Associate Director - Pain Forecasting & Analytics

Job Description

General Summary

The Associate Director, Global Pain Forecasting & Analytics will join the Global Forecasting & Analytics team within the Commercial organization to lead forecasting and analytics for Vertex’s global Pain portfolio, spanning current programs and future pipeline assets. This role will serve as a key partner to the Global Pain Marketing Lead and Global Commercial Strategy, leading the development and evolution of forecast models that support long-range planning, near-term operations, commercialization decisions, and cross-functional alignment across Pain disease areas.

The Associate Director will build, maintain, and continuously evolve Vertex’s global Pain forecasting capabilities. This includes developing a deep understanding of the evolving Pain landscape and integrating clinical data, competitive intelligence, analog performance, key market drivers, and broader market dynamics into robust forecasting models. This individual will synthesize complex quantitative and qualitative inputs into actionable recommendations for senior leadership and support key decision-making across R&D, Marketing, Global Commercial Strategy, Finance, and other cross-functional partners.

As a core member of the Global Commercial Brand Teams for Pain, this leader will maintain a pulse on critical business questions and help shape the analytical approach needed to support them. A strong preference will be given to candidates with prior in-line forecasting experience, ideally supporting marketed products, who can bring practical commercial perspective and operational discipline to the Global Forecasting team.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, refinement, and ongoing evolution of global Pain forecast models across current and future assets.
• Support long-range planning and ongoing scenario planning through robust and adaptable forecasting approaches.
• Develop and maintain operational forecasting models that incorporate new data, market signals, inventory trends, emerging insights, and evolving assumptions.
• Own and enhance forecast frameworks, model logic, analog selections, data sources, and research-informed assumptions.
• Deliver high-quality forecast outputs with clear articulation of assumptions, sensitivities, risks, and uncertainties.
• Serve as the primary forecasting partner to the Global Pain Marketing Lead and Global Commercial Strategy, providing objective perspective, commercial insight, and forecasting rigor.
• Synthesize complex data sets into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Incorporate epidemiology, claims analysis, analogs, qualitative insights, competitive intelligence, access dynamics, and broader market developments into forecast assumptions.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the evolving Pain market, including treatment dynamics, competitive shifts, and the broader market context in which Vertex’s assets will compete.
• Support analyses that help characterize demand, treatment flow, and potential movement of patients across existing therapies and future treatment options.
• Ensure key performance indicators can be clearly derived from forecast models and used to track and explain forecasted performance.
• Build forecast structures that enable transparent performance drivers, clear output interpretation, and effective scenario evaluation.
• Apply familiarity with relevant internal and external data sources to ensure forecasting assumptions are well supported and connected to the broader Pain data strategy.
• Partner cross-functionally with Global Marketing, Global Commercial Strategy, Global Pricing & Market Access, Finance, HEOR, Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Commercial Strategy, and regional partners.
• Coordinate analytics alignment across functions to ensure consistency in forecasting assumptions and key drivers.
• Maintain strong communication with regional commercial partners to integrate market-specific insights into global forecasts.
• Partner with internal Marketing Science colleagues, Marketing, analytics stakeholders, and external research partners to help shape market research inputs relevant to forecasting needs.
• Ensure that primary market research insights are translated appropriately into forecasting assumptions, demand models, and strategic recommendations.
• Provide scenario analyses that inform portfolio prioritization, lifecycle planning, competitive preparedness, and potential launch readiness.
• Help ensure the Pain data strategy supports the insights and analytical needs required for commercialization planning and launch readiness.
• Ensure alignment between long-range planning assumptions and the latest insights from the evolving Pain landscape.

Knowledge and Skills

• Deep experience in forecast modeling approaches across all stages, including early clinical, launch, and in-line forecasting.

• Strong analytical and commercial acumen, with the ability to structure ambiguous problems and connect insights to strategic implications.

• Experience partnering with senior leadership to support forecasting, scenario analysis, and commercial planning.

• Ability to adjust quickly to new information, evolving priorities, and emerging scientific or competitive signals.

• Strong understanding of primary market research design and the ability to incorporate those insights appropriately into forecast assumptions and model structure.

• Familiarity with a range of relevant data sources and the ability to connect those inputs to forecasting needs, business questions, and launch planning.

• Strong understanding of the broader biopharma commercialization process, including market access, positioning, unmet need assessment, and go-to-market strategy.

• Strong grasp of market dynamics and the ability to place Vertex’s Pain assets within the broader competitive and therapeutic landscape.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex analyses into compelling narratives.

• Demonstrated influence skills and ability to serve as a trusted advisor across functions.

• Comfort navigating ambiguity and effectively structuring complex problems.

• Openness to leveraging new technologies, including generative and agentic AI tools, to enhance analytical workflows, improve efficiency, and support internal stakeholders.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Excel modeling.
• Familiarity with analytical tools such as Snowflake, Power BI, SQL, Python, SAS, and VBA.
• Familiarity and comfort with leveraging generative and agentic AI tools to enhance analytical workflows, improve efficiency, and support high-quality deliverables for internal stakeholders.

Education and Experience

• Advanced proficiency in Excel modeling.
• Familiarity with analytical tools such as Snowflake, Power BI, SQL, Python, SAS, and VBA.
• Familiarity and comfort with leveraging generative and agentic AI tools to enhance analytical workflows, improve efficiency, and support high-quality deliverables for internal stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required.
• MBA, MS, or PhD preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in biotech or pharmaceuticals in a quantitative discipline within Commercial, Global Commercial Strategy, Finance, Business Development, or Consulting.
• Experience supporting global assets strongly preferred.
• Prior in-line forecasting experience, ideally supporting marketed products, strongly preferred.
• Experience in Pain, neuroscience, or adjacent therapeutic areas is a plus, but not required.

At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision-making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better outcomes for patients.

Pay Range:

$161,900 - $242,900

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site Eligible

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as: 
1.    Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
2.    On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time. 

#LI-Hybrid
 

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [email protected]