Full-Time

Senior Director EMPAVELI Brand Lead

Nephrology & Hematology

Apellis Pharmaceuticals

Apellis Pharmaceuticals

501-1,000 employees

Develops complement inhibition therapies for diseases

No salary listed

Cambridge, MA, USA + 1 more

More locations: Waltham, MA, USA

Hybrid

On-site three days per week at Cambridge, MA; hybrid role.

Bachelor's, MBA

Category
Growth & Marketing (1)
Required Skills
Communications
Forecasting
Branding/Brand Strategy
Marketing

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Requirements
  • BS/BA degree in life sciences
  • 12+ years of biotech/pharma experience
  • Willing to travel domestically up to 30% of the time
  • Willing to be onsite at Cambridge office 3 times a week
Responsibilities
  • Oversee marketing for the entire EMPAVELI Franchise – PNH, C3G and IC-MPGN. Manage a high-performing US Marketing Team to support all EMPAVELI indications, whose approach aligns with Biogen’s mission, values, and culture. Responsible for line management (manager of managers), professional development, and mentorship of direct report(s) including providing feedback on employee performance and goal setting.
  • Lead the on-going launch of EMPAVELI into nephrology (C3G & IC-MPGN) partnering closely with cross-functional leadership to ensure coordinated plan development and execution. Keep senior and executive leadership informed of launch plan progress.
  • Drive development of brand strategy in partnership with cross-functional leadership; oversee US marketing team in execution of plan.
  • Cultivate collaboration and accountability across key cross-functional teams (home office and field leadership) to deliver on all elements of plans in a way that aligns with brand strategy and the corporate values / culture; drive a portfolio mindset among cross-functional leaders.
  • Define brand KPIs across indications in partnership with Business Intelligence; closely monitor performance against KPIs, driving success in a highly competitive market.
  • Lead quarterly business reviews and monthly business updates for North America Leadership Team with cross-functional team in partnership with Business Intelligence.
  • Be a key participant in short and long-term forecasting and brand goal development.
  • Effectively socialize brand strategy, brand goals and forecast, and core marketing activities across the organization.
  • Run the Cross-Functional team to ensure cross-functional alignment on key activities and life-cycle management. This includes advocating for LCM and evidence generation plans to support continued competitive advantage within market.
  • Represent US commercial on Labeling, EMPAVELI Program, and Comms Teams.
  • Lead annual US strategy process and oversee US brand planning; partner with Alliance Management to ensure alignment with alliance partner, Sobi.
  • Ensure that policies, procedures, and infrastructure for compliance, legal, and regulatory are in place to support US marketing execution.
  • Breed a culture of patient-focus and customer-centricity throughout the organization.
  • Drive efficient and thoughtful stewardship of marketing team budget and support P&L management.
Desired Qualifications
  • MBA preferred
  • Experience in affiliate launches and rare diseases is preferred
  • Rare disease experience preferred
Apellis Pharmaceuticals

Apellis Pharmaceuticals

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Apellis Pharmaceuticals develops therapies that target the complement system, a part of the immune system involved in inflammation and disease. The company focuses on complement inhibition to treat rare and debilitating conditions with unmet medical needs. Its approach centers on therapies that precisely modulate the complement cascade to help patients. Apellis went public in 2017 to fund its research and development efforts, and in 2025 it formed a strategic partnership with Sobi to sell ex-US royalties on its drug Aspaveli for up to $300 million, providing capital and expanding global reach. Compared with competitors, Apellis pursues targeted complement modulation and leverages strategic partnerships and royalties to support its growth. The company's goal is to advance effective, targeted treatments that improve the lives of patients worldwide by addressing diseases driven by the complement system.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Waltham, Massachusetts

Founded

2008

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Sobi paid $275 million upfront in July 2025, strengthening liquidity before the sale.
  • 2025 product revenue reached $689 million, with Syfovre contributing $587 million.
  • Biogen said combined SYFOVRE and EMPAVELI revenue grew 123% year over year in Q2 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Apellis ceased Nasdaq trading on May 14, 2026, eliminating public equity upside.
  • Syfovre’s retinal vasculitis history keeps prescribers cautious and slows retina adoption.
  • Biogen owns the asset now, so Apellis no longer hires, operates, or raises capital independently.

What makes Apellis Pharmaceuticals unique

  • SYFOVRE remains the first approved geographic atrophy therapy after 2023.
  • EMPAVELI spans PNH, C3G, and IC-MPGN, giving Apellis two marketed complement drugs.
  • Biogen closed the $5.6 billion acquisition on May 14, 2026.

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Benefits

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Flexible Work Hours

Remote Work Options

Hybrid Work Options

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Family Planning Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

19%

1 year growth

19%

2 year growth

18%
Citybiz
Jun 2nd, 2026
Tavo Biotherapeutics raises $17M Series A to advance glaucoma and retinal disease pipeline.

Tavo Biotherapeutics raises $17M Series A to advance glaucoma and retinal disease pipeline. June 2, 2026 Tavo Biotherapeutics has secured $17 million in Series A financing to advance a pair of ophthalmology programs targeting glaucoma and retinal disease, positioning the company to move deeper into clinical development at a time when investors remain selective about early-stage biotechnology funding. The financing was led by Pureos Bioventures, with participation from Polaris Partners and existing investor Tau Capital. The capital will support development of Tavo's lead candidates, TAV-001 and TAV-002, while expanding the company's research capabilities ahead of key clinical milestones. The raise reflects continued investor interest in ophthalmology, one of biotechnology's more active therapeutic categories due to the large and growing prevalence of vision-threatening diseases associated with aging populations. Despite significant advances in retinal treatments over the past decade, substantial unmet needs remain in glaucoma and age-related retinal disorders, creating opportunities for companies pursuing differentiated approaches. As part of the financing, Tavo is strengthening its leadership team with executives who have helped bring major ophthalmology therapies to market. The company appointed Federico Grossi as chief medical officer. Grossi previously served as chief medical officer at Apellis Pharmaceuticals, where he led development efforts behind Syfovre, the first FDA-approved treatment for geographic atrophy, and Empaveli for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. The company also named industry veteran Daniel Bradbury chairman of its board. Bradbury, former CEO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, helped guide the commercialization of multiple first-in-class therapies before Amylin's acquisition by Bristol-Myers Squibb. The financing also brings new board representation from the lead investors. Dominik Escher of Pureos Bioventures and Nil Gural of Polaris Partners have joined Tavo's board, adding expertise in biotech company building, financing and drug development. Tavo's lead program, TAV-001, is being developed as a disease-modifying topical treatment for glaucoma. Unlike traditional glaucoma therapies that primarily focus on lowering intraocular pressure, the candidate targets the autonomic nervous system and is designed to address underlying inflammatory and degenerative processes associated with disease progression. The company expects the program to enter a Phase 2 clinical trial in the second half of 2026. Its second program, TAV-002, is a bispecific antibody targeting both VEGF and an upstream signaling protein involved in retinal disease. The approach is intended to address a broad range of vision disorders, including wet and dry age-related macular degeneration as well as diabetes-related retinopathies. The dual-program strategy places Tavo at the intersection of two important trends in ophthalmology drug development. In glaucoma, researchers are increasingly seeking therapies that can slow or prevent neurodegeneration rather than simply manage symptoms. In retinal disease, companies are pursuing multi-target approaches designed to improve efficacy and durability beyond existing anti-VEGF treatments. For investors, the financing represents a bet on differentiated science in large commercial markets where treatment innovation remains a priority despite increasing competition. For Tavo, the capital and leadership additions provide resources to advance from early-stage development toward clinical proof-of-concept, a critical inflection point for emerging biotechnology companies seeking to establish value in ophthalmology. With fresh funding, experienced clinical leadership and programs approaching important development milestones, Tavo is positioning itself to compete in some of the largest and most commercially significant categories in eye care.

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Apr 1st, 2026
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Apellis Pharmaceuticals Announces Closing of its Initial Public Offering | Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CRESTWOOD, Ky., Nov. 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:APLS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapeutic compounds to treat disease through the inhibition of the complement system, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 10,714,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $14.00 per share. The total gross proceeds to Apellis were approximately $150.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses payable by Apellis. All of the shares were sold by Apellis. In addition, Apellis granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,607,100 additional shares of common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, to cover over-allotments, if any. The shares commenced trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “APLS” on Thursday, November 9, 2017.

Yahoo Finance
Mar 31st, 2026
Cantor Fitzgerald cuts Apellis Pharmaceuticals price target to $31 from $35 after Q4 earnings

Cantor Fitzgerald has reduced its price target on Apellis Pharmaceuticals to $31 from $35, whilst maintaining an Overweight rating. The adjustment follows the company's fiscal Q4 earnings report, with the firm lowering estimates for both Syfovre and Empaveli products. Apellis reported full-year 2025 net product revenues of $689 million, comprising $587 million from Syfovre and $102 million from Empaveli. The company plans to submit regulatory filings for a Syfovre prefilled syringe in the first half of 2026. As of 31 December 2025, Apellis held $466 million in cash and cash equivalents. The commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company projects its current revenues and cash reserves will be sufficient to fund operations until profitability.

GlobeNewswire
Mar 31st, 2026
Biogen to Acquire Apellis, Enhancing the Company’s Growth Portfolio in Immunology and Rare Disease, Bolstering Growth Outlook and Accelerating Expansion into Nephrology

Acquisition will bring two differentiated commercialized immunology medicines to Biogen with EMPAVELI® FDA-approved in three indications, including two...