of accountability, ethical behavior, collaboration, and high performance.
- Identify succession talent and build a strong leadership pipeline within the district.
- Own district-level sales targets, performance metrics, and forecast accuracy.
- Translate national and regional strategy into actionable district business plans.
- Analyze performance data, prescribing trends, and territory insights to optimize execution.
- Conduct regular business reviews and implement corrective action plans when needed.
- Ensure disciplined CRM utilization and activity tracking.
- Guide territory planning discipline and call plan optimization.
- Ensure consistent, high-quality HCP engagement and execution across the district.
- Monitor leading indicators such as call activity, speaker program execution, and adoption trends.
- Drive launch readiness and sustained pull-through across priority accounts.
- Partner closely with Regional Sales Director to align district execution to broader regional strategy.
- Coordinate with Key Account Managers on IDN strategy and system-level pull-through.
- Collaborate with Health IT, Market Access, Marketing, and Medical Affairs to remove barriers to adoption.
- Provide actionable field insights to inform commercial strategy refinement.
- Ensure strict adherence to all promotional, compliance, and regulatory standards.
- Model and reinforce compliant behavior in all customer engagements.
- Manage district budgets responsibly, including speaker programs and business expenses.
- Extensive field travel required (~70%) including regular in-field coaching and ride-alongs.
- Participation in regional and national meetings, training programs, and launch events.
- Minimum 5 years of pharmaceutical sales experience required.
- Prior field leadership or formal mentoring experience strongly preferred.
- Experience in specialty, rare disease, or cardiovascular therapeutic areas preferred.
- Demonstrated success in launch environments or high-growth franchises highly desirable.
- Proven ability to coach, motivate, and develop high-performing sales teams.