BUSINESS UNIT DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

A Business Unit Director in pharmaceuticals owns the full commercial accountability for a defined therapeutic area: the revenue targets, the brand strategy, and the people who execute both. This is not a functional advisory seat. Regulatory compliance requirements set by national health authorities and the need to align omnichannel promotional activity with medical affairs create operating constraints that shape every commercial decision this leader makes. The role carries P&L responsibility for one or more therapeutic areas and answers to senior market leadership for both top-line growth and cost discipline.

As the Business Unit Director, you are accountable for translating therapeutic area strategy into quarterly and annual revenue performance while managing a cross-functional commercial team. You operate within a matrix structure that spans medical affairs, finance, and distribution, with direct ownership of brand investment decisions and territory-level business planning.

Career Impact: Owning therapeutic area P&L with KOL engagement and health authority navigation at this level establishes a track record that is directly legible to country manager and general manager selection committees in the pharmaceutical industry.

Business Impact: Healthcare professionals and patients in the assigned therapeutic areas depend on the coherence of the commercial and medical strategy this role coordinates - gaps in that coordination delay market access and erode formulary position.

Growth Opportunity: The scope of this role, spanning brand strategy, people leadership, and regulatory compliance, builds the cross-functional fluency that country-level and regional general management roles require as their core prerequisite.

• Define and execute therapeutic area brand strategy plans and campaign priorities to achieve agreed revenue and market share targets.
• Lead annual and quarterly business planning, including sales forecasting, operating budget management, and expense oversight across the business unit.
• Engage key opinion leaders, health authorities, and professional associations to shape protocols and strengthen formulary positioning.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with medical affairs, finance, and distribution to ensure coherent implementation of commercial and promotional strategies.
• Monitor omnichannel sales force effectiveness using established CRM and performance systems, and direct corrective action when performance deviates from plan.
• Coach, mentor, and develop direct reports, setting individual performance plans and creating structured learning paths aligned to business unit objectives.
• Analyze market data, competitor practices, and territory-level KPIs to surface business opportunities and inform pricing and reimbursement strategy inputs.
• Ensure full compliance with applicable regulations, internal policies, and industry codes governing promotional and marketing activities.

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences, business, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 10 or more years of commercial experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry, with demonstrated progression into senior leadership.
• Proven track record of managing therapeutic area P&L, including revenue attainment and expense accountability.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing field-based commercial teams to consistent performance against sales targets.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and build sustained relationships with key opinion leaders and national health authority stakeholders.
• Strong analytical capability with experience interpreting market data, competitive intelligence, and sales force effectiveness metrics to drive commercial decisions.
• Working knowledge of regulatory and compliance frameworks governing pharmaceutical promotion in relevant markets.

• MBA or advanced degree with a scientific or healthcare background, supporting both commercial strategy and medical credibility.
• Experience preparing for and executing a new product or brand launch within a therapeutic area, including pre-launch planning and post-launch performance tracking.
• Exposure to regional or international commercial operations, including alignment with area or global marketing strategy.
• Familiarity with managed care, reimbursement pathways, or government affairs processes that influence formulary access.

• Therapeutic area revenue attainment vs. annual plan, reflecting direct P&L ownership of assigned brands.
• Market share growth by brand within the therapeutic area, measured against competitive benchmarks each quarter.
• Sales force effectiveness score via CRM-tracked activity and call quality, attributable to this leader's deployment decisions.
• Operating budget variance, tracking expense management against approved business unit cost targets.
• KOL engagement depth, measured by coverage rate across target accounts and protocol influence outcomes.
• Team retention and development rate, reflecting coaching quality and individual performance plan completion.

• Base Salary Range: $190,000 to $240,000 annually, depending on therapeutic area scope and market
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus of 20% to 35% of base, tied to revenue and market share targets
• Equity: Long-term incentive plan participation common at this level; structure varies by employer
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; typically employer-subsidized for employee and dependents
• PTO: 20 to 25 days annually, plus company holidays and sick leave provisions
• Common Perks: Car allowance or company vehicle, conference and congress attendance, executive development programs

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Background screening, including verification of employment history and, where applicable, credit history review, is a standard condition of employment for this role. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations are available to applicants and employees with disabilities upon request. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire.

The Business Unit Director owns the full profit and loss of the business unit, building and managing budgets while driving commercial strategies that accelerate growth across new and existing segments. Working closely with strategic customers and internal teams, the role shapes market-led innovation and ensures performance visibility through governance frameworks and KPI-led commercial metrics.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the profit and loss, including building and managing budgets.
• Plan, develop, and implement commercial strategies based on company goals and objectives to support and accelerate growth in new and existing segments.
• Conduct market analysis to develop business plans for commercial opportunities.
• Deploy the commercial strategy into team objectives that drive focus and accountability.
• Ensure sales and marketing strategies are coordinated and delivered.
• Forecast business unit sales and revenues and develop targets for existing and new products and customers.
• Track, measure, and analyse commercial metrics using KPIs.
• Search, identify, and develop opportunities to grow the business.
• Build exceptional and long-term partnerships with strategic customers.
• Relate customer and market needs back into the business to drive market-led innovation.
• Ensure an effective market and competitor intelligence process informs commercial plans.
• Agree and negotiate commercial terms.
• Implement and deliver effective governance that creates performance visibility and drives improvement.
• Serve as an exceptional cultural role model and leader.

Required Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience of 5+ years in a similar role.
• Experience in client relationship management.
• Hands-on experience in creating reports and managing budgets.
• Experience in building and leading a team to achieve outstanding results, actively managing the conditions for success that enable a team to achieve its full potential.
• Knowledge of the crypto space is advantageous.
• Data-led approach with experience using metrics to achieve positive outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Passion for developing and mentoring team members with a growth mindset.
• Drive to win, thinking laterally to achieve target results.
• Ability to challenge assumptions and drive clarity in ambiguous situations.
• Outstanding creative problem-solving and opportunity-taking ability.

Embedded within the IT channel business unit, the Business Unit Director delivers the annual operating plan and vendor and customer partnership programmes across multiple countries. Working closely with country management executive teams and senior leadership, the role advances strategic acquisitions, drives cross-country campaigns, and builds solid working relationships that sustain business objectives.

Core Functions

• Develop and execute the annual operating plan, value propositions, and tactical quarterly plans.
• Maintain key vendor and customer partnerships, executive engagements, and annual and quarterly plans and reviews to enable the plan.
• Identify, evaluate, and help close possible acquisitions to accelerate the plan.
• Own the execution of the sub-operations plan, achieving quarterly and annual business objectives.
• Drive the building of programmes and campaigns that can be executed across multiple countries.
• Engage with country management executive teams in quarterly reviews and planning sessions.
• Present at public events to audiences of different levels and capabilities as a visible thought leader in the applicable focus area in the IT channel.
• Maintain and promote social, ethical, and organisational standards in conducting internal and external business activities.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Build solid and effective working relationships with others.
• Use relevant computer system applications at an advanced level.
• Recognise and attend to important details with accuracy and efficiency.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's or postgraduate degree, with an MBA preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in economics required.
• 5 to 8 years of relevant work experience, including direct management and supervision of employees.
• Ability to communicate clearly and convey necessary information.
• Ability to interact effectively with all levels of management.
• Ability to negotiate skillfully, promote and sell ideas persuasively, and close transactions with mutually beneficial results.
• Strong multicultural interpersonal skills.
• Strong leadership skills with a willingness to lead, create new ideas, and be assertive.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with a focus on driving tasks to completion.
• Ability to work independently and constructively under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Ability to be sensitive to the needs, concerns, and feelings of others.
• Ability to quickly learn new systems and technology.

Reporting to executive leadership, the Business Unit Director leads operational programmes for the mass production of an AR/VR headset, establishing strategic alliances with key customers and new prospects to drive business wins. Partnering with senior leaders across the organisation, the role shapes annual operating objectives and delivers cost-reduction outcomes through streamlined processes and disciplined programme execution.

Primary Duties

• Develop strategic alliances with executives from key customers and new prospects to drive business wins.
• Establish and communicate business unit objectives and assignments.
• Define and execute operational programmes in line with strategic plans and annual operating objectives.
• Meet with executive leadership at least monthly to review and evaluate key operational indicators.
• Attend quarterly business reviews with key customers.
• Partner with other leaders to establish strategic plans and objectives.
• Present to customers, manage escalations, and conduct meetings as needed.
• Identify creative ways to reduce cost by streamlining processes and systems.

Skills & Qualifications

• Master's or MBA degree preferred.
• 15 years of management experience.
• Prior experience in a multinational environment with strong intercultural skills.
• Extensive customer-interfacing experience.
• Demonstrated expertise across multiple areas and industries.
• Engineering background with knowledge of profit and loss management.
• Ability to utilise tools to monitor departmental cost and cost trends, continuously striving to improve value.
• Strong business acumen with a proven ability to improve key financial results.
• Effective interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate and influence for positive outcomes.

Sitting at the intersection of senior sales leadership and strategic marketing, the Business Unit Director leads the delivery of sales and cost targets while directing, coaching, and motivating a cross-functional team to achieve budgeted or above-market share within the assigned therapeutic area. Operating across internal departments and international market companies, the role ensures coherence between local and international brand strategy through rigorous RBU process management and active cross-functional collaboration.

Duties

• Lead the delivery of sales and cost targets and the proper contribution of given brands.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of pricing and reimbursement strategy and plans.
• Identify, plan, and exploit new brand, existing brand, or trade opportunities to develop the business in line with the marketing strategic direction.
• Lead, coach, and mentor employees to ensure the professional development of each team member, enabling the department to reach its objectives.
• Develop and support strong cross-team collaboration.
• Actively manage sales and costs via the RBU process.
• Demonstrate business ethics and ensure active respect of values, local laws, policies, and marketing procedures.
• Provide clear recommendations to the senior management team on key business strategies, including budget, staffing, key strategic elements, major tactical programmes, and issues carrying significant business risk.
• Develop effective working relationships with internal departments and international market companies to ensure coherence between local and international strategy.
• Participate actively in international meetings and projects where appropriate.
• Supervise the phasing of direct marketing costs, sales costs, sales investment, and personnel costs.
• Supervise the monitoring of sales and product performance and conduct proper analysis of business opportunities.

Requirements

• Significant pharmaceutical commercial experience with a strong performance track record.
• Significant pharmaceutical experience within respiratory is an advantage.
• Cultural sensitivity and international experience.
• Strong senior marketing and senior sales leadership experience.
• Track record of growing market share and successfully launching new products and brands.
• Creative marketing capabilities combined with rigorous commercial business acumen.
• Strategic and analytical skills.
• Excellent track record of managing and developing individuals and teams.
• High standards in ethical behaviour.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to drive motivation and cross-functional teamwork.

A key member of the regional leadership team, the Business Unit Director leads a business unit team across assigned therapeutic areas, managing profit and loss accountability and developing omnichannel and digital strategies to drive sales force effectiveness. Collaborating across medical affairs, key opinion leaders, and internal functions, the role builds key accounts and delivers highly complex data analysis to support strategic planning and territory business plan recommendations.

Functions

• Develop and implement sales and marketing strategy for the product portfolio in the assigned region.
• Liaise across functions, including with medical affairs, to ensure effective communication and implementation of sales and marketing strategies and brand team alignment.
• Hold overall profit and loss accountability, including achievement of revenue and expense targets in assigned therapeutic areas.
• Coordinate business planning, set territory targets, and provide recommendations on customer strategies and territory business plans.
• Establish and drive forecast planning, manage operating budgets, and oversee expense management processes.
• Develop and initiate strategies that create new business and build key accounts.
• Direct planning and promotional activities within the area of geographic or therapeutic responsibility.
• Utilise a high level of business acumen in analysing and coordinating activities from identified industry trends and competitor resources and practices.
• Organise sales and marketing initiatives within the market and coordinate and chair internal and external sales meetings and conferences.
• Analyse highly complex problems, lead required action planning, and set priorities in circumstances of conflicting requirements.
• Establish effective working relationships with key opinion leaders and take a lead role in representing the company at professional events.
• Ensure monitoring systems, omnichannel activities, and digital strategy are in place and managed effectively to evaluate sales force effectiveness.
• Manage the business unit team for assigned therapeutic areas.
• Establish and meet the developmental needs of the team by creating learning plans and recommending training, mentoring, and coaching solutions.

Education & Experience

• MBA and a scientific educational background are a strong advantage.
• More than 10 years of relevant experience in the innovative pharmaceutical or healthcare industry.
• More than 5 years of experience in sales coordination, marketing, or people management.
• At least 3 years of experience in senior roles.
• Familiarity with industry trends and competitor resources and practices.
• Extensive understanding of relevant health authority and managed care structures.
• Ability to develop, maintain, and utilise a high level of product and therapeutic disease knowledge.
• Ability to analyse highly complex data and produce concise reports while meeting all deadlines.
• Ability to develop solutions to a wide range of complex problems requiring ingenuity, creativity, and innovation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, along with strong influencing and negotiating skills.
• Ability to accomplish results through supervisors and specialist employees.
• Fluency in conversational and written English.

Sustained bottom-line business performance in a pharmaceutical commercial environment depends on the Business Unit Director, who converts strategic priorities into KPIs and OKRs while engaging end-users, healthcare professionals, and key system stakeholders to ensure medicines and vaccines deliver measurable patient value. Based within a hybrid working environment, the Business Unit Director leads a culture of curiosity and continuous learning, deploying data-driven analytic approaches and robust compliance and risk mitigation processes to deliver valued customer engagement at scale.

Accountabilities

• Engage end-users, healthcare professionals, and key system stakeholders to establish mutual value and shape an environment in which medicines and vaccines deliver value to patients and the healthcare system.
• Develop and adapt the commercial strategy and priorities to deliver customer and end-user value and ensure sustained bottom-line business performance, taking into account changing internal and external dynamics.
• Convert strategic priorities into well-defined KPIs and OKRs, ensuring that project plans are efficiently developed, resourced, tracked, and executed.
• Ensure robust compliance, privacy, risk identification, and risk mitigation processes are in place and regularly audited and improved.
• Use data and developing analytic approaches to drive better business outcomes and valued customer engagement.
• Lead, develop, and guide a culture of curiosity and continuous learning through which team members experiment, adapt, and rapidly scale tactical solutions that deliver value to end-users, healthcare professionals, and key system stakeholders.
• Create an inspiring, inclusive, and positive hybrid working environment where diverse opinions are welcomed and heard.

Technical Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• End-to-end experience in launching, promoting, and supplying pharmaceutical products.
• Experience collaborating across markets and with global teams.
• Ability to build strong professional networks to deliver on joint objectives.
• Track record of developing strategies, managing resources, and delivering business outcomes in alignment with strategy.
• Consistently seeks to better understand the operating environment to identify opportunities to improve business performance.
• Self-aware and self-assured, with strong interpersonal authenticity.
• Ability to earn the trust and confidence of colleagues and willingly share insight for the good of the team.
• Ability to engage in constructive confrontation while avoiding unproductive conflict.
• Passion for colleagues, customers, patients, and stakeholders, with curiosity to find mutually beneficial solutions.

As the Business Unit Director, this role leads day-to-day operations of an assigned plant business unit, coaching multiple line leaders and supervisors while directing activities to achieve maximum efficiency, waste reduction, and compliance with HACCP and GMP standards. The production team relies on this work to deliver annual plant objectives through strategic planning, continuous improvement implementation, and data-driven performance management across the full business unit.

Activities

• Provide clear leadership, coaching, and direction to the team in alignment with plant objectives and vision.
• Create strategic plans and actions for the business unit to ensure that the plant delivers its annual objectives.
• Coach business unit leaders in developing servant leadership standards and practices.
• Champion the identification and implementation of best practices.
• Recognise and solve problems using continuous improvement tools and methodologies and lead their implementation within the business unit.
• Perform routine health checks within the business unit on various daily management systems related to the daily direction-setting process.
• Maintain the highest standards in product quality and consumer satisfaction.
• Direct and coordinate activities of the business unit to promote operational efficiency, waste reduction, cost effectiveness, and safety.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP, and all applicable standard operating procedures and state and federal laws.
• Champion data-driven decision-making and the analysis of performance information.
• Manage business unit expenses and generate reliable performance information to support cost control and accountability.
• Ensure training programmes are established and meet the needs of the business unit.
• Lead membership in at least one continuous improvement pillar, owning tools and systems within that pillar.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university, preferably in an engineering discipline.
• 8 to 10 years of experience, including at least 5 years in a supervisory position.
• Familiarity with basic plant equipment functions, including pumps, hydraulics, electricity, boilers, compressors, and chillers.
• Ability to develop spreadsheets, understand product formulas and percentages, and calculate figures, proportions, area, circumference, and volume.
• Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
• Ability to read data from charts, graphs, and instruments and identify discrepancies.
• Strategic ability to create, design, and implement improvements to current procedures.
• Ability to think quickly, especially in emergencies.
• Ability to direct or participate in project management from concept to closure.
• Ability to support and complete the work of other production supervisors as needed.

Business Unit Director builds world-class manufacturing operations through automation, lean initiatives, and demand flow technologies, managing profit and loss performance for a division business unit in alignment with the corporation's WIN Strategy. Success in the position means leading cross-functional teams across manufacturing, engineering, sales, and HR while driving strategic pricing and procurement to continuously meet customer expectations and deliver operational efficiency.

Operational Focus

• Lead strategy deployment for the business unit, concentrating on lean initiatives, strategic pricing, and strategic procurement.
• Lead operating, manufacturing, engineering, information technology, human resources, lean accounting, planning, sales and marketing, and new product development functions to ensure operational efficiency and economy.
• Drive lean initiatives, strategic procurement, and strategic pricing initiatives throughout the operation to ensure they are fully embraced and implemented.
• Develop a budget plan and manage the business unit within budget constraints.
• Maintain familiarity with the competitive environment within the area of responsibility.
• Represent the operation at the business unit and division levels.
• Provide leadership by promoting team concepts, coaching, counselling, retaining, mentoring, training, talent management, and individual development.
• Drive a culture of accountability and results through strategy deployment and effective performance management.
• Ensure that the business unit conforms to local, state, and federal government regulations.
• Promote the business unit within industry, manufacturing, trade associations, and the local community.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a technical or business discipline.
• Five to ten years of related experience.
• Ten or more years of increasing experience and responsibility.
• Prior leadership or programme management roles.
• Demonstrated ability to lead people and obtain results through others.
• Excellent knowledge of management and marketing principles, industry practices, and competitor products, technology, and service capabilities.
• Knowledge of business and operational processes, including proposal development, contract negotiations, and programme management.
• Knowledge of international budgeting and acquisition processes and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to organise and manage multiple priorities using effective problem-solving skills and a team focus.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to present information persuasively to senior management, customers, and employees.

The Business Unit Director owns full profit and loss accountability for a cross-functional business unit team spanning sales, operations, engineering, and quality, driving new business generation and managing the product lifecycle from ideation to obsolescence while reporting to the Director of Sales. Working closely with senior management, including the President, the role shapes strategic and tactical plans to win profitable new business through contract negotiations, trade show representation, and weekly and quarterly sales reporting.

Key Deliverables

• Sell the value of products and influence customer decisions to purchase.
• Provide weekly and monthly sales reports to management.
• Present quarterly results to senior leadership.
• Determine and implement strategic and tactical plans to win profitable new business.
• Negotiate sales and marketing contractual commitments with customers.
• Develop detailed sales, bookings, and forecasts.
• Manage the business unit's product lifecycle from ideation to obsolescence.
• Represent the company at trade shows, conventions, and seminars to maintain customer contact, increase brand exposure, and publicise new products and services.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or business preferred.
• Experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Management experience with direct reports.
• Aerospace and defence experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to drive results from current and prior positions.
• Broad business knowledge across sales, engineering, finance, and operations.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.