📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Specialty Account Specialist - Charleston, SC or Columbia, SC
🔹 Company: GSK
🔹 Location: Charleston, SC or Columbia, SC
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time
🔹 Category: Pharmaceutical Sales
🔹 Date Posted: 2025-05-27
🔹 Experience Level: 5+ years (or 12+ years for Senior role)
🔹 Remote Status: On-site (with up to 30% overnight travel)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Providing scientific knowledge and customer engagement expertise to specialist customers
- Developing strategies to generate sales and grow market share
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Payer Relations, Medical, and other internal stakeholders
- Managing allocated resources and maintaining strong customer relationships
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of scientific and product knowledge, as well as strong sales and customer engagement skills. It is expected that the successful candidate will have significant experience in pharmaceutical or medical device sales, with a preference for those with specialty product experience.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Provide Scientific Knowledge, Business Acumen, and Customer Engagement expertise to specialist customers in support of a GSK biologic product.
✅ Understand the reimbursement/distribution landscape for specialist customers and identify appropriate resources to refer customers to for reimbursement and distribution choices, always working within GSK guidelines and values.
✅ Maintain knowledge and data about severe asthma therapeutic expertise.
✅ Provide product educational programs/in-services to customers.
✅ Work within Compliance guidelines and GSK values always.
✅ Develop strategies and tactics to generate sales.
✅ Develop and implement strategies specific to each customer within an account.
✅ Develop and maintain strong working relationships with Marketing, Payer Relations Managers (Market Access), Medical (MSLs), and other functions within GSK.
✅ Effectively manage allocated resources (i.e., financial).
✅ Provide outstanding customer service by responding to customers' requests, inquiries, and needs.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of customer engagement, sales strategy development, and cross-functional collaboration. The successful candidate will be able to build strong customer relationships and effectively manage resources to drive sales growth.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree
Experience: 5+ years of pharmaceutical/medical device experience (or 12+ years for Senior role)
Required Skills:
- Proven sales experience in the pharmaceutical or medical device industry
- Strong scientific and product knowledge
- Excellent customer engagement and relationship-building skills
- Ability to travel domestically up to 30% (including overnight travel)
- Valid driver’s license
Preferred Skills:
- Specialty Products that utilize the Buy & Bill or Specialty pharmacy modes of distribution
- Expertise in working with Payer Reimbursement Managers
- Biologic/Rare Disease/Respiratory Sales experience
ASSUMPTION: The required and preferred qualifications listed above are essential for success in this role. Candidates should have a strong background in pharmaceutical or medical device sales, with a preference for those with specialty product experience.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $144,000 - $240,000 per year (based on experience level)
Benefits:
- Health Care and other insurance benefits
- Retirement benefits
- Paid holidays, vacation, and caregiver/parental/medical leave
Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week)
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for this role and experience level. The benefits listed are typical for a company of GSK's size and industry.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Company Size: 10,001+ employees
Founded: 1886 (as GlaxoSmithKline plc)
Company Description:
- GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together.
- The company focuses on preventing and treating disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines.
- GSK invests in four core therapeutic areas: Infectious Diseases, HIV, Respiratory, and Immunology and Oncology.
Company Specialties:
- Pharmaceutical products and Vaccines
Company Website: www.gsk.com
ASSUMPTION: GSK is a large, global pharmaceutical company with a strong focus on research and development. The company's size and global presence offer opportunities for career growth and development.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid-level to Senior (depending on experience)
Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Sales Manager.
Work Arrangement: On-site with up to 30% overnight travel
Growth Opportunities:
- Proven performers may have the opportunity to advance to senior roles or take on additional responsibilities.
- GSK offers various training and development programs to help employees grow professionally.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers opportunities for career growth and development within GSK's sales organization. The company's size and global presence provide ample opportunities for high-performing employees.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: On-site (with up to 30% overnight travel)
Office Location(s): Charleston, SC or Columbia, SC
Geographic Context:
- Charleston, SC: A coastal city with a population of approximately 135,000, known for its historic architecture and rich cultural scene.
- Columbia, SC: The state capital and largest city in South Carolina, with a population of approximately 135,000, offering a mix of urban and suburban living.
Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week), with flexible hours to accommodate travel and customer needs
ASSUMPTION: The on-site work arrangement with up to 30% overnight travel requires candidates to be comfortable with frequent travel and flexible work hours. The location in Charleston or Columbia, SC offers a mix of urban and suburban living with a rich cultural scene and historic architecture.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
- On-site or virtual interview with the sales manager and/or other team members
- Final interview with the director or vice president of sales
Key Assessment Areas:
- Sales skills and experience
- Scientific and product knowledge
- Customer engagement and relationship-building skills
- Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams
Application Tips:
- Highlight relevant sales experience and achievements in your resume, with a focus on specialty product experience if applicable.
- Tailor your cover letter to demonstrate your understanding of the role and how your skills and experience make you a strong fit.
- Prepare for behavioral interview questions that focus on your sales experience, customer engagement skills, and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
ATS Keywords: Specialty Account Specialist, Pharmaceutical Sales, Medical Device Sales, Biologic Products, Reimbursement, Distribution, Customer Engagement, Sales Strategy, Cross-Functional Teams
ASSUMPTION: The interview process for this role is likely to be competitive, with a focus on assessing sales skills, scientific and product knowledge, and customer engagement skills. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their relevant experience and achievements in these areas.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- CRM software (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce)
- Sales enablement platforms (e.g., Showpad, Seismic)
- Product training and education platforms (e.g., GSK's internal learning management system)
ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies required for this role are typical for a pharmaceutical sales position. Candidates should be comfortable using CRM software, sales enablement platforms, and product training and education platforms.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Patient focus
- Integrity
- Respect
- Transparency
- Bold ambition
Work Style:
- Collaborative and cross-functional
- Data-driven and analytical
- Innovative and forward-thinking
- Results-oriented
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you have a strong customer focus and a passion for helping patients?
- Are you comfortable working in a collaborative, cross-functional environment?
- Do you have a bold, innovative approach to sales and customer engagement?
ASSUMPTION: GSK values a strong customer focus, integrity, respect, transparency, and bold ambition. The company's work style is collaborative, data-driven, innovative, and results-oriented. Candidates should assess their fit with these values and work style preferences before applying.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- The role requires frequent travel and flexible work hours, which may be challenging for candidates with significant personal or family commitments.
- The role may involve working with complex reimbursement and distribution landscapes, requiring strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
- The role may require working with customers who have specialized medical needs, requiring strong empathy and cultural competency.
- The role may require working in a competitive sales environment, requiring strong sales skills and a high level of resilience.
ASSUMPTION: The potential challenges listed above are common to pharmaceutical sales roles. Candidates should assess their fit with these challenges before applying.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is similar to other specialty account specialist roles in the pharmaceutical industry, but with a focus on biologic products and severe asthma therapeutic expertise.
- Compared to other pharmaceutical sales roles, this role requires a higher level of scientific and product knowledge, as well as a strong understanding of the reimbursement and distribution landscape for specialist customers.
- Career paths for this role may include advancing to senior roles within GSK's sales organization or transitioning to other roles within the company, such as medical science liaison (MSL) or market access roles.
ASSUMPTION: This role is similar to other specialty account specialist roles in the pharmaceutical industry, but with a unique focus on biologic products and severe asthma therapeutic expertise. Candidates should assess their fit with this role compared to other similar roles in the industry.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing a sales strategy for a new biologic product launch in the severe asthma therapeutic area
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to create and deliver product educational programs for specialist customers
- Analyzing reimbursement and distribution data to identify trends and opportunities for improving customer access to GSK's biologic products
ASSUMPTION: The sample projects listed above are typical for a specialty account specialist role in the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on biologic products and severe asthma therapeutic expertise.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the most challenging sales situation you've faced in a previous role, and how you overcame it?
- How do you stay up-to-date with the latest scientific and product knowledge in the severe asthma therapeutic area?
- Can you describe a time when you had to work collaboratively with a cross-functional team to achieve a sales goal?
- How do you approach working with customers who have specialized medical needs, and how do you ensure that you are providing culturally competent care?
- What strategies do you use to build strong, long-lasting relationships with customers?
ASSUMPTION: The key questions listed above are designed to assess the candidate's sales skills, scientific and product knowledge, customer engagement skills, and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams. Candidates should prepare thoughtful responses to these questions before the interview.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume to highlight relevant sales experience and achievements, with a focus on specialty product experience if applicable.
- Write a cover letter that demonstrates your understanding of the role and how your skills and experience make you a strong fit.
- Prepare for behavioral interview questions that focus on your sales experience, customer engagement skills, and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to inquire about the status of your application.
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
