Associate Director - Thought Leader Liaison, Neurology Rare Disease

Position Overview

The Associate Director, Thought Leader Liaison (TLL), Neurology Rare Disease is a senior, field-based, externally facing, non-sales commercial role reporting to the Senior Director, Marketing and Thought Leader Liaison. The role combines scientific fluency, strategic thought-leader engagement and regional business planning. The TLL builds trusted relationships with national, regional and emerging thought leaders and with organizations that influence the patient pathway from diagnosis through treatment and support.

The role identifies and helps address recurring barriers to earlier recognition, specialist referral, genetic testing, genetic counseling and connection to treatment-capable centers. The TLL integrates appropriate aggregate field insights into regional business plans, thought-leader engagement strategies and practical actions for disease education, market development and launch readiness.

The TLL executes non-sales relationship, education, network and barrier-removal activities and supports the Account Manager’s account planning and operational execution. The Account Manager retains responsibility for account sales execution and performance.

The TLL and Medical Science Liaison (MSL) coordinate on shared thought leaders, scientific needs and joint engagements. The TLL focuses on disease education, referral pathways and market development, while the MSL leads scientific exchange and Medical follow-up. 

Prior to regulatory approval, the TLL operates through approved, nonpromotional disease-state education, thought-leader engagement and market-development activities.

Upon regulatory approval, this role is expected to assume promotional responsibilities consistent with the approved label and company policy, including identification, training support, and quality monitoring of national and regional promotional faculty and speaker programs; label-consistent diagnostic, referral, and care-pathway education; and launch feedback and content optimization. Program quality, reach, and compliance, not prescription volume, remain the measures of this work.

The East region is the primary coverage area, but the TLL may lead selected national relationships or initiatives based on experience and business needs.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Strategy, Network Mapping and Engagement

·    Develop and execute a regional plan aligned with national strategy and launch priorities.

·    Map priority institutions, thought leaders, and referral relationships to clarify how diagnosis, testing, counseling, referral, and treatment connect across the region.

·    Use regional and account-level insights to prioritize engagement, identify cross-account barriers, and recommend and support actions that strengthen the Account Manager’s planning and operational execution.

·    Coordinate with MSLs on shared thought leaders, scientific needs and joint engagements. The TLL focuses on disease education, referral pathways and market development, while Medical Affairs retains responsibility for scientific exchange and Medical follow-up.

Thought Leader Engagement

·    Establish and maintain compliant relationships with national and regional experts, center leaders and influential community and neuromuscular practices. Develop engagement plans for priority thought leaders and institutions.

·    Develop and execute, in partnership with Marketing, approved national and regional peer-to-peer education programs that connect experts and centers with community professional networks and address identified educational and referral needs. Programs are disease-state and nonpromotional prior to regulatory approval, and branded, label-consistent and promotional following approval.

·    Identify qualified advisors and, following approval, promotional faculty based on documented business need, objective criteria and approved processes. Contracting and compensation decisions remain with designated company functions.

Insight Generation and Strategic Translation

·    Capture and synthesize aggregate, non-patient-specific insights from field engagements, including recurring patterns in disease recognition, genetic testing and counseling, referral, treatment readiness and support.

·    Compare insights across accounts to distinguish isolated account issues from broader regional barriers. Incorporate findings into regional business plans, recommend appropriate action and support implementation within the TLL’s responsibilities.

·    Maintain knowledge of the publicly available disease, treatment, evidence and competitive landscape. Share relevant implications with approved internal partners and refer scientific evidence needs to Medical Affairs or HEOR.

Regional Advocacy Engagement

·    Serve as the regional relationship lead for approved engagement with local and regional advocacy organizations under the strategy and governance of National Patient Advocacy.

·    Identify opportunities to use approved advocacy resources, programs and professional networks to address regional education, referral and support needs. Bring aggregate regional insights to National Patient Advocacy and other internal partners.

·    Provide regional input on potential partnerships and sponsorships. Approval, contracting, grants and funding decisions remain with the designated company functions.

Congress and Professional Meeting Leadership

·    Lead the commercial thought-leader engagement strategy for priority national and regional congresses and professional-society meetings, coordinating objectives and follow-up with Marketing, Medical Affairs and field partners.

·    Use congress engagement to strengthen relationships, identify emerging thought leaders and capture relevant field insights. Medical Affairs retains responsibility for scientific exchange and investigational product discussions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

·    Partner with Marketing leadership to inform launch strategy, disease-education needs, peer-to-peer programs, congress planning and, following approval, faculty strategy.

·    Work with Account Manager and other functional partners to translate regional insights into coordinated action while preserving functional responsibilities.

·    Coordinate scientific needs with Medical Affairs, access needs with Market Access, patient support with Patient Services, and implementation with Account Manager or the appropriate owner. Report safety information and product complaints through required company processes.

Qualifications

·    Bachelor’s degree required; an advanced clinical, scientific, public health or business degree or relevant clinical credential is preferred.

·    At least eight years of relevant biopharmaceutical experience, including field marketing, TLL, market development, product marketing, thought-leader engagement or another strategic field role.

·    Recent experience in rare or ultra-rare disease, neurology, neuromuscular disease, genetics, or diagnostics strongly preferred.

·    Demonstrated pre-launch and launch experience, including the ability to operate within distinct pre- and post-approval engagement boundaries.

·    Demonstrated ability to operate independently and compliantly in a field role without an established franchise infrastructure.

·    Strong clinical and scientific fluency sufficient for credible disease-state discussions with senior specialist audiences.

Skills and Other Requirements

·    Leadership, strategic thinking, sound judgment, and the ability to translate ambiguity into an executable field plan.

·    Exceptional relationship-building skills and executive presence with senior clinicians, professional organizations, and cross-functional colleagues.

·    Disciplined judgment regarding commercial, medical role boundaries and pre- and post-approval engagement rules.

·    Strong analytical ability to map influence networks, diagnostic and referral workflows, and regional opportunities; ability to produce concise, actionable, aggregate insights.

·    Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills; experience with advisory boards, and with execution and quality oversight of disease state programs before approval and branded speaker program post approval.

·    Proficiency with CRM, insight-management, virtual engagement, and standard business platforms; commitment to documentation quality, privacy, and company policies.

Other Requirements

·    Field-based role; willingness and ability to travel more than 50% of the time, including significant overnight and occasional weekend travel.

·    Ability to attend priority national and regional congresses, advisory boards, and evening programs as business needs require.

·    Valid driver's license; ability to meet company fleet, driving, and travel requirements.

·    Assigned geography: East region. Candidates must reside in the Eastern U.S. within practical reach of a major hub airport; Northeast or Mid-Atlantic residence preferred. Location outside the preferred area will be considered where candidate can demonstrate efficient coverage of full territory.

Competencies
Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.
Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.
Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.
Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.
Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.
Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $169,222.00 - Maximum $253,000.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.

Company benefits:  Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.

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Disclaimer: 

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary. 

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