Senior Director/Executive Director - Trade Relations

Overview

The Senior Director/Executive Director, Trade Relations is responsible for leading the organization's trade strategy, distribution network, and relationships with wholesalers, specialty distributors, specialty pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and other channel partners. This role will lead a field team of Trade Account Directors and will develop and execute trade strategies that ensure product availability, optimize distribution performance, support product access, and align with corporate commercial objectives.

This is a highly visible role within Market Access and serves as the primary strategic contact for the national Trade Account team and works cross-functionally across Market Access, Supply Chain, Finance, Pricing, Legal, Commercial Operations, and Brand Teams to maximize channel performance and support product launches and lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Trade Leadership

• Develop and execute enterprise-wide trade and distribution strategies across multiple business units (Infectious Diseases and Rare Diseases).
• Lead channel design and optimization for specialty pharmacy, specialty distributor, retail, and wholesale accounts.
• Establish long-term strategic plans for trade partner engagement across the portfolio.
• Identify emerging market trends and competitive trade dynamics.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead and develop the Trade Account team
• Build organizational capabilities and succession plans.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Account & Partner Management

• Serve as executive lead for key trade-channel relationships.
• Ensure Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with major trade partners are conducted across the Trade Account Director Team
• Negotiate and operationalize distribution and service agreements.
• Manage performance metrics, inventory levels, service requirements, and contractual obligations.

Distribution & Operations

• Ensure compliance with Distribution Service Agreements (DSAs) via partnership with Trade Operations, Supply Chain and 3PL providers to mitigate shortages and improve service levels.

Financial & Commercial Leadership

• In partnership with internal Finance and Trade Operations, Support Gross-to-Net (GTN) forecasting and financial planning, analyze trade-channel performance and profitability.
• Identify and implement opportunities to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency (evaluation of fees, service agreements, and distribution economics)

Product Launch & Market Access Support

• Lead trade readiness activities for new product launches and ensure Trade Account Directors are appropriately engaging accounts.
• Collaborate across the Market Access organization (e.g., Payer, Pricing, and Patient Services teams) to ensure alignment of access strategies.
• Design and implement distribution models that support commercial objectives and patient access.

Analytics & Business Intelligence

• Partner with Trade Operations and Commercial Operations team to further embed KPIs and maximize dashboards for Trade channel performance.
• Utilize available internal systems, industry references, and trade reporting tools to inform decisions.
• Partner with internal colleagues to maximize forecasting models and trend analyses to support executive decision-making.

Minimum Job Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain, Finance, Economics, Healthcare Administration, or related field.
• MBA, PharmD, or other advanced degree preferred.

Experience

• For Senior Director: 12+ years of pharmaceutical trade, market access, distribution, supply chain, or channel management experience; 7+ years of leadership experience managing teams and strategic trade accounts.

• For Executive Director: 15+ years of pharmaceutical trade, market access, distribution, supply chain, or channel management experience; 10+ years of leadership experience managing teams and strategic trade accounts.

• Demonstrated experience negotiating agreements with wholesalers, specialty distributors, and specialty pharmacies.
• Significant launch experience and channel strategy development preferred.

Preferred Skills

• Deep understanding of pharmaceutical trade channels and market access landscape.
• Expertise in specialty distribution and specialty pharmacy networks.
• Strong financial acumen, forecasting, and GTN knowledge.
• Experience with IQVIA, SAP, JD Edwards, or similar ERP/reporting systems.
• Excellent negotiation, presentation, and executive communication skills.
• Ability to influence senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

Success Measures

• Product availability and channel performance.
• Trade partner satisfaction and contract compliance.
• Forecast accuracy and inventory management.
• Successful product launch execution.
• Achievement of distribution and revenue objectives.
• Development and retention of high-performing team members.

Other Requirements

• Ability and willingness to travel to internal and external account meetings/conferences 60-75% of the year.

Additional Information

The base salary range for this full-time position is $250,000 - $320,000 Individual pay is determined by several factors, which include but are not limited to: job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. The range does not include the comprehensive benefits, bonus, long-term incentive, applicable allowances, or any additional compensation that may be associated with this role. 

EEO

Shionogi Inc. is an equal opportunity employer supporting individuals with disabilities and veterans. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment opportunities based on valid job requirements without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), marital status, national origin, age, ancestry, citizenship, disability, genetic information, status as a disabled veteran, a recently separated veteran, Active Duty Wartime or Campaign Badge Veterans, and Armed Forces Service Medal Veterans, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. It is the policy of Shionogi Inc. to undertake affirmative action for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in compliance with all federal, state, and local requirements to recruit a diverse pool of protected veteran and individuals with disabilities applicants and to ensure that our employment practices are, in fact, non-discriminatory.

If you are qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access this website to apply for a vacancy as a result of your disability. You can request accommodations by calling 973-307-3550 or by sending an email to [email protected].