Sr Business Unit Director Cell Therapies - Canada

At Gilead Sciences Canada Inc. we take pride in being recognized as one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employer 2024. Click here to find out why Gilead Sciences Canada is a top employer!

Chez Gilead Sciences Canada Inc., nous sommes fiers d’être reconnus comme l’un des meilleurs employeurs du Grand Toronto pour 2024. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les raisons de notre succès.

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference.

Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.

Job Description

Being Here Matters!

At Gilead, Creating Possible drives everything we do. It’s evident in our mission and core values. This is how we built a culture of excellence that is fueled by a passion for improving the lives of people around the world and advancing the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases.

We are driven to develop lifesaving products that make a difference for patients around the world. Every day, we aim to transform the promise of science and technology into breakthrough, innovative therapies that have the power to cure, prevent or treat disease. As a research-based bio pharmaceutical company, we are revolutionizing healthcare by bringing medicines to patients in the areas of high unmet need including HCV and other Liver diseases, HIV/AIDS, Hematology, Oncology, and Inflammatory Diseases. When you join Gilead, you join our mission to change the world by enabling people to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Kite, a Gilead Company, is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid, long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune system's ability to recognize and kill tumors. In Canada, Kite operates as an integral part of Gilead Canada with offices in Mississauga, Ontario. Kite ACE (Australia, Canada & Europe) is headquartered in Stockley Park, UK and is currently adding additional talent as it focuses on developing the ACE Region in support of providing maximum access to patients with unmet needs.

The Role

Reporting into the Head of ACE for Kite, the Business Unit Leads primary accountability is continuing to expand access of Kite Cell Therapies in Canada. This role will be responsible and accountable for the strategy, planning and implementation of all commercial activities in Canada related to cell therapy, with ‘success’ defined by accelerating broad access to patients for Kite Pharma’s innovation.

The Business Unit Lead will manage a team of Marketing and Sales professionals and lead a cross functional team to drive operational excellence. You will be a member of Gilead Canada’s leadership team and will have a dotted reporting line into the General Manager of Gilead Canada. This is a unique opportunity to play a key role, as part of the broader Canadian and ACE Leadership, in the establishment of a truly innovative therapy.

How you will help ‘Create Possible’

Maximize the commercial potential of Kite Pharma’s assets through the development and implementation of strategic/operational plans in collaboration with regional marketing and medical affairs teams

Build and execute highly successful launches in Canada

Lead the cross-functional team providing vision, motivation, support and coaching as well as infrastructure to drive the business and achieve portfolio objectives

Partner with market access to identify, develop, propose, and execute local reimbursement plans, including alignment with appropriate adaptation of European and US pricing, reimbursement, and access strategies

Recruit, hire and ensure training for country-specific staff who will successfully execute the cross functional company plan in Canada.

Take responsibility and accountability to deliver against the agreed commercial and strategic objectives, as well as Quality, compliance, and risk management.

Contribute to the execution of a flawless supply chain process – customer service par excellence – supporting the administration of Kite Pharma’s technology to patients.

Establish strong, effective, and optimal working relationships with external bodies (incl. Payers, Patient Associations, and Thought Leaders)

Foster an environment of strong collaboration across the local, regional, and global organization, balancing the needs of Kite Pharma in Canada with those of the broader corporate objectives.

Ensure that all business activities are in line with company policies, procedures, and local guidelines.

Facilitate market learning and knowledge sharing to accelerate the commercialization throughout the ACE organization.

Knowledge, Experience & Skills

The successful candidate will be a recognized leader with excellent communication skills. The role requires being comfortable at working in a high-growth environment where influencing and negotiating across an organization are a prerequisite.

Demonstrable commercial leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry such as a highly successful Business Unit Lead and a strong sales & marketing leader within the specialty therapeutics arena

Must have recent experience in oncology with specific experience in Hematology and/or orphan/rare diseases as a significant advantage

Ability to manage complexity, ambiguity, and paradoxes through thinking outside of the box with a collaborative, constructive and solution-oriented approach

Must have a track record of successful budget management with an understanding of revenue forecasting and expense budget planning and tracking

Must demonstrated excellence in project management and effectively managing multiple projects/priorities

Undergraduate degree is required, MBA and/or post graduate preferred or advanced life science degree (MD, Pharm D, PhD)

Preferably, previous experience in negotiating with key pricing and reimbursement agencies, and involvement in successful access and reimbursement strategies and their execution

Strong understanding of the complexity of transplant arena is highly advantageous

Must be good at building new relationships rapidly with KOLs and other stakeholders such as industry associations. A strong already established network is preferable

Knowledgeable in technical development of commercially successful biopharmaceutical, cell therapy or gene therapy products is preferred

Must have the ability to build and drive a business, whilst possessing innate ‘market-making’ capabilities with natural self-starter, hands-on, entrepreneurial, and innovative attitude

Strong leadership qualities such as having the ability to attract, motive and retain talent and drive a culture of collaboration, engagement, and motivation

Strong learning agility and willingness to take on increasing responsibility.

Excellent command of written and spoken English

Ability to provide strategic input at an ACE level and occasionally on global level.

International experience, either working in a Global or Regional role or in the context of above country project teams is desirable

Openness to travel approximately is required - 60% domestically and some internationally

Gilead Core Values

Integrity (doing what's right)

Teamwork (working together)

Excellence (being your best)

Accountability (taking personal responsibility)

Inclusion (encouraging diversity)

Gilead Leadership Commitments

I AM BOLD in aspiration and AGILE in execution.

​I CARE and make time for people.

​I LISTEN, speak openly and explain the "why."

​I TRUST others and myself to make sound decisions.

​I OWN the impact of my words and actions.

We are committed to creating a healthier world for everyone – no matter the challenges ahead of us. Through bold and transformative science, we’re driving innovation that has the potential to become the next generation of life-changing medicines. Our ambition is evident in our mission. Because the impossible is not impossible. It’s what’s next

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.

The salary range for this position is CAD $262,650 - $339,900 annually. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary target annual bonus. Gilead determines base compensation by considering factors such as experience, qualifications, and geographic location. As a result, actual compensation may vary.

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