Director Sales Training, Europe (1 year contract)
Location: Zug, Switzerland
Employment Type: Full time, Hybrid
Contract: 1 year with possibility of extension
Reports to: Head of Marketing, Europe
Role Overview
Your primary responsibility will be to create a holistic European Commercial training & Capability. In this role, you will be responsible for identifying leading-edge, innovative training solutions that enable customer engagement, education, and prescribing. The role will also hold comprehensive oversight of commercial training activities for Europe, establishing objective, evidence-based standards for excellence.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Learning Architecture
- Architect the European Capability Blueprint: Define and own the multi-year European Commercial Training & Capabilities strategy, aligning learning pathways directly with European commercial business objectives and launch rollouts.
- Build Core Competency Models: Establish scalable competency frameworks, onboarding tracks, and continuous learning pathways for Key Account Managers (KAMs), First-Line Managers, and field teams across European affiliates.
Active Facilitation & Content Co-Creation
- Directly Design & Facilitate High-Impact Training: Personally author curriculum and lead interactive, high-stakes workshops (e.g., initial sales bootcamps, advanced negotiation, value-based selling, and launch execution).
- Co-Travel & Field Coaching: Conduct regular joint field visits and KAM co-travel across European key markets to coach field teams directly, observe execution challenges firsthand, and refine curriculum based on real-world customer dynamics.
- Rapid-Response Resource Development: Hands-on creation of tactical, point-of-need ("just-in-time") toolkits, objection-handling guides, and digital micro-learning assets supporting immediate field needs.
Launch Readiness & Commercial Execution
- Enable Commercial Launch Preparedness: Lead the hands-on design and execution of commercial launch readiness training for upcoming product launches across European target markets.
- Omnichannel & Digital Engagement Capability: Train and upskill KAMs and field leaders on hybrid customer engagement, ensuring seamless integration of digital tools, remote calls, and CRM workflow into daily account planning.
Performance Analytics & Stakeholder Partnering
- Measure Business Impact & ROI: Establish practical metrics and dashboarding to track training completion, field competency progression, and tangible ROI on commercial performance.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Country GMs, Sales Leaders, Marketing, Market Access, Medical Affairs, and Compliance to ensure training content is localized, compliant, and aligned with regional commercial strategies.
European Training
- Direct and supervise all Sales Training activities across Europe, ensuring selection, development, and competency metrics are structured and evaluated using objective criteria.
- Develop specific training plans aligned with marketing and sales strategic direction, executed within budget, by deeply understanding the challenges Key Account Management (KAM) and Sales Managers face.
- Facilitate comprehensive training solutions, including core initial training and ongoing curriculum designed to enhance KAM competencies.
- Measure the effectiveness of training using quantitative analytics to enhance overall offerings and ensure clear ROI.
- Partner with customer-facing teams and sales leadership to optimize digital and virtual customer engagement training and pull-through.
- Consult with marketing and sales team members on just-in-time training approaches supporting tactical implementation.
- Partner effectively with Market Access, Compliance, GMs, Corporate, HR, and other stakeholders to develop and deliver essential training.
- Address the unique challenges of serving field-based audiences when developing comprehensive training solutions.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate effectively with Brand Marketing, Creative/CRM/Digital agencies, Market Research, Analytics, IT, Sales Operations, HR and Medical/Regulatory/Legal business partners.
- Troubleshoot roadblocks and identify creative, compliant solutions to facilitate the forward motion of new initiatives.
Qualifications
- BS/BA degree with 12+ years of experience including 7+ years of pharmaceutical experience with product launch experience and minimum of 5 years sales training experience. Fluent in English, other relevant European languages are an advantage.
- Demonstrable experience across a range of practical digital disciplines such as paid media, SEO, digital analytics, UX design, email marketing, etc.
- Significant experience working with creative and media agencies is required
- Be able to manage and work within financial and budgetary goals
- An understanding of EFPIA and local regulations for drug promotions and experience in working with legal, medical and regulatory review processes
- Understands challenges of serving field-based audiences when developing training solutions