Rare Disease Business Manager - St Louis S, MO

Role Summary

The Rare Disease Business Manager (RDBM) drives sales and territory growth through the effective execution of sales strategies and tactics in narcolepsy type 1. This role collaborates with the Regional Business Leader and cross-functional, customer-facing teams to educate healthcare providers and ensure appropriate patients have access to a new therapeutic option once approved. Reporting to the Regional Business Leader, the RDBM supports a new product introduction in a new therapeutic area and builds relationships with targeted HCPs and accounts within the geographic territory. After regulatory approval, the RDBM will play a key role in generating demand by educating healthcare professionals with clinical information and in-depth knowledge of the product, the orexin system, and narcolepsy type 1.

Responsibilities

• Results Focused: Demonstrates urgency to drive results and achieve strong performance by delivering a high level of sales effort for a successful rare disease product introduction.
• Clinical Expertise: Possesses and delivers exceptional disease state, product knowledge, and selling skills when working with HCPs to support education and drive demand.
• Sales Strategy and Execution: Following approval, drive sales by implementing sales and marketing plans, leveraging on-label materials to achieve monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals. Execute brand strategies and manage all business-related activities within the assigned geographic territory, focusing on advancing diagnosis and treatment of NT1.
• Specialty Customer Engagement: Builds strong relationships with and educates healthcare professionals (HCPs), including sleep specialists, neurologists, pulmonologists, sleep centers and clinic staff, on disease state and approved Takeda orexin therapies.
• Strategic Analysis and Territory Planning: Analyze local, regional, and national trends and apply data to assess opportunities and priorities. Tailor regional and local strategies to market trends and customer needs.
• Communication Skills: Communicate effectively with specialty HCPs and accounts; utilize CRM to document account profiles, develop pre-call plans, and record post-call activities.
• Financial Responsibility: Manage a territory budget in compliance with Takeda policies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with internal teams such as Patient Access, Market Access, and Marketing to align on strategies. Collaborate with Sales and Marketing leadership to provide feedback that supports tactics and performance. Foster a collaborative culture of accountability across cross-functional teams.
• Compliance and Ethical Standards: Uphold Takeda’s patient-first values and compliance policies; seek clarification when uncertain on compliance matters.
• Training Requirements: This position requires mandatory product training including examinations; during training, the employee may be non-exempt and eligible for overtime but will not be eligible for sales incentives until transitioning to exempt status.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree – BS/BA.
• Required: 3+ years of successful selling experience in pharmaceutical, biotech or medical device and/or relevant clinical or industry experience; OR 2+ years of successful selling experience at Takeda.
• Required: Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Required: Valid Driver's License.
• Required: Proven ability to navigate complex selling environment and influence across various decision makers in key accounts.
• Required: Strong business acumen and strategic planning skills to identify and execute on selling opportunities.
• Required: Demonstrated territory planning, strategic account management and prioritization skills. Ability to interpret analytical data to create effective sales strategies.
• Required: Strong collaborative skills and ability to work within a matrix of cross-functional partners on behalf of the customers served.
• Required: Understanding of payer access and reimbursement at territory, regional, and state levels.
• Required: Adaptability to changing market conditions and customer needs.
• Required: Demonstrated learning agility with ability to successfully develop and compliantly apply clinical expertise and selling skills.
• Required: Must reside within the territory or within close proximity to assigned geography.
• Preferred: 5+ years of pharmaceutical sales experience, preferably in rare disease or sleep disorders.
• Preferred: Sales experience with pharmaceutical or biologic products requiring coordination with patient access and market access teams.
• Preferred: Relevant clinical or industry experience.
• Preferred: Consultative / needs-based selling skills.
• Preferred: Experience working in a highly regulated marketplace.
• Preferred: Adept at leveraging emerging technologies, digital tools, and openness to AI-enabled processes.

Additional Requirements

• Travel Requirements: Ability to drive and/or fly to accounts and occasional business meetings. Some overnight travel of up to 25-50% may be required depending on geographic assignment.