National Sales Director

Role Summary

The National Sales Director will be a strategic and execution-driven commercial leader who will play a critical role in the successful U.S. launch and commercialization of a rare-disease asset. This role leads the development, deployment, and performance of the national field sales team, ensuring readiness for launch and sustainable post-launch success. Experience in leading high-performing specialty sales teams and a track record of rare-disease or specialty product launches is highly valued. Location: U.S. field-based; travel up to 50% as needed.

Responsibilities

• Launch Leadership: Lead the national sales effort for a first-in-class rare disease therapy from pre-launch through commercialization, ensuring readiness across hiring, training, strategy execution, and field deployment
• Sales Strategy & Execution: Develop and execute a national sales strategy aligned with brand objectives. Set performance metrics and drive accountability to achieve and exceed sales goals
• Team Building: Recruit, hire, and develop a high-impact regional sales management team and field force. Foster a culture of collaboration, integrity, performance, and patient focus
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Marketing, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Commercial Operations, and Training to align field strategy with broader organizational goals
• Performance Management: Regularly assess sales performance through KPIs, dashboards, and direct coaching. Identify areas for improvement and drive field execution excellence
• KOL & Customer Engagement: Support regional teams in identifying, engaging, and developing relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Centers of Excellence, and high-potential accounts to build advocacy and awareness
• Incentive & Budget Management: Collaborate with Commercial Operations to design and implement fair and motivating incentive compensation plans. Manage national sales budget and resource allocation
• Compliance: Ensure all sales activities are conducted in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies

Qualifications

• Education: Required: Bachelor's degree; Preferred: MBA or MS
• Experience: Required: 10+ years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical/biotech sales; Preferably 3–5 years in national or regional sales leadership roles; Direct experience launching rare disease, orphan, or specialty products is highly preferred; Proven success in building and scaling high-performing sales teams; Deep understanding of rare disease markets, patient journey, market access, and reimbursement; Experience in fast-paced, evolving environments such as startups or emerging biotech
• Travel: Willingness to travel up to 50% or as needed

Skills

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and ability to translate strategy into execution
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, and team development capabilities
• Strong analytical skills; ability to leverage data to drive decisions
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a strong sense of urgency and ownership
• Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills across all levels of the organization

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MS) preferred

Additional Requirements

• Travel up to 50% or as needed