Director, Marketing Excellence

- Job Title: Director, Marketing Excellence - Company: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. - Location: Remote - Job Type: Full-Time - Category: Pharmaceuticals - Date Posted: May 15, 2025 - Experience Level: 10+ years 🚀 Job Overview Key aspects of this role include: - Developing and implementing a marketing excellence strategy across the CNS portfolio. - Defining and implementing marketing competencies for the future. - Collaborating with senior CNS BU and Brand leadership, Market Access, and Commercial Operations. - Leveraging deep subject-matter expertise in marketing, brand planning, launch, and leadership. ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic mindset, strong leadership skills, and a deep understanding of marketing best practices and adult learning principles. 📋 Key Responsibilities ✅ Marketing Competencies and Learning Programs: - Identify core marketing competencies needed for the future. - Develop and implement structured learning programs for all marketers and key BU personnel. ✅ Strategic Brand Planning: - Develop a consistent CNS BU approach to strategic brand planning across functions. - Provide frameworks, tools, and guidance to brand teams to facilitate the annual brand planning process. ✅ Capability Building: - Develop a 2-3 year roadmap to build marketing engagement capabilities needed to address changing customer needs, technology shifts, and the evolving product portfolio. ✅ Marketing Standards: - Establish and refine marketing best practices, tools, and frameworks to improve planning, program execution, and operational efficiency. ✅ Cross-Functional Collaboration: - Work with commercial operations, medical, market access, finance, legal, compliance, and COE teams to ensure marketing approaches and processes align with organizational goals and industry best practices. ✅ Talent Development & Career Pathing: - Lead effort to build a marketing career development program by defining functional competencies, career paths, business acumen, and mentorship programs in collaboration with HR and senior BU leadership. ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high degree of collaboration and influence, requiring strong communication and stakeholder management skills. 🎯 Required Qualifications Education: - Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field; MBA preferred. Experience: - 8+ years of experience in marketing, sales, operations, and/or learning and capability development in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare industry. - 3-5+ years in brand marketing role(s) as an HCP and/or Consumer lead, highly preferred. Required Skills: - Deep subject matter expertise in marketing best practices, core technical marketing competencies, brand planning and tactical execution, and omnichannel engagement. - Strong knowledge of marketing analytics and insights generation practices, including promotional mix optimization. - Experience developing and delivering marketing development, learning, and training programs. - Project management and process improvement expertise. - Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and drive change across teams. - Proven ability to work in a matrixed environment, managing multiple stakeholders. Preferred Skills: - Experience working in a remote or hybrid work environment. - Familiarity with Otsuka's products and portfolio. ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in the pharmaceutical industry and a strong understanding of marketing best practices will be most successful in this role. 💰 Compensation & Benefits Salary Range: $183,335 - $274,160 per year, plus incentive opportunity. Benefits: - Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage. - Company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance. - Tuition reimbursement and student loan assistance. - Generous 401(k) match. - Flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs. Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week. ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for similar roles in the pharmaceutical industry. Actual compensation may vary based on experience and other factors. 📌 Applicant Insights 🔍 Company Context Industry: Otsuka operates in the competitive and dynamic pharmaceutical industry, focusing on neuroscience and other therapeutic areas. Company Size: Otsuka is a mid-sized company with approximately 1,000-5,000 employees, providing a structured yet agile work environment. Founded: Otsuka was founded in 1964 and has since grown into a global pharmaceutical company with a strong presence in the United States. Company Description: - Otsuka is a privately-held company with a focus on creating new products for better health worldwide. - The company successfully commercializes Otsuka-discovered and in-licensed products in North America through Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI). - Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) clinically develops and registers innovative healthcare products on a global basis. Company Specialties: - Neuroscience - Innovative healthcare products - Global clinical development and registration Company Website: http://www.otsuka-us.com ASSUMPTION: Otsuka's focus on innovation and global impact provides opportunities for growth and development within the company. 📊 Role Analysis Career Level: This role is at the senior management level, requiring strategic thinking, leadership, and expertise in marketing. Reporting Structure: The Director, Marketing Excellence will report directly to the Senior Vice President, Marketing and will collaborate closely with senior CNS BU and Brand leadership, Market Access, and Commercial Operations. Work Arrangement: This role is remote, with the expectation of regular collaboration with team members and stakeholders across various time zones. Growth Opportunities: - Opportunities to shape the future of marketing capabilities within Otsuka's CNS business unit. - Potential to expand influence and impact across the broader organization. - Exposure to a wide range of therapeutic areas and products. ASSUMPTION: Success in this role will require a strong strategic mindset, excellent communication skills, and the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. 🌍 Location & Work Environment Office Type: Remote work environment with occasional in-person meetings and team gatherings. Office Location(s): The primary office location is in Princeton, NJ, with the option to work remotely from anywhere in the United States. Geographic Context: Otsuka's remote work environment allows for flexibility and the ability to work from various locations across the United States. Work Schedule: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week, with flexible hours and the ability to work independently. ASSUMPTION: The remote work environment requires strong self-motivation, time management skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with team members and stakeholders across various time zones. 💼 Interview & Application Insights Typical Process: 1. Online application submission. 2. Phone or video screen with the HR team. 3. In-depth behavioral and technical interviews with marketing leadership and key stakeholders. 4. Final interview with the Senior Vice President, Marketing. Key Assessment Areas: - Marketing expertise and strategic thinking. - Leadership and collaboration skills. - Ability to work effectively in a remote environment. - Alignment with Otsuka's company values and culture. Application Tips: - Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant marketing experience and accomplishments. - Be prepared to discuss your experience with marketing best practices, brand planning, and capability building. - Familiarize yourself with Otsuka's products and portfolio to demonstrate your interest and understanding of the company. ATS Keywords: Marketing excellence, strategic brand planning, capability building, marketing competencies, learning programs, cross-functional collaboration, talent development, career pathing. ASSUMPTION: Otsuka's interview process is designed to assess candidates' marketing expertise, leadership skills, and cultural fit within the organization. 🛠️ Tools & Technologies - Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) - Marketing automation and analytics tools (e.g., Salesforce, Tableau, Google Analytics) - Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, JIRA) ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with industry-standard marketing tools and technologies is expected for this role. 👔 Cultural Fit Considerations Company Values: - Patient-centricity: Putting patients first in all aspects of our work. - Integrity: Upholding the highest ethical standards in all our actions. - Collaboration: Working together to achieve common goals. - Innovation: Pursuing new ideas and approaches to drive progress. - Accountability: Taking responsibility for our actions and delivering on our commitments. Work Style: - Results-driven: Focused on achieving outcomes and delivering value. - Adaptable: Embracing change and responding to new challenges. - Collaborative: Working effectively with team members and stakeholders across functions and time zones. - Strategic: Thinking long-term and considering the broader impact of our decisions. Self-Assessment Questions: - How do you demonstrate patient-centricity in your marketing approach? - Describe a time when you had to adapt to a significant change in your work environment or strategy. - How do you collaborate effectively with remote team members and stakeholders? ASSUMPTION: Candidates who align with Otsuka's company values and work style will be most successful in this role. ⚠️ Potential Challenges - Managing multiple stakeholders and competing priorities in a matrixed environment. - Balancing strategic thinking with tactical execution in a fast-paced and dynamic industry. - Building and maintaining effective working relationships with remote team members and stakeholders. ASSUMPTION: These challenges require strong communication, collaboration, and project management skills, as well as the ability to adapt to change and prioritize effectively. 📈 Similar Roles Comparison - Marketing Director (Pharmaceuticals): This role is similar to a Marketing Director position in the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on strategic brand planning and capability building. However, the Director, Marketing Excellence role is more focused on developing and implementing a marketing excellence strategy across a portfolio of brands, rather than managing a single brand or product. - Learning & Development Manager (Pharmaceuticals): While this role shares some similarities with a Learning & Development Manager position in the pharmaceutical industry, the Director, Marketing Excellence role places a greater emphasis on strategic marketing expertise and the ability to collaborate effectively with senior leadership and cross-functional teams. - Career Path: This role provides an opportunity to grow into a senior marketing leadership position within Otsuka's CNS business unit or to expand influence and impact across the broader organization. ASSUMPTION: Candidates should consider their long-term career goals and the opportunities for growth and development within Otsuka when evaluating this role. 📝 Sample Projects - Developing and implementing a marketing excellence strategy for a portfolio of CNS brands. - Facilitating annual brand planning processes and providing guidance to brand teams. - Building and delivering marketing learning programs to address key gaps in marketing competencies. - Collaborating with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to define a capability and learning roadmap for the CNS business unit. ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the strategic and collaborative nature of the Director, Marketing Excellence role and the opportunity to make a significant impact on Otsuka's CNS business unit. ❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview - How does this role fit into the broader marketing and commercial strategy for Otsuka's CNS business unit? - What are the key priorities for the first 90 days in this role? - How does Otsuka support the professional development and growth of its marketing team members? - What are the most significant challenges facing the CNS business unit, and how can this role address them? - How does Otsuka measure the success of its marketing efforts, and how can this role contribute to improving those metrics? ASSUMPTION: These questions demonstrate a strategic mindset and a strong interest in the role and the company. 📝 Next Steps for Applicants To apply for this position: - Submit your application through this link: https://vhr-otsuka.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Remote/Director--Marketing-Excellence_R9309 - Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant marketing experience and accomplishments. - Prepare for behavioral and technical interviews by reflecting on your experience with marketing best practices, brand planning, and capability building. - Familiarize yourself with Otsuka's products and portfolio to demonstrate your interest and understanding of the company. - Follow up with the HR team one week after submitting your application to confirm receipt and inquire about next steps. ⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.