Vice President, Commercial Operations and Strategy

Company Overview

Our Mission: At Esperion, we are working tirelessly to deliver innovative medicines that help patients reach their goals today, tomorrow, and into the future. 

Esperion is a fully remote based company with a corporate headquarters located in Ann Arbor, MI. The Company offers a competitive salary including a performance-based bonus program and stock-based compensation, a comprehensive benefits package including a 401(k) matching plan and health insurance, and paid time off and holidays.

Position Title: VP, Commercial Operations & Strategy

The VP, Commercial Operations & Strategy is a senior commercial leader responsible for building and leading a scalable commercial operating model that enables strong execution, disciplined decision‑making, and continuous performance improvement across the commercial organization.

This role reports to the Chief Commercial Officer and is a member of the Commercial Leadership Team. The VP will lead core commercial enablement functions, including Commercial Analytics & Insights, Sales Training & Leadership Development, Sales Operations, Incentive Compensation, Targeting & Deployment, and Commercial Effectiveness.

The role requires strong executive presence, the ability to operate effectively in a lean and fast‑moving environment, and a balance of strategic leadership with hands‑on execution.

Commercial Analytics, Insights & Decision Support 

• Lead a newly created Commercial Analytics function, setting strategy, priorities, and ways of working to ensure timely, actionable insights that inform commercial and enterprise decisions.
• Serve as the primary owner of commercial decision support for the CCO and Commercial Leadership Team, translating complex data into clear recommendations on growth opportunities, risks, and trade‑offs.
• Own the commercial data and analytics strategy, including evaluation, integration, and governance of internal and external data sources (e.g., CRM, claims, prescription, payer, promotional, and field activity data).
• Establish and evolve a scalable analytics framework that supports performance management, scenario planning, and long‑range strategic decision‑making.
• Ensure analytical rigor, data consistency, and clear interpretation of insights across Sales, Marketing, Market Access, and Finance.
• Enable a single‑source‑of‑truth mindset for commercial performance reporting and executive readouts.

Sales Force Size, Structure & Commercial Effectiveness

• Design, assess, and continuously optimize sales force size, structure, and deployment models based on demand drivers, productivity, coverage needs, and portfolio evolution.
• Lead segmentation, targeting, and alignment strategies in partnership with Sales and Marketing to ensure efficient and effective field resource deployment.
• Define and monitor key commercial effectiveness metrics (e.g., reach, frequency, call quality, territory productivity) and identify opportunities to improve impact and efficiency.
• Lead post‑launch and post‑initiative effectiveness assessments to inform future investment and resource allocation decisions.
• Foster a culture of disciplined measurement, ROI thinking, and continuous improvement across the commercial organization.

Commercial Operations & Sales Operations

• Own the commercial operating cadence, including performance reviews, business reviews, and executive‑level reporting that drive accountability and decision‑making.
• Partner closely with Finance to support annual planning, budgeting, latest estimates, and performance variance analyses for commercial leadership.
• Provide leadership for sales incentive compensation strategy, design, and execution, ensuring alignment with brand strategy, compliance requirements, and enterprise objectives.
• Oversee territory alignment operations, CRM, and field enablement processes, ensuring usability, adoption, and high‑quality data.
• Lead sales communications processes and manage the integrated Commercial Calendar (e.g., sales meetings, conventions, strategic reviews).
• Ensure strong operational discipline, governance, and coordination across commercial vendors and partners.

Sales Training & Leadership Development 

• Lead the Sales Training and Leadership Development function, setting strategy and direction aligned to brand priorities, field needs, and organizational capabilities.
• Partner with Sales Leadership and Marketing to design and deliver onboarding and ongoing training programs for field and internal commercial teams.
• Oversee development of training curricula across product/market knowledge, selling skills, customer engagement models, and leadership capabilities.
• Ensure training approaches evolve with changes in strategy, portfolio, and market dynamics.
• Champion consistent execution, capability building, and professional development across the commercial organization.

Leadership Expectations

• Lead and develop high‑performing Analytics and Training teams, setting clear priorities, development plans, and performance expectations.
• Operate effectively in a remote, matrixed environment, influencing across functions and levels.
• Quickly assess organizational dynamics and establish credibility as a trusted advisor to commercial and enterprise leadership.
• Balance strategic thinking with tactical execution, particularly in a lean organization.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred with 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry in a variety of commercial roles of increasing scope and responsibility, including deep expertise in Commercial Operations, Analytics, and/or Sales Operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading Commercial Operations, Analytics and/or Training functions and supporting senior leadership decision‑making.
• Strong strategic mindset with the ability to translate strategy into practical, scalable execution.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity, manage multiple priorities, and influence in a matrix environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to synthesize data into clear executive‑level narratives.
• Track record of building a performance‑driven, growth‑oriented culture.