Senior Director, US Patient Marketing

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 279,410 - 308,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Tuition Assistance for advanced degrees

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

A biopharmaceutical company conveniently located in Boston is seeking a Senior Director of US Patient Marketing to spearhead patient-centered marketing strategies for their first product launch. The ideal candidate will have over 12 years of experience, particularly with epilepsy and neurology launches. In this role, you will oversee a marketing team, engage with various departments, and ensure compliance in all patient marketing initiatives. This position promises a competitive salary and benefits package, fostering a culture of growth and support.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of relevant experience in marketing.
• Experience with large category launches in the US, especially in neurology.
• Proven ability to build and lead teams in a complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of patient and caregiver marketing strategy.
• Ensure launch readiness for patient programs and materials.
• Collaborate with various teams to ensure cohesive patient experience.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Communication

Project management

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Education

Undergraduate degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Who We Are

Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XENE) is a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to drug discovery, clinical development, and commercialization of life‑changing therapeutics for patients in need. We are looking for great people who thrive in a respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and productive culture to join the Xenon team.

What We Do

We are advancing an exciting product pipeline to address indications with high unmet medical need, including epilepsy, depression and pain. Our Phase 3 azetukalner program represents the most advanced, clinically validated potassium channel modulator in late‑stage clinical development for multiple indications. In March 2026, we announced positive topline data from our Phase 3 X‑TOLE2 study of azetukalner in focal onset seizures (FOS), and we anticipate submitting a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter of 2026. Our Phase 3 epilepsy program also includes a second FOS study, X‑TOLE3, which would support regulatory submissions outside the U.S., and the X‑ACKT study in primary generalized tonic‑clonic seizures, which would support regulatory submissions for an additional epilepsy indication. We also have multiple Phase 3 azetukalner clinical trials underway in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression (BPD), based on topline data from our Phase 2 X‑NOVA clinical trial. In addition, we are proud of our strong heritage in human genetics, deep understanding of ion channel biology, and expertise in novel chemistries to enable potent, selective ion channel targeting, and continue to advance an early‑stage pipeline of novel therapeutic candidates. In 2025, we initiated Phase 1 trials for XEN1701 (targeting Nav1.7) and XEN1120 (targeting Kv7). Nav1.7 and Kv7 are important pain targets, and data from these Phase 1 studies are expected in 2026 to support Phase 2 proof‑of‑concept studies in acute pain. Backed by a strong balance sheet to support our growth plans, we continue to build a fully integrated, premier neuroscience company with strong discovery, clinical development, corporate, and commercial operations.

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Director, US Patient Marketing to lead the development and execution of a comprehensive, patient‑centered marketing strategy in support of Xenon’s first commercial launch and future growth.

This role will be a senior member of the US Marketing organization and will be accountable for shaping the U.S. patient and caregiver brand strategy, ensuring a seamless, compliant, and impactful patient experience from disease awareness through long‑term treatment engagement.

The Senior Director will build and lead a high‑performing Patient Marketing team and partner closely with Patient Services, Advocacy, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Legal, Regulatory, and Commercial leadership to ensure alignment, execution excellence, and meaningful impact for patients and caregivers.

This position reports to the Vice President, Marketing and will be based out of Boston, MA, USA in our Needham office. We will consider remote locations for exceptional candidates. The level of the position will be commensurate with the candidate’s education and industry experience. Hybrid positions require a minimum of two onsite days per week.

Responsibilities

• Patient & Caregiver Strategy
  • Lead the development of a comprehensive U.S. patient and caregiver marketing strategy, including unbranded disease education and branded patient engagement initiatives
  • Define patient and caregiver value propositions, journey frameworks, and engagement strategies across the continuum of care
  • Ensure a deeply patient‑centric approach that reflects real‑world needs, barriers, and lived experiences
• Launch Planning & Execution
  • Serve as the Patient Marketing lead for U.S. launch readiness, ensuring patient programs, materials, and services are launch‑ready
  • Partner with cross‑functional launch teams to integrate patient marketing into overall brand and launch strategy
  • Develop phased launch plans that evolve from pre‑launch education through post‑launch activation and adherence support
• Integrated Patient Engagement Ecosystem
  • Lead development of an integrated, compliant patient engagement ecosystem, including digital, non‑personal, and field‑enabled channels
  • Oversee creation of patient‑focused content, tools, and resources that support education, onboarding, activation, and persistence
  • Leverage data, analytics, and insights to optimize patient engagement and personalize experiences over time
• Advocacy & Patient Voice
  • Partner closely with Patient Advocacy to ensure patient voices and perspectives are embedded across strategy, content, and programs
  • Support development and execution of patient advisory boards and community engagement initiatives
  • Ensure alignment with advocacy partners while maintaining compliance and transparency
• Cross‑Functional Leadership
  • Collaborate with Medical Affairs, Patient Services, Market Access, Legal, Regulatory, Compliance, and Commercial Operations to deliver a cohesive patient experience
  • Partner with Insights & Analytics to define success metrics, monitor performance, and continuously improve patient programs
  • Act as the patient marketing subject‑matter expert to senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders
• Agency, Budget & Vendor Management
  • Select, manage, and lead external agency partners and vendors
  • Own patient marketing budgets, ensuring effective resource allocation and ROI
  • Ensure all activities adhere to regulatory, legal, and promotional review requirements
• Team Leadership & Capability Building
  • Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing Patient Marketing team
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and patient‑first thinking
  • Develop patient marketing capabilities that can scale with portfolio and organizational growth
  • Develop and propose short‑ and long‑term objectives for the function in accordance with overall Company strategies and plans
  • Plan and manage budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with the Company’s strategic and operating plans and Finance policies
  • Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with the Company’s Human Resource policies and practices
  • Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any
  • Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum undergraduate degree, advanced degree preferred. 12+ years of relevant experience or combination of degrees and experience.
• US large category launch and epilepsy/neurology experience highly preferred
• Proven experience leading patient marketing strategy
• Demonstrated success building and leading high‑impact teams in a matrixed environment; and collaborating and influencing cross‑functionally
• Deep understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements related to patient marketing
• Strong strategic thinking, communication, and executive presence; outstanding project and budget management skills and track record for managing multiple vendors
• Ability to travel up to ~25%

Compensation & Benefits

Our Total Rewards program includes base salary, target bonus, and stock options, as well as a full range of benefits including medical, dental, vision, short‑ and long‑term disability, accidental death & dismemberment, and life insurance programs, Employee Assistance Program, travel insurance, and retirement savings programs with company matching contributions. Xenon encourages time to rest and recharge through vacation, personal days, sick days, and an end‑of‑year company shutdown. Xenon highly values employee development and has an expanding Training, Learning & Development program, including a Tuition Assistance program for advanced degrees. Compensation Range: $279,410 - $308,600.