[Hiring] Area Manager @Sandoz

Role Description

Lead one of ten areas that together cover the entire country within the newly created Biosimilar Department in Japan, with responsibility for ten MRs in the assigned area. Translate the Biosimilar Department strategy into disciplined regional field execution, strengthen sales capabilities and customer engagement, and deliver sustainable business growth. From January 2027, this role reports to the Sales Director and provides strategic leadership to ten MRs and the field organization within the assigned region.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Lead one of ten areas that together cover the entire country, with responsibility for ten MRs within the assigned area. Set clear priorities, performance expectations and execution standards aligned with the Biosimilar Department strategy.
• Translate business, portfolio and launch priorities into an effective sales plan for the assigned area. Ensure consistent execution through ten MRs while allowing appropriate adaptation to customer, account and local market needs.
• Own sales performance management for the assigned area and ten MRs, using sales results, customer insights, activity data and market information to identify opportunities and risks, allocate resources and drive timely corrective actions.
• Build strong field leadership and sales capabilities by coaching and developing MRs, strengthening succession and talent pipelines, and partnering with Sales Training and Commercial Excellence on capability development.
• Drive customer-centric execution across priority hospitals, institutions and accounts. Strengthen account planning, stakeholder engagement and cross-area collaboration in partnership with Marketing, Medical, Commercial Excellence and other relevant functions.
• Lead sales force readiness for new launches and lifecycle priorities, ensuring clear field strategy, customer targeting, resource deployment, training readiness and effective execution in line with applicable policies and regulations.
• Partner closely with Marketing, Medical, Commercial Excellence, Wholesaler, Supply, Finance, P&O, Legal/Compliance and Global/Regional teams to resolve business issues and ensure aligned commercial execution. Champion appropriate, compliant information provision and escalation of customer and supply-related issues.
• Lead the sales organization through the transition from the former Hospital Sales model to the new Biosimilar Department structure, establishing clear accountability, effective ways of working and an inclusive, performance-oriented culture.
• KPIs include achievement of sales and business objectives for the assigned area, execution quality across ten MRs, regional market performance, launch readiness, customer coverage and engagement, sales force productivity, forecast and resource discipline, and development of MRs and field capabilities.

Qualifications

• Significant pharmaceutical sales and sales leadership experience in Japan, with demonstrated accountability for performance across multiple teams, areas or regions.
• Proven people leadership experience and building high-performing field organizations.
• Strong understanding of hospital and institutional markets, customer decision-making, account management and pharmaceutical field execution in Japan.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business and portfolio strategy into sales plans, targeting, resource deployment, performance management and measurable business outcomes.
• Strong analytical and business judgment, with the ability to use sales, customer and market data to prioritize opportunities, manage resources and make timely decisions.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and collaborate effectively with Marketing, Medical, Commercial Excellence, Wholesaler/Supply and other cross-functional partners.
• Japanese: native level. English: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

Requirements

• Experience in biosimilars, biologics, specialty care or hospital-focused products in Japan.
• Experience managing a geographically dispersed regional sales organization with multiple areas and leading organizational transformation.

Benefits

• Headquarters-based Employee. Remote work is permitted.
• Performance-based bonus (Short-Term Incentive) paid twice in March/September.
• Commuting expenses and housing allowance provided.
• Frequent domestic business travel is required to lead the area within the assigned area and engage with customers.