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Executive Director, Strategic Planning & Enablement

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
over 2024 years ago
Remote friendly (San Diego, CA)
United States
$244,000 - $305,000 USD yearly
Marketing

Role Summary

The Executive Director, Commercial Strategy & Enablement is a key enterprise leader responsible for defining and executing the strategy that powers Acadiaโ€™s commercial success. This role oversees Strategic Forecasting, Omnichannel Enablement, and Field Force Effectiveness, ensuring alignment between corporate strategy and field execution. The candidate will drive data-driven planning, cross-functional collaboration, and the use of analytics to enhance field performance and portfolio value.

Responsibilities

  • Define, articulate, and champion the multi-year strategic vision and roadmap for commercial planning and enablement, directly linking team activities to corporate goals and revenue objectives.
  • Serve as a key strategic partner to Commercial, Brand, Finance, and IT leadership, providing objective insights and recommendations to inform go-to-market strategy, resource allocation, and investment decisions.
  • Lead the integration of the three verticals to ensure seamless strategy-to-execution enablement for the field and marketing teams.
  • Oversee the development, maintenance, and presentation of robust, data-driven short- and long-term product and portfolio forecasts, including scenario planning and risk/opportunity assessments.
  • Drive continuous improvement in forecasting methodology, tools, and processes, incorporating primary market research, secondary data (claims, sales), and competitive intelligence.
  • Partner with Finance and Brand teams to ensure forecast alignment with budgeting, Long-Range Planning (LRP), and P&L commitments.
  • Direct the strategy and operational execution of an integrated omnichannel customer engagement model (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce, digital platforms).
  • Ensure the commercial technology stack effectively enables seamless and personalized customer experiences across all channels (field, email, web, paid media).
  • Lead the development and utilization of "Next Best Action" (NBA) logic, segmentation, and dynamic targeting to optimize content delivery and improve field/customer engagement efficiency.
  • Provide strategic oversight for Field Force Effectiveness (FFE) initiatives, including sales force sizing, alignment, territory planning, and call plan strategies.
  • Lead the design, governance, and management of the Field Incentive Compensation (IC) strategy, ensuring plans are compliant, motivating, and directly aligned with brand strategy and forecast goals.
  • Oversee the field performance reporting, dashboards, and analytical insights needed to drive accountability and continuous improvement across the sales organization.
  • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of leaders and individual contributors across the three specialized verticals (Forecasting, Omnichannel, FFE/IC).
  • Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making, strategic thinking, collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence, ensuring a patient-centric and compliance-first mindset.

Qualifications

  • Bachelorโ€™s degree in business, STEM, or related field; MBA preferred. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
  • Minimum of 20 years of relevant progressive experience in the pharmaceutical/medical device industry with cross-functional leadership experience.
  • Must possess: Bachelorโ€™s degree in Business, Finance, Life Sciences, or related field; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
  • Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with at least 5 years in a leadership/executive role overseeing strategic planning, commercial operations, or analytics functions.
  • Deep expertise in Strategic Sales Forecasting.
  • Extensive experience with Field Force Effectiveness and Incentive Compensation design, governance, and execution in a US pharmaceutical setting.
  • Proven track record of driving and enabling Omnichannel/Digital engagement strategies and technology platforms (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce CRM).
  • Demonstrated ability to lead large, complex projects, manage multi-million dollar budgets, and drive organizational change/transformation.
  • Exceptional executive presence and communication skills (written and verbal) with the ability to influence senior-level internal and external stakeholders.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, translating complex data into clear, actionable business strategies.
  • Commitment to high ethical standards and full compliance with laws, regulations, and policies governing pharmaceutical activities.

Education

  • Bachelorโ€™s degree in Business, Finance, Life Sciences, or related field. MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.

Additional Requirements

  • Physical Requirements: Regular standing, walking, sitting, and use of hands for handling or operating equipment; ability to travel overnight and work after hours as required.
  • Travel as needed to meet business needs.