Commercial Excellence Partner

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are committed to turning innovative science into medical solutions that bring value and hope to patients and their families. Keeping our focus on addressing unmet medical needs and conducting our business with ethics and integrity enables us to improve the health of people throughout the world. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.com .

This position is based in Northbrook, Illinois. Hybrid work from certain states may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines. Candidates interested in hybrid work are encouraged to apply.

Purpose:

The Senior Manager, Commercial and Operational Excellence will support the Director, Commercial Excellence and Operational Excellence in developing and implementing Astellas capabilities, processes, and governance to optimize product launch, life cycle management and ongoing commercialization capabilities and operational excellence support across the organization until the end of the product’s lifecycle. The Senior Manager is a key member of US Commercial Excellence (Com Ex), part of US Strategy & Planning (USSP)), for Astellas US Commercial (US-C). This individual will be an active partner in engaging with multiple stakeholders across multiple functions to establish and embed robust, agile, and consistent practices to US-C strategic initiatives in a matrixed organization. Key business partners include product general management and product teams, among others.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Provide leadership and subject matter expertise in the areas launch excellence, loss of exclusivity planning, and life cycle management, as well as other commercial and operational excellence strategic initiatives within US-C.

Launch Excellence / Loss of Exclusivity / Life Cycle Management:

Lead a consistent and robust lifecycle management discipline, with supporting processes and governance structure, in close collaboration with the US product organization and US functions.

Work with internal launch collaborators to ensure successful and timely launch process management and completion of launch readiness tasks (standardized approach across brands)

Lead Astellas US planning for Launch Readiness Reviews (LRR) and meetings for launch products and ensure alignment of LRR calendars with other key processes.

Capture launch lessons and best practices in collaboration with launch teams; build up and curate central repository of institutional knowledge around US Launch Excellence

Provide daily operational, business planning and strategic communications support to the Director, Commercial and Operational Excellence and ad-hoc operational, business planning and critical communications support to the Executive Director of US Commercial Strategy and Planning

Develop launch plans, manage timelines, and monitor key performance indicators to measure launch effectiveness.

Commercial and Operational Strategic Initiatives for US-C:

Lead project execution of US corporate strategic initiatives or select non-enterprise initiatives that drive growth for US-C. Project execution includes but is not limited to developing business cases, project charters and governance, providing updates to senior leadership, developing, and reporting milestone updates of project implementation and monitoring to ensure successful outcomes, facilitating and leading effective project meetings, managing change and conflict, developing resource planning estimates, and managing timelines and budgets.

Quantitative Dimensions:

This position drives the successful execution of US strategic initiatives as outlined in this job description in support of the commercial function to ensure outcomes aligned to business goals impacting the performance of Astellas US-C are achieved. It also is responsible for collaborating with other related functions (e.g. Ethics & Compliance, Medical Affairs, Commercial Strategy & Capabilities) on projects/initiatives as needed.

Budget management and tracking for the respective strategic initiative/s managed by this position directly are also key areas of impact for the position.

Organizational Context:

Commercial Excellence is a highly collaborative function integrating business strategy into, and ensuring, implementation is well orchestrated within a defined governance framework. This position will require a high degree of communication with self-leadership, as well as collaboration with internal colleagues across multiple functions.

This position will report to the Director, Commercial and Operational Excellence. This position may have external resources reporting indirectly depending upon needs of initiatives being executed.

Qualifications

Required:

Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 7 years’ experience (or advanced degree in related field with a minimum of 5 years) in executing large, cross functional or global initiatives using a project management framework within business operations.

Experience within Healthcare and/or pharmaceutical industry

Excellent organizational, planning and project management skills with a strong attention to detail and ability to effectively manage multiple cross-functional projects simultaneously.

Demonstrated leadership in a matrix organization, able to motivate and inspire team members to high performance levels.

Proven decision-making skills leading to successful outcomes.

Demonstrated ability to present complex issues to higher level management and contribute to high level presentations and discussions.

Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective collaborative relationships with team members, management and internal/external partners.

Demonstrated ability to be a consistent high-level contributor or leader of multiple projects, processes, or functions.

Ability to lead and support cross-functional teams to deliver against common goals.

Strong communication, conflict resolution, and leadership skills

Demonstrated experience influencing without authority.

Proven track record of success being a high-level independent and team contributor to lead multiple projects and processes

Experience working with teams / individuals with varied cultural backgrounds & learning styles

Intermediate to advanced competency and experience with a variety of computer applications, including Microsoft Suite, MS Project, SharePoint and/or other related project management tools

Willingness to travel (approximately 10-20%)

Preferred:

Advanced degree, with experience in healthcare and/or pharmaceutical industry and management consulting

Demonstrated understanding or experience in commercial strategic and/or business planning and governance

Experience managing both internal and external resources (including remotely)

PMP, Six Sigma or other equivalent project management and/or process improvement advanced certification(s)

Specialized training or equivalent experience in product launches or product commercialization

Experience with using Clarizen or other such project management software

Benefits:

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation and Sick time, plus national holidays including year-end shut down

401(k) match and annual company contribution

Company paid life insurance

Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions

Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions

Referral bonus program

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Category US Strategy & Planning

Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans