Associate Director, Commercial Operations

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Zydus Therapeutics Inc (ZTI) is a clinical stage, specialty-focused bio-pharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative treatments to transform lives, starting with rare and serious liver diseases. Our purpose is simple, to empower people with the freedom to live healthier and more fulfilling lives, by unlocking new possibilities in life sciences and providing quality healthcare solutions.

Our lead drug candidate, saroglitazar, is a dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha / gamma agonist. Saroglitazar is an investigational treatment which has received Fast Track designation, orphan drug designation and priority review designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Primary Biliary Cholangitis is a rare, chronic autoimmune liver disease primarily affecting middle-aged women, characterized by the progressive destruction of the bile ducts that can lead to irreversible liver damage if left untreated.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Zydus Lifesciences, our pipeline is fueled by 1,300 researchers who are working with cutting-edge technologies to discover new medicines for tomorrow. 

The opportunity to empower people with the freedom to live healthier and more fulfilling lives is what makes a career with Zydus Therapeutics so rewarding. Our team is collaborative, innovative and adaptable. We are action-oriented and strive for excellence in all we do, all underpinned by respect, trust and integrity. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and support programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives

If you are passionate about helping bring potential life-changing discoveries to patients, then you share our mission.

ROLE SUMMARY

Zydus Therapeutics is building the commercial engine for the anticipated US launch of saroglitazar for the treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC). There are additional indications that Zydus Therapeutics is exploring for Saroglitazar through its clinical trial program.  We are seeking a highly motivated and execution-oriented Associate Director, Commercial Operations to play a critical leadership role in preparing the organization for the anticipated commercial launch of saroglitazar. Reporting to the Executive Director, Data Analytics & Operations, this individual will be responsible for leading the design, standing up the systems, processes, field infrastructure and ongoing management of commercial operations capabilities that enable effective execution of the launch strategy and future commercial growth.

The Associate Director will serve as a key business partner across Sales, Marketing, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Patient Services, Finance, Compliance, and Information Technology to establish and optimize critical commercial processes, systems, data workflows, field force effectiveness programs, incentive compensation administration, performance reporting, territory alignment, targeting, customer relationship management (CRM), and operational readiness initiatives.

This role requires a strategic thinker with strong operational expertise who can build scalable commercial infrastructure in a lean, pre-commercial environment while balancing long-term capability development with near-term launch execution. The successful candidate will combine analytical rigor, project management excellence, agility, and cross-functional collaboration skills to ensure operational readiness and commercial success.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Commercial Launch Readiness, Operational Planning & Infrastructure

• Own      & lead commercial operations planning and execution activities      supporting launch readiness for Saroglitazar and preparing for future      indication and other product launches.
• Develop,      own and maintain integrated commercial readiness plans, milestones, cross-functional      dependencies and governance processes.
• Partner      with cross-functional stakeholders to identify operational requirements,      identify potential risks/issues, and mitigate launch risks proactively.
• Establish      key business processes, standard operating procedures, and governance      frameworks supporting commercialization activities.
• Coordinate      launch planning activities across Sales, Marketing, Market Access, Patient      Services, and Medical Affairs.

Sales Operations & Field Force Effectiveness

• Design      and manage field force operational processes, tools, and performance      measurement frameworks.
• Lead and      drive territory design, alignment optimization, customer targeting, and      call planning initiatives.
• Develop      and manage field reporting solutions, KPI dashboards, and performance      analytics that shape field execution
• Partner      with Field Leadership to support deployment planning, resource allocation and      account structure decisions.
• Maintain      and optimize business rules, account hierarchies, and territory structures      to ensure clean and effective field operations.

Incentive Compensation & Performance Management

• Own and work      with vendor to lead incentive compensation strategy, plan the design and      outcomes in partnership with sales leadership and finance, and lead vendor      management activities.
• Own and      manage the work with vendor to develop performance measurement      methodologies aligned with organizational objectives.
• Work      with vendor to manage incentive compensation calculations, validations,      reporting, and communication processes.
• Collaborate      with Finance and Sales Leadership to ensure incentive plans drive desired      commercial behaviors and performance outcomes.
• Monitor      performance trends and recommend enhancements to incentive compensation      effectiveness.

CRM & Commercial Systems Management

• Serve as      business lead for CRM and commercial technology platforms including Veeva      CRM, SalesForce omnichannel, and other customer engagement solutions.
• Lead and      oversee user requirements, system enhancements, testing, training, and      deployment activities.
• Ensure      CRM data integrity, adoption, and alignment with commercial business      objectives.
• Partner      with IT and external vendors to optimize commercial technology      capabilities.
• Support      omnichannel engagement and customer interaction tracking initiatives.

Data Analytics & Business Insights Partnership

• Collaborate      with Data Analytics and Insights team as well as cross-functional      stakeholders to define business requirements for reporting and analytics.
• Translate      business needs into actionable operational metrics, dashboards, and      reporting solutions.
• Support      business reviews through development and presentation of commercial      performance insights.
• Monitor      sales force effectiveness metrics and recommend actions to improve      execution.
• Partner      with forecasting, market access, and marketing teams to support strategic      decision-making.

Vendor & Project Management

• Manage and      leverage commercial operations vendors, consultants, and outsourced      partners (i.e., systems integrators, agencies, and specialized      vendor partners).
• Lead      implementation of critical commercial systems, processes, and operational      initiatives.
• Ensure      project deliverables, timelines, budgets, and performance objectives are      achieved.
• Support      vendor selection, contracting, governance, and ongoing performance      management.
• Coordinate      multiple concurrent projects while maintaining high levels of quality and      stakeholder satisfaction.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as      a trusted operational advisor to Business Leadership and cross-functional      stakeholders.
• Foster      collaboration across Business Insights & Operations, Sales, Marketing,      Market Access, Medical Affairs, Finance, Compliance, and IT.
• Support      annual planning processes, launch readiness reviews, and executive      leadership updates.
• Drive      continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness      and organizational agility.
• Represent      Commercial Operations in governance meetings and strategic planning      forums.

Bachelor's degree required in Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, Analytics, Life Sciences, or related field.

· MBA or other advanced degree preferred.

· Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or specialty healthcare commercial operations, sales operations, business operations, or related functions.

· Prior experience supporting commercial launch preparation and execution strongly preferred.

· Demonstrated knowledge of pharmaceutical commercialization processes, specialty product launches, and field force operations.

· Experience managing CRM platforms, preferably Veeva CRM and associated commercial systems (i.e., Snowflake, SalesForce, Power BI).

· Practical command of customer segmentation, territory alignment, targeting, incentive compensation, sales reporting, and field force effectiveness methodologies.

· Experience working with pharmaceutical data assets and commercial reporting solutions.

· Proven ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders without direct authority.

· Strong project management and vendor management capabilities.

· Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, CRM systems, and business intelligence/reporting tools.

· Excellent analytical, communication, presentation, and organizational skills.

· Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, pre-commercial environment.

· Demonstrated leadership presence, accountability, and commitment to operational excellence.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

The position will require domestic travel (up to 20%), including periodic field engagements, national sales meetings, launch planning workshops, vendor meetings, and cross-functional business reviews.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a hybrid/office-based position, located in our Pennington, NJ office.

Zydus Therapeutics provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Zydus Therapeutics is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with Zydus Therapeutics, please contact us and let us know the nature of your request.