Executive Product Specialist - Neuroscience

Job Description

Purpose of the Role

Execute brand strategy and tactics in field, deliver sales performance, effectively manage the assigned territory and targeted accounts, and build strong customer relationships and customer-needs solving capability to maximise short- and long-term sales performance. The Executive Product Specialist will represent the Neuroscience portfolio, placing the patient at the centre of all efforts while operating in accordance with AbbVie’s Business Code of Conduct, company policies and all applicable laws and regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

Sales Performance and Commercial Execution

• Deliver against agreed sales targets, brand KPIs, financial targets and marketing objectives.
• Execute approved brand strategies and tactical plans effectively within the assigned territory.
• Demonstrate measurable growth across priority accounts and proactively identify opportunities within declining, underperforming or underpenetrated accounts.
• Analyse territory and account-level performance data and translate insights into appropriate commercial actions.
• Monitor performance against agreed objectives and implement timely corrective action where required.
• Demonstrate consistent, high-quality commercial execution across the Neuroscience portfolio.

Territory and Strategic Account Management

• Take independent ownership of the KwaZulu-Natal territory and Eastern Cape country trip.
• Develop, implement and regularly review territory and account plans for identified priority accounts.
• Ensure account plans include clear customer insights, opportunities, barriers, objectives, actions and measurable outcomes.
• Prioritise customers and accounts according to business potential, strategic importance and approved objectives.
• Proactively identify territory risks and opportunities and recommend appropriate actions.
• Manage territory resources and travel effectively to optimise customer coverage and commercial return.
• Maintain accurate and current territory, account and customer information on approved company systems.

Customer Engagement and Call Quality

• Develop and execute a call plan that achieves agreed activity, coverage and frequency requirements for priority customers.
• Create pre-call plans using SMART objectives and complete post-call evaluations to continuously improve sales performance.
• Ensure customer interactions are purposeful and linked to clear account and customer objectives.
• Effectively manage objections, misunderstandings and concerns and secure appropriate, logical and compliant calls to action.
• Demonstrate measurable progression against customer and account objectives.
• Proactively identify and address customer needs, expectations and challenges to build trusted, sustainable relationships.

Market, Customer and Portfolio Insights

• Continuously develop an understanding of customer needs, territory dynamics, relevant market segments, accounts, competitors and the external environment.
• Maintain a strong understanding of relevant disease areas, clinical evidence and the Neuroscience portfolio.
• Gather and communicate timely, relevant and actionable customer, competitor and market insights.
• Share appropriate market intelligence with the In-Field Team, Brand Team and Sales Manager.
• Use field insights to anticipate relevant environmental changes, risks and opportunities and contribute to strategy execution.

Stakeholder and Cross-functional Collaboration

• Build credible and sustainable professional relationships with relevant healthcare professionals and account stakeholders.
• Differentiate AbbVie’s value proposition appropriately with assigned healthcare professionals.
• Identify, develop and maintain relationships with appropriate disease-state experts and priority stakeholders.
• Collaborate effectively with the In-Field Team and relevant Brand, Medical and other cross-functional colleagues.
• Align territory and account activities with approved strategic priorities and demonstrate accountability for agreed actions.

Scientific and Portfolio Competency

• Maintain a high level of competency in relevant disease areas, clinical evidence and the Neuroscience portfolio.
• Complete required training and competency assessments within agreed timelines.
• Communicate approved scientific and promotional information accurately, appropriately and compliantly.
• Demonstrate the scientific credibility required to engage specialist healthcare professionals and multidisciplinary teams.

Compliance, Pharmacovigilance and Patient Safety

• Conduct all activities in accordance with AbbVie’s Business Code of Conduct, company policies, standard operating procedures and applicable laws and regulations.
• Ensure all customer engagements and communications are accurate, appropriate and compliant.
• Complete required compliance and company training within stipulated timelines.
• Maintain accurate customer and activity records on approved company systems.
• Promptly report any adverse event / safety-related information to the Pharmacovigilance Department by email within 24 hours of awareness.

Executive-Level Contribution

• Demonstrate sustained high performance and consistent ownership of territory results.
• Operate with a high degree of independence, accountability and commercial judgement.
• Identify business challenges early and proactively recommend solutions.
• Contribute beyond individual territory delivery by sharing relevant insights, expertise and effective practices with the wider team.
• Support team capability through constructive knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
• Act as a role model for compliant, ethical and patient-centred commercial execution.

Measurable Performance Requirements

Performance will be assessed against agreed annual objectives and applicable AbbVie measures, including:

• Delivery against agreed sales targets and commercial objectives.
• Achievement of agreed brand KPIs, financial targets and marketing objectives.
• Measurable performance and growth across identified priority accounts.
• Achievement of agreed customer coverage, call activity and frequency requirements.
• Quality and currency of territory and priority-account plans.
• Demonstrated progression against defined customer and account objectives.
• Quality of SMART pre-call objectives and post-call evaluations.
• Timely identification of territory risks, opportunities and corrective actions.
• Quality, relevance and timeliness of customer, competitor and market insights.
• Completion of required scientific, portfolio, compliance and company training within stipulated timelines.
• Accurate and timely maintenance of customer and activity records.
• Effective completion of agreed cross-functional actions and initiatives.
• Compliance with AbbVie policies, procedures, the Business Code of Conduct and applicable legal requirements.
• Reporting of adverse event / safety-related information to the Pharmacovigilance Department by email within 24 hours of awareness.
• Evidence of leadership, knowledge-sharing and broader contribution expected at Executive Product Specialist level.

Key Stakeholders

• Neurologists and other relevant specialist healthcare professionals.
• Rehabilitation physicians, GPs and multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams.
• Physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
• Relevant hospital, clinic and account stakeholders.
• In-Field Team, Brand Team, Medical colleagues, Sales Manager and relevant internal cross-functional partners.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Experience:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, pharmacy, a business-related field or equivalent.
• English-language proficiency, both verbally and in writing.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel regularly across the assigned territory.

Preferred

• Demonstrated record of sustained sales performance within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Relevant specialist pharmaceutical sales experience, preferably within a multinational company in Neuroscience.
• Pharmaceutical products launch experience is a plus.
• Proven ability to independently manage a complex and geographically dispersed territory.
• Demonstrated capability in strategic account planning and customer development.
• Experience engaging specialist healthcare professionals and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong analytical ability, including translating territory and account data into commercial actions.
• Experience working effectively within a cross-functional or In-Field Team environment.
• Scientific or allied-health background, such as Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy or Biokinetics, would be advantageous.
• Demonstrated independence, accountability, commercial judgement and ownership.

Core Capabilities

• Patient-centred thinking

• Commercial and territorial acumen

• Strategic account management

• Scientific credibility

• Customer-needs identification

• Effective selling and objection management

• Analytical thinking and problem-solving

• Planning, prioritisation and execution

• Cross-functional collaboration

• Clear communication

• Adaptability and learning agility

• Ethical judgement and compliant execution

Additional Information

What Success Looks Like

Success will be measured through delivery against agreed sales and brand objectives, priority-account performance, customer coverage and call quality, territory and account-plan execution, actionable market insights, training completion, accurate record-keeping, cross-functional contribution and full compliance with AbbVie requirements.

Our Commitment

The successful candidate will place patients at the centre of their work and conduct all activities in accordance with AbbVie’s Business Code of Conduct, company policies and applicable laws and regulations.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. 

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