Executive Director, Sales Leader

About Ionis

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We’re pioneers in RNA-targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs. With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.

At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees.

With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive.

We’re building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you’re passionate about the opportunity to have meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!

About the role

SALES LEADER (Executive Director) - ZILGANERSEN

The Executive Director, Sales Leader – zilganersen, will set the strategic vision and lead Ionis’ neurology field organization for the successful launch and long-term growth of zilganersen in Alexander disease. This individual will be accountable for designing the field leadership model, building the RDAS organization in line with the GTM framework, and ensuring pre- and post-launch priorities are translated into coordinated, cross-functional execution and sustained business results. Working closely with Brand Leadership, Marketing, Commercial Operations, Market Access, Patient Services, Omnichannel, Medical, and Compliance, this role will influence enterprise launch readiness, shape broader commercial priorities, and ensure the customer experience is held to the highest standards. We are focused on finding an executive sales leader who has experience working with pediatric neurologists / neurologists, with rare disease experience, and who thrives in complex institutional and COE environments. Given the hybrid nature of the zilga RDAS role, having both sales and U.S. market access expertise are critical requirements for this leadership position. They must have deep experience in commercial execution, key account management, U.S. market access capabilities including working with SP, SD, Hub, Buy and Bill, and developing organizational capability and future field leaders to ensure continued growth within the organization. This position can be on-site at either our Carlsbad, CA or Boston, MA (HQ locations) or fully remote. For remote work, the expectation includes visits to our Carlsbad HQ and other sites as needed.

The Rare Disease Account Specialists will report to the Executive Director, Sales Leader – zilganersen, who will have experience building and leading field organizations with hybrid expertise across sales and access. The Executive Director will establish the talent strategy, leadership expectations, and performance framework required to scale the team and deliver against launch and long-term franchise objectives. The RDAS role is complex and is responsible for building and managing long-term relationships with physicians, Centers of Excellence (COEs) and other customers within academic institutions. The Account Specialist role is also responsible for supporting healthcare provider offices with access & reimbursement support in a compliant manner. The Executive Director will have the experience to coach and mentor the RDAS’ in navigating this complex hybrid role.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy and Innovation

• Defines the sales vision and multi-year field strategy for zilganersen, ensuring alignment to brand strategy, launch objectives, and longer-term franchise growth in the rare neurology market.
• Shapes insight-driven commercial strategy by synthesizing brand requirements, market dynamics, and future customer needs into enterprise field priorities.
• Leads decisions on field strategy and account segmentation to meet business goals nationally and in priority regions through customer insight and market analysis.
• Drives innovation, best practice sharing, and breakthrough thinking across the organization to exceed business goals and strengthen launch excellence.
• Market Understanding: Deep knowledge of the pharmaceutical market, including trends, customer needs, and competitive landscape.
• Vision and Planning: Ability to establish and execute long-term sales strategies that align with company objectives and future franchise needs.
• Innovation: Skill in identifying new opportunities and adapting to changes in the market, such as shifts in regulations.

Team Leadership

• Sets the vision, operating principles, and leadership expectations for the field organization, reinforcing a culture of compliance, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Aligns the organization with the company’s mission and vision, policies and procedures, including the Ionis Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.
• Builds, leads, and develops the zilganersen RDAS organization to execute field operations in line with commercialization strategy and long-term business priorities.
• Leads regular and effective business reviews and talent discussions that encompass coaching, recognition, succession planning, and development planning.
• Demonstrated success leading, motivating, and developing field organizations, often dispersed across multiple regions and complex healthcare environments.
• Strong ability to influence cross-functionally and with executive stakeholders (e.g., marketing, R&D, regulatory, market access, medical) to achieve shared objectives.

Performance Management

• Owns formal and informal performance reviews, coaching, succession planning, and talent calibration for Rare Disease Account Specialists, ensuring individual development plans are executed.
• Leads organizational change and develops risk mitigation plans to protect launch execution and business continuity.
• Oversees the field organization’s successful achievement of MBOs (e.g., customer engagement and experience, account planning, teamwork, training, and market knowledge), ensuring fair, objective, and enterprise-aligned evaluations.
• Holds self and the organization accountable to high standards and actively addresses poor performance through timely intervention and leadership action.
• Ability to set clear goals, monitor progress, and drive performance through data-driven decision-making

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partners with senior leaders to ensure cohesive and integrated strategies across functions, helping shape a unified direction for the business.
• Leads cross-functional governance with key internal stakeholders (e.g., brand, marketing, access, patient services, omnichannel, medical, compliance) to ensure field execution is aligned with product messaging, brand strategy, launch priorities, and approved ways of working.
• Pioneers strategic external collaboration with customers and key accounts to build advocates for zilganersen and Ionis, owning accountability for relationships that are critical to business outcomes.
• Builds and fosters an environment of trust, belonging, teamwork and collaboration across teams

Resource Management

• Attracts, develops, and retains high-caliber talent capable of exceeding brand goals and strengthening long-term field leadership capability.
• Owns planning and monitoring of approved budgets to ensure appropriate allocation of resources, financial discipline, and support for strategic priorities.
• Provides final sign-off on deployment strategy, including resource allocation, field investment decisions, and budget governance.
• Leads the organization in delivering an integrated customer experience, incorporating data insights to identify opportunities to evolve that experience while using all available resources effectively and within budget.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree; BS/BA in Life Science, Biology, (or similar scientific) or business-related field
• MBA or other related graduate degree preferred

Experience

• Previous experience working within neurology, in rare disease and complex CoE institutions (including specialty pharmacy, specialty distributor, Hub, Buy and Bill, and medical exception process)
• At least 18 years of progressive experience in Pharma or Biotech across the following areas:
• Leading sales and/or marketing organizations, field reimbursement, and market access teams
• Strong business acumen and commercial insight developed through extensive success developing and implementing strategic plans across complex healthcare environments such as managed care, contracting strategy, IDN networks, and Centers of Excellence.
• Proven track record for consistently meeting or exceeding financial and other quantitative and qualitative targets, including launch and long-range business objectives.
• Solid understanding and adherence to external laws, codes, and company policies that apply to the healthcare industry.
• Experience building, leading, managing, and developing multi-functional organizations in complex launch environments.
• Extensive comprehension of the healthcare system including market access landscape and payer reimbursement policies

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and all its subsidiaries are proud to be EEO employers.