Associate Director, Field Marketing (Central or West Coast Based)
Takeda
Summary
The Associate Director, Field Marketing, is a field-based, customer-facing (non-sales) role and a key member of the Sleep Disorders marketing team. This position focuses on cultivating and sustaining long-term relationships with current and emerging key opinion leaders (KOLs) in Sleep Disorders across the U.S. In this role, you will play a critical part in shaping and executing brand strategy by driving strategic partnerships, facilitating meaningful dialogue around the evolving treatment landscape, and positioning Takeda as a leader in Sleep Disorders. This position reports to the Director, Head of HCP Engagements.
Job description
About the Role
The Associate Director, Field Marketing, is a field-based, customer-facing (non-sales) role and a key member of the Sleep Disorders marketing team. This position focuses on cultivating and sustaining long-term relationships with current and emerging key opinion leaders (KOLs) in Sleep Disorders across the U.S. In this role, you will play a critical part in shaping and executing brand strategy by driving strategic partnerships, facilitating meaningful dialogue around the evolving treatment landscape, and positioning Takeda as a leader in Sleep Disorders. This position reports to the Director, Head of HCP Engagements.
How you will contribute
KOL Engagement
- Identify, cultivate, and maintain long-term relationships with national and regional Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in the sleep disorders space.
- Develop and execute strategic engagement plans aligned with brand objectives, serving as a subject matter expert (SME) in sleep disorders disease management.
- Ensure compliant, accurate, and balanced scientific communication during all interactions with external stakeholders.
- Gather and analyze competitive intelligence (CI) to stay informed on KOL alignment, key geographic market drivers, influence points, and provider dynamics.
- Act as a liaison between KOLs and Takeda’s senior and executive leadership, facilitating strategic insights and collaborative opportunities.
Insight Generation
- Capture, document, and analyze customer and market insights to identify regional and national trends, informing strategic decisions by the brand team in preparation for market entry.
- Share synthesized customer insights with cross-functional stakeholders, addressing key business questions to support marketing strategy, optimize resources, and develop tactics that drive brand performance.
- Stay current on customer, competitive, and marketplace activities, and share these insights in a structured format with the broader team to inform brand planning and tactical execution.
Advisory Boards
- Plan, develop, and execute advisory board meetings with KOLs to gather insights on disease management, treatment trends, and unmet medical needs.
- Identify, recruit, and engage appropriate advisors based on therapeutic expertise, geographic representation, and strategic objectives.
- Execute advisory boards and consultant meetings to gather actionable insights that inform brand and disease state strategies in anticipation of organizational needs.
- Facilitate post-meeting debriefs and lead the synthesis of insights into clear, actionable recommendations for internal teams.
Congress & Conferences
- Support the strategy, planning, and execution of national and regional congresses to advance the Sleep Disorders brand and increase disease state awareness.
- Attend national congresses and regional conferences within the assigned geographic area; synthesize key insights and share them compliantly with internal stakeholders.
- Organize KOL engagement opportunities related to congresses in collaboration with colleagues and leadership, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
- Facilitate post-congress debrief sessions to evaluate outcomes and refine future engagement strategies.
P2P Engagements
- Lead partnerships with field leadership within the assigned geography to optimize and effectively execute marketing strategies.
- Identify and prioritize key educational needs and opportunities within target markets, and initiate programs to address these gaps.
- Support the identification and development of the speaker bureau, maintaining appropriate communication with members to ensure alignment on disease education and brand messaging.
Cross-functional Partnership
- Serve as a strategic bridge between internal teams (Commercial, Field Sales, Key Accounts, Medical Affairs, Market Access, and Leadership) and external thought leaders to ensure alignment and collaboration.
- Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure all professional engagement activities are compliant, well-organized, and strategically aligned.
- Demonstrate a proven ability to thrive in a cross-functional, collaborative environment, effectively manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and lead initiatives without formal authority.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Biology, Marketing, Strategy, or Business Administration.
- 8+ years of progressive experience in marketing or sales within the biopharmaceutical industry, including a minimum of 3 years in Key Opinion Leader management.
- Proven experience in developing engagement plans for thought leader/KOL management, with the ability to confidently liaise with external stakeholders.
- Experience in Speaker Bureau strategy, including training, content development, and execution of national-level programs.
- Strong leadership capabilities with the ability to set direction, drive alignment, resolve issues, and assess risk.
- Excellent collaboration skills with a proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
- Highly organized with strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills; able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills, with demonstrated learning agility, financial acumen, and budgeting experience.
- Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time, inclusive of conferences on weekends, overnight programs as well as attendance at key internal meetings.
- Individual must reside within territory boundaries given the extensive travel arrangements of this role.
Company overview
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company founded in 1781 and incorporated in 1925. As one of the world's top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies by revenue and the third largest in Asia, Takeda specializes in developing and commercializing innovative medicines across several therapeutic areas including oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience, gastroenterology, plasma-derived therapies, and vaccines. With approximately 49,095 employees globally, the company operates research and development centers, manufacturing facilities, and commercial operations across 39 U.S. states and numerous countries worldwide. Takeda maintains dual headquarters in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, with significant operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it serves as the largest life sciences employer in the state. The company's patient-focused approach is guided by its Takeda-ism values of Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, emphasizing a commitment to delivering life-transforming treatments while advancing sustainable healthcare solutions. Takeda's extensive portfolio includes both innovative biologics and small molecule drugs, supported by strategic acquisitions and partnerships that have expanded its capabilities in areas such as immuno-oncology and rare disease treatments.