Business Unit Director

Sobi - Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ); Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking biopharmaceutical company dedicated to rare diseases as a Business Unit Director. This hybrid role involves leading a cross-functional team to drive the launch of innovative therapies for conditions like C3G and PNH. With a focus on collaboration and strategic execution, you will engage with experts and stakeholders to ensure successful market access and patient impact. If you're passionate about making a difference in the lives of those with ultra-rare diseases, this is an exciting opportunity to contribute to meaningful change in healthcare.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Work/life balance

Professional growth opportunities

Collaborative environment

Diversity and Inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• 10+ years in the pharmaceutical industry with proven marketing and sales success.
• Experience in leading teams and managing budgets effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead the cross-functional Business Unit of sales and marketing.
• Develop C3G launch plans and manage stakeholder relationships.

Skills

Leadership Skills

Strategic Thinking

Communication Skills

Project Management

Analytical Skills

Education

University degree in medical/science or business

MBA or postgraduate marketing qualification

Job description

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Company Description

Statistics show that women and underrepresented groups tend to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Sobi encourages you to change that statistic and apply. Rarely do candidates meet 100% of the qualifications. We look forward to your application!

At Sobi, each person brings their unique talents to work as a team and make a difference. We are dedicated to developing and delivering innovative therapies to improve the lives of people who live with a rare disease. Our edge comes from our team of people and our commitment to patients.

Here At Sobi, Our Mission And Culture Get Us Excited To Come To Work Every Day, But Here Are a Few More Reasons To Join Our Team:

• Competitive compensation for your work
• Emphasis on work/life balance
• Collaborative and team-oriented environment
• Opportunities for professional growth
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Making a positive impact to help ultra-rare disease patients who are in need of life-saving treatments

Job Description

The position of a Business Unit Director (BUD) sits within the leadership team of the UK & RoI affiliate with key responsibilities of building, leading, and developing the Sobi cross-functional business unit. This is a hybrid role with the expectation of a minimum of 4 times a month in the office. The role will involve travel to expert centres and some international travel.

Therapy Area:

C3G
C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a rare chronic kidney disease affecting one to two people per million each year. The name refers to the deposition of a very specific protein: the complement protein C3. It is currently thought that changes at the genetic level could play a role in the development of C3G.

C3G is a new disease area for Sobi, and it will be critical to engage with nephrology experts and organisations to build partnerships and develop a broad understanding of the disease and its management.

PNH
PNH stands for paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria – an acquired, rare, chronic, potentially life-threatening blood disease commonly characterised by persistently low haemoglobin, thrombosis, and debilitating symptoms. It occurs when the cells in the bone marrow responsible for making red blood cells mutate and produce defective blood cells.

Sobi has a strong presence in PNH in the UK and Europe and will launch in Ireland in 2025.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the cross-functional Business Unit of sales and marketing, working in close synergy with Medical, Patient Access, Patient Engagement, and HQ TA functions to ensure one voice to all stakeholders.
• Take ownership of customer networking and manage ongoing key stakeholder relationships throughout the UK and Ireland.
• Develop and prepare C3G launch plans for the UK and Ireland, ensuring a clear focused link from strategy to execution aligned with the European/global team.
• Lead PNH business and expert interactions, supporting the Ireland Business Manager for a successful launch.
• Recommend optimal OPEX and FTE resources to build a successful C3G launch.
• Through partnership with the patient access team, collaborate and support to ensure optimal access/reimbursement in an area of high unmet need aligned with the global pricing strategy.
• Lead/participate in assigned HQ project groups and work in support of the Sobi global business plans.
• Provide a feedback loop for local market requirements and competitor activities to ensure they are fully reflected in the Sobi global strategic plan.
• Ensure ongoing completion of all required initial and ongoing training in local regulations and policies, and adherence to those regulations and policies for self and any direct reports.
• Accountability for the Business Unit P&L, including determining revenue forecasts to be delivered within an agreed OPEX cost base.
• Setting and ensuring delivery of key sales and marketing key performance indicators.

Line Management:

• Recruit, train, develop, and lead marketing and sales teams with the goal of building a high-performing team.
• Line management of the Sales and Marketing personnel in the BU.
• Accountable for all recruitment, executed in a timely fashion to ensure the BU is suitably resourced to meet local business needs. Determine the appropriate structure of the BU, assess competencies and skill sets needed to ensure Sobi remains at the forefront of commercial excellence within this business area.

Qualifications

Required:

• University degree level education – medical/science-based, or business-related.
• 10 years pharmaceutical industry experience.
• Proven marketing and/or sales success.
• Strong background of successfully leading a team.
• Experience of working in rare diseases.
• Experience of leading pre-launch and launch activities.
• Experience and success with budget management, including sales forecasting.
• Experience of working with and influencing senior stakeholders in the NHS.
• Working knowledge of the ABPI code of practice and implications is essential.

Desired:

• MBA or postgraduate marketing qualification.
• Nephrology experience is desired.
• Experience of having worked across a range of therapy areas.
• Experience of having worked at all stages of the product lifecycle, especially launching new products.

Person Specification:

• Strong leadership skills.
• High level of strategic and conceptual expertise.
• Operational excellence and strong execution & implementation skills.
• Ability to inspire, demand performance, and motivate people to achieve top performance.
• Strong communication & influencing skills.
• Strategic thinking, analytical capability, and business acumen.
• Multi-stakeholder project management and leadership experience, delivering results on time and within budget.
• Flexibility, ability to manage change, and operate in an environment of uncertainty.
• Customer relationship management experience.
• Knowledge of the local health systems and decision-making processes, especially in relation to national and local market access and reimbursement.
• Ability to demonstrate the Sobi values & Leadership Competencies.

Additional Information

All Sobi employees need to demonstrate behaviors in line with Sobi's core values: Care, Ambition, Urgency, Ownership and Partnership. Are you ready to be on the Sobi team? Come join a culture that empowers every person to be the person that makes a difference for rare disease.

Why Join Us?

We are a global company with over 1,700 employees in more than 30 countries and are committed to the societies where we operate. With a deeply skilled management team directing our day-to-day wins, and a Board with a stellar track record, we’re ready to take on the world’s diseases, ailments and adversity. Our people believe they have the power to make a positive impact in others’ lives because that’s exactly what we do here. If you’re seeking a career that taps into your talents in a way that makes the world a better, healthier place, we just may have a job for you.

We know our employees are our most valuable asset, and our culture conveys that. We offer a competitive benefits package, to support the health and happiness of our staff.

Sobi Culture

At Sobi, we refuse to accept the status quo. This is because we have witnessed first-hand the challenges facing those affected by rare diseases, and have used this knowledge to shape our business to find new ways of helping them.

As a specialized biopharmaceutical company, we are dedicated to rare diseases. And we see this focus as a strength. By effectively turning our research into ground-breaking treatments, we help make medicine more accessible and open up more possibilities for patients and more opportunities for those caring for them. This has been our approach since day one, but we know we can’t change the world of rare diseases on our own. Accomplishing this requires strong partnerships with patients, partners and stakeholders across the entire value chain. Together, we define how our business can create solutions that serve the needs of those affected by rare diseases while facilitating sustainable growth.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Sobi is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions at Sobi are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veterans and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status or protected groups by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

Sobi is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. Disabled/Veterans. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access this website to apply for a vacancy as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by sending an email to [e-mail].

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Science
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing