Associate Director, Incentive Compensation & Field Deployment

Cytokinetics; South San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 189,000 - 231,000; Full time

Job summary

Cytokinetics is seeking an Associate Director of Field Deployment & Incentive Compensation to lead critical initiatives across the commercial organization. The role partners with field leadership, HR and finance to design, implement, and manage incentive plans that drive performance while upholding integrity and compliance.

The ideal candidate will bring 7+ years in biopharma or healthcare consulting, strong data skills with Excel and Power BI, and a proven ability to influence across levels in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years in biopharma or healthcare consulting with results-focused environments.
• 4+ years in IC design and administration in biopharma or consulting.
• 4+ years in sales planning and analytics including incentive compensation design.
• Prior experience supporting specialty and hospital-based sales teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead sales force operations analysis including sizing, alignment, targeting, and call planning.
• Design, implement, and manage incentive compensation plans for customer-facing teams.
• Ensure timely IC reporting and payouts in alignment with Finance.
• Provide strategic analytical support to Sales VPs, Directors, and Managers.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Commercial Analytics to evaluate promotional effectiveness.
• Monitor performance vs. plan and adjust field operations strategies.

Skills

Incentive compensation design

Sales planning and analytics

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Excel

Power BI

Vendor management

Project management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or advanced degree

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.

We are seeking a strategic and analytical Associate Director of Field Deployment & Incentive Compensation to lead critical initiatives across our commercial organization. This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to the Sr. Director of Field Excellence, and field leadership, driving performance optimization through thoughtful analysis, planning, and execution. The ideal candidate combines a passion for data with a strong understanding of targeting & alignment, incentive compensation, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead sales force operations analysis, including sizing, alignment, targeting, and call planning, to optimize field effectiveness.
• Partner closely with Field Leadership and HR to design, implement, and manage incentive compensation plans for all customer-facing teams.
• Ensure timely and accurate IC reporting and payouts, working in alignment with Finance to meet budgetary and payroll standards.
• Provide strategic and ad hoc analytical support to Sales VPs, Directors, and Managers to inform field decision-making and drive commercial success.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Commercial Analytics teams to evaluate promotional effectiveness and optimize resource allocation.
• Monitor performance vs. plan and recommend adjustments to field operations strategies, including targeting, alignment, call plans, and IC design (modeling).
• Navigate and resolve ambiguity with a problem‑solving mindset and proactive approach.
• Uphold and model the company’s core values, operating with integrity and adhering to all policies and procedures.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of relevant experience within a biopharma organization or consulting firm supporting the healthcare industry, with a strong track record in dynamic, results-oriented environments.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience within a biopharma organization or consulting firm supporting the healthcare industry with a significant focus on IC design and administration
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in sales planning and analytics, including hands‑on incentive compensation design and execution.
• Prior experience supporting specialty and hospital‑based sales teams is highly preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to break down complex business challenges and deliver actionable insights.
• Collaborative and flexible team player who thrives in cross‑functional environments and can adapt to evolving business needs.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization. Both efficient and succinct in verbal and written communications/ deliverables; able to distill complex analysis into meaningful insights and conclusions for an executive audience
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment with changing priorities and high levels of ambiguity.
• Ability to source, manipulate and analyze data using standard tools (Excel, Power BI) to effectively present and defend analysis
• Strong Project / Deliverable Management – ability to deliver moderately complex analytical investigations and cross‑functional projects with limited guidance
• Vendor Management – experience leading and/or managing data analytics vendors
• Foresight / Anticipatory Thinking – ability to anticipate evolving business or team needs and develop solutions

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Pay Range:

In the U.S., the hiring pay range for fully qualified candidates is $189,000 - $231,000 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors.

Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.

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.

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer