National Director, Thought Leader Liaison (TLL) (Remote)

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: “Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide.” Otsuka researches, develops, manufactures and markets innovative products, with a focus on pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs and nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health.

The National Director, TLL, Renal Rare Disease, is senior a field-based, non-sales position in Marketing on Otsuka’s Renal Rare Disease team focused on leading a National TLL team to enhance and improve interactions with Renal Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) at academic centers and leading Renal community practices. He/She will be responsible for building and leading a team of TLL colleagues to support the upcoming launch of an asset in Renal rare disease. 

The National Director, TLL will work closely with cross-functional leaders from Marketing, Medical Affairs, Field Medical, Sales, Key Accounts, Market Access, Patient Access and the Renal Leadership Team to ensure alignment with overall strategy and tactical execution of Brand goals. The attributes that are critical for success include leadership, strategic thinking, coaching, strong collaboration, communication, and the ability to execute key initiatives and provide timely feedback. They will report to the Sr. Director of Scientific Communications and TLLs. 

This position is Remote. Travel is expected up to 75% of the time based on business needs.

Job Description:

1) KOL Engagement Strategy & Advocacy:

• Drive pre-launch commercial engagement with KOL community
• Identify and profiling KOLs within the Renal Rare Disease community  
• Engage with KOLs on various disease state education topics
• Ensure strong commercial relationships with KOLs
• Nurture and grow KOL relationships
• Engage with KOLs on various disease state and product related topics
• Collaborate and coordinate closely with field sales and marketing to identify partnering opportunities with KOLs
• Proactively seek out and cultivate relationships with new KOLs who can help to expand the reach of education related to Renal Rare Disease
• Assess and move levels of advocacy amongst KOL customer base

2) Speaker Bureau

• Work with field partners to identify and vet qualified promotional speakers that align with overall needs of the brand. Develop and refine criteria for selecting promotional speakers to ensure they are effective brand advocates
• Coordinate and execute speaker bureau training and coaching, continuously assessing opportunities to improve the clarity and impact of communications

3) Congresses

• Collaborate with brand marketing to develop a comprehensive Congress Strategy that aligns and supports key strategic imperatives
• Plan and execute KOL engagements, advocacy engagements, and senior executive encounters at local, regional and national conferences, POAs in field engagements, and other venues as directed
• Present at conferences and identify sponsorship opportunities when appropriate
• Manage sponsorship budget in conjunction with brand marketing and field sales

4) Insight Gathering

• Actively collect, analyze, and synthesize information on KOL sentiments, competitor activities, and broader market trends from diverse sources (1:1 meetings, advisory boards, congresses). Continuously monitor the competitive landscape and identify emerging trends to inform strategic planning and decision-making
• Leverage insights to implement regional cross-functional account strategy and KOL engagement plan in partnership with the brand team and field partners (MSLs and sales representatives)
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the healthcare landscape, including key accounts, stakeholders, and influencers to inform targeted engagement strategies

5) Local Market Plans

• Ensure strong partnerships with key ecosystem partners and support both the development and execution of local business plans
• Collaborate with field sales and medical teams to plan and execute KOL engagements and executive encounters at local, regional and national conferences, POAs, in field engagements, and other venues in a complaint manner

6) Brand Marketing

• Work with targeted KOLs to obtain feedback on disease and brand-related marketing s