Description

Ardelyx was founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative, first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs. Ardelyx has two commercial products approved in the United States, IBSRELA®(tenapanor) and XPHOZAH® (tenapanor), as well as early-stage pipeline candidates.

Sales Zone Director

The Zone Director will report into the VP of Sales and will be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and leading a high performing sales team within a geographically defined business unit to successfully launch Ardelyx's first commercial product and subsequent pipeline assets. The zone director will assist the VP, Sales in developing, along with the marketing, and commercial leadership team, the sales plan to ensure that Ardelyx's sales goals are achieved. The role is responsible for understanding and leveraging the roles and responsibilities of a cross-functional team to drive strategic imperatives, including those of Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Patient Services, and Commercial Operations. In addition to playing a key sales and company leadership role, the zone director will cultivate and maintain a strong direct customer facing presence with key decision makers, influencers, and stakeholders in the nephrology space. Ideal candidates will have strong sales leadership experience and a proven track record in highly specialized therapeutic areas with multiple health care professional decision makers and influencers. Specific knowledge and experience of , nephrology HCPs and accounts, and dialysis organizations is a plus, as well as local dynamics that influence business in their respective zone. This position is critically important as it will help set the direction, shape a high performing, patient centered culture across the inaugural sales team, and establish Ardelyx as a leading company that advances patient care with first in class therapies that meet important clinical needs.

Responsibilities

Hire, train, and develop the Regional Business Directors, Clinical Sales Specialists, and Inside Sales Representatives to serve the zone geography.
Organize, control, and coordinate input relating to staffing, training, and developing and retaining key talent for the sales organization.
Foster a culture grounded in compliance, accountability, collaboration, passion, and teamwork for delivering results to patients, healthcare stakeholders, and Ardelyx.
Exhibit a standard of leadership excellence for the sales organization and within Ardelyx.
Model collaboration across zone director team, and all key functions across Ardelyx.
Own the business zone's sales objectives and performance for a 15+ person sales team.
Coordinate the development of business zone's strategic business plans outlining the execution of sales personnel around defined strategies and tactics for achievement of sales goals and objectives - provide direction, guidance, and support to ensure optimal execution of sales and marketing plans.
Assist VP, Sales in developing, implementing, and managing sales force incentive and compensation programs as well as customized sales force analyses to effectively manage optimal targeting, planning, resource allocation, and performance evaluations.
Assist in translating key financial drivers and business analytics/insights into specific, measurable, and executable action plans for field and inside sales personnel.
Oversee, evaluate, and enforce compliance with Ardelyx policies, including code of conduct, operational guidelines, travel and expense policies, and promotional guidelines as it relates to the sales force.
Develop, assert, and continuously reinforce a culture of compliance, ensuring that all sales activities and actions by members of the sales team comply with all laws and regulations and company compliance polices.
Manage and monitor sales team operating budgets and assist in developing guidelines for field sales budget adherence.
Proactively engage with key customers, decision-influencers, decision-makers, and account groups to directly represent Ardelyx in a leadership capacity, promote Ardelyx products, and achieve company objectives.
Provide input on sales team alignments and expansions. Routinely evaluate workload potential, performance potential, and sales results against sales forecasts and KPIs.
Closely manage succession planning as well as ensuring identification and close oversight of internal talent and high potential performers to be developed and groomed for promotional opportunities.
Provide as-needed feedback and coaching to sales personnel to enhance their selling skills, product and disease state knowledge, customer targeting, time management, and resource allocation. Address performance issues promptly and consistent with company guidelines and policies.
Ensure all business zone's promotional activities are in accordance with Ardelyx’s policies and procedures. Review potential violations of company policies and procedures and direct and approve any appropriate disciplinary action.

Qualifications

A minimum of 8-10 years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry commercial experience in Sales, Market Access, and/or Marketing with a minimum of 4 years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry sales management experience.
Extensive knowledge of specialty sales, nephrology preferred.
Strong people management skills, with a proven track record of building and successfully leading sales teams as well as a track record of success of consistently achieving and/or outperforming sales goals.
Proven track record of direct facing customer activity as integral part of sales leadership role.
Product launch experience.
Demonstrated experience in competitive markets.
A thorough understanding of the laws and regulations applicable to the sales and marketing of pharmaceutical products to physicians and healthcare organizations.
Leadership - proven leader, ability to engage and inspire employees, foster collaboration, influence others and integrate functions, teams, people, processes, and systems to drive sales results.
Experience in measuring performance of employees against established goals and objectives and effectively guide individuals through organization path based on interests, capabilities, and organizational needs.
Coaching – foster the professional growth of others through knowledge sharing, professional counseling, personal attention throughout organizations.
Possess the strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate ideas and data both verbally and written in a persuasive and appropriate manner.
Strategic Implementation – ability to understand/develop and implement sales strategies.
Analytical Skills – ability to analyze sales, financial, and market data to identify opportunities and to make sound business decisions.
Strong clinical acumen to facilitate rapport and earn respect with key opinion leaders, healthcare stakeholders, and patient advocacy groups.
Strong business and financial acumen.
Possess integrity, work with honesty, accuracy, and attention to detail.
Bachelor’s degree.

Work Environment

This position is field-based
This position requires up to 60% travel (meetings, customer visits, sales personnel mentoring, conferences).

The anticipated annualized base pay range for this full-time position is $215,00-$225,000. Ardelyx utilizes industry data to ensure that our compensation is competitive and aligned with our industry peers. Actual base pay will be determined based on a variety of factors, including years of relevant experience, training, qualifications, and internal equity. The compensation package may also include an annual bonus target and equity awards, subject to eligibility and other requirements.

Ardelyx also offers a robust benefits package to employees, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer match, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, up to 12 weeks living organ and bone marrow leave, equity incentive plans, health plans (medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision), life insurance and disability, flexible time off, annual Winter Holiday shut down, and at least 11 paid holidays.

Ardelyx is an equal opportunity employer.