Senior Commercial Director

Cytokinetics; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharmaceutical company in the UK is seeking a Commercial Director to lead commercial activities for specialty therapies. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical sector, proven success in product launches, and deep knowledge of UK healthcare. You will drive sales and marketing strategies, manage a high-performing team, and influence key stakeholders to enhance patient care. This role demands strategic leadership and a passion for innovation.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of commercial experience in the UK pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Proven success in launching and commercialising specialty therapies.
• Strong understanding of UK healthcare systems and regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the UKIN commercial strategy for Cytokinetics.
• Lead and manage the customer-facing field team to achieve regional sales targets.
• Own the UKIN sales and marketing P&L, delivering on revenue and profitability targets.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Business, or related field

MBA or advanced degree

Job description

Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which cardiac muscle performance is compromised. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact myocardial muscle function and contractility.

At Cytokinetics, each team member plays an integral part in advancing our mission to improve the lives of patients. We are seeking tenacious, compassionate, and collaborative individuals who are driven to make a positive impact.

Reporting to the VP, General Manager UKIN, the Commercial Director will lead all commercial activities in the region, including sales, marketing, and stakeholder engagement. They will drive launch readiness for aficamten, build strong relationships with healthcare professionals, payers, and regulators, and shape Cytokinetics’ commercial strategy across the countries of responsibility. The role requires both strategic and operational leadership with deep UK healthcare knowledge, proven success in specialty product launches, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. As the company grows, the role will expand to include future product launches and broader commercial initiatives.

As a senior leader, the role requires deep expertise in UK and (ideally) Nordic/Irish healthcare systems, a proven track record in launching specialty therapies, and the ability to lead complex, multidimensional programs with significant corporate impact. The successful candidate will operate with a 1–3 year planning horizon, translating global strategy into regional execution, and influencing decisions that affect the long‑term success of the UKIN organisation.

Key responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and cross‑functional collaboration

• Develop and execute the UKIN commercial strategy for Cytokinetics assets.
• Implement UKIN commercial plans aligned with global and European objectives.
• Represent the commercial function on the UKIN Senior Leadership team.
• Monitor market dynamics and competitor activity to inform strategic decisions.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and patient‑centricity, aligned to the Cytokinetics values.
• Work collaboratively across other functions to ensure customer needs are met.

Sales team leadership

• Lead and manage the customer‑facing field team to achieve regional sales targets.
• Recruit, develop, manage and retain a high‑performing customer‑facing commercial team.
• Establish performance standards, CRM systems KPIs and incentive schemes, driving a high performance culture by implementing minimum standards.
• Drive a high‑performance culture through coaching, development, and operational excellence.
• Collaborate with market access to ensure alignment with payer and provider needs.
• External Cytokinetics ambassador with key centres/customers, supporting commercial uptake.
• Build and lead the UKIN marketing team, ensuring strategic alignment with global brand plans.
• Oversee development and execution of campaigns, congress strategies, and educational initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and internal SOPs.
• Manage external vendors and agencies to deliver high-impact programs.

Financial & Operational Oversight, business planning

• Own the UKIN sales and marketing P&L, delivering on revenue and profitability targets.
• Ensure operational excellence and compliance across all commercial activities.
• Lead the sales and marketing annual business planning process
• Set territory level budgets and forecasts aligned to country level aspirations

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Business, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of commercial experience in the UK pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with proven success in launching and commercialising specialty or innovative therapies.
• Strong understanding of UK healthcare systems, market access pathways, and regulatory frameworks.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• ABPI certified
• Ideally experience in cardiology or rare diseases
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead, inspire, and drive high‑performing teams, with experience in matrixed and cross‑functional collaboration
• Ideally experience in a small company environment

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer