Sr. Director, General Manager and Strategic Alliance Lead, International Partners

Who we are:

Agios is a biopharmaceutical company that is fueled by connections. We thrive in a supportive, fun, and flexible environment full of people empowered to bring their whole selves to work. We care deeply about our work, each other, and the patients who count on us. Our teams cultivate strong bonds with patient communities, healthcare professionals, partners and colleagues, which helps us discover, develop and deliver therapies for rare diseases – and make a bigger difference in their lives. In the U.S., Agios markets a first-in-class pyruvate kinase (PK) activator for the treatment of hemolytic anemia in adults with PK deficiency. Building on the company’s leadership in the field of cellular metabolism, Agios is advancing a robust clinical pipeline of investigational medicines with active and planned programs in alpha- and beta-thalassemia, sickle cell disease, pediatric PK deficiency and MDS-associated anemia.

The Impact you will make:

Agios Pharmaceuticals is searching for a dynamic Senior Director, General Manager and Strategic Alliance Lead, International Partner Markets to join the Global Commercial Strategy, Access and International Business Team. This is a very exciting time to join our team, as Pyrukynd is preparing to launch in thalassemia on the back of transformative Ph III data, while awaiting an additional Ph III read-out in Sickle Cell Disease. While Agios has a commercial team in the US, Agios is rapidly planning for launch in the Gulf and Europe as the first step in establishing a commercial presence outside the US. The General Manager and Strategic Alliance Lead, International Partner Markets will be accountable for the commercial performance, overall business execution, operating model, P&L, and overall alliance with a commercialization distribution partner in the Gulf and 1 in major European markets. Our distribution partner in the Gulf is Newbridge; we signed a distribution agreement with Newbridge in Q3 ’24. This role represents an opportunity for an individual with deep international commercial experience to lead Agios’ first expansion outside of the US in rare disease – shaping how Agios can maximize reaching patients outside the US. This individual reports to the VP, Global Commercial Strategy, Access and International Business.

What you will do:

• Own the overall performance – P&L – in partner markets, with an initial focus on 2 partners in the Gulf and major European markets. There is opportunity for expansion into additional markets
• Serve as the strategic alliance lead for each partnership, organizing every Joint Steering Committee, Quarterly Business Review, and ongoing functional collaboration; meet with partners near daily. Drive a transparent, collaborative, and connected culture with our partners
• Oversee the local adaption of Pyrukynd global strategy and tactics locally, with partner – often joining critical meetings with partner, KOLs, local reimbursement meetings, etc.
• Cultivate and build cross functional relationships, including partnering closely with the Global Commercial Leads across the Pyrukynd Business to incorporate broader global strategy into local execution with partners
• Contribute to the overall ex-US expansion strategy for Agios, partnering across a wide breadth of functions
• Define Agios’ brand presence and performance outside the US in partner markets – attending conferences, meeting with KOLs, partnering with Agios advocacy in advocacy, etc.

What you bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or science related field; MBA or PhD a plus
• At least 15 years experience in pharma / biotech
• Deep commercial experience including sales and marketing and success of delivering on regulatory, access and commercial timelines and objectives.
• Deep international commercial experience – particularly in EU5 and Gulf
• Experience leading commercial with an alliance partner; prior experience managing a distribution partner a plus. Prior experience in strategic alliances a plus
• Strong commercial understanding of rare diseases, including rare blood indications and experience in commercial strategy development
• Solid understanding of healthcare ecosystem including unique commercial challenges
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, s/he will be able to gain credibility, engender trust and influence all levels.
• Agility to search and respond to drivers of changes, challenge the status quo, turn data into insights, insights into actions, mobilize resources, and learn with an open mind
• Accountability to make timely decisions with well-balanced analysis and intuition, drive execution excellence, strong project management skills
• Ability to thrive in a cross-functional, highly collaborative, and fast-paced environment. Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with peers

Travel Requirements:

• This role will require extensive travel – generally between 2-4 weeks per month. Travel will be required to meet with partners in Europe and the Gulf, meet with local KOLs, Agios MSLs, and partners. Occasional travel will be required to join local HTA meetings, and visit Agios headquarters in Boston, USA for major internal meetings.

Work Location:

• Switzerland/Remote: Work location for this role is remote within Switzerland. Remote employees work entirely from home except for attending Company sponsored events and meetings, and for work related travel as described above.

What we will give you:

• Deliberate Development. Your professional growth as one of our top priorities.
• Flexibility. We’re all about individual needs. We embrace different perspectives, work styles, health and wellness approaches, care of families and productivity. When you’re at your best, we’re at our best.
• Premium benefits package. We invest in the health, wellbeing and security of our people with a premium benefits package that is well-rounded and flexible to help meet the varied personal and professional needs of every member of our team.
• Competitive performance-based compensation. This includes both short- and long-term incentives that are connected to our business strategy.
• Psychological safety. We support an environment of fearlessness. We want you to share your ideas, speak candidly and take data-informed risks to help push the boundaries.
• Commitment to diversity. We strive to foster a welcoming workplace where everyone can thrive. We’re continuously looking to improve the inclusivity of our workforce.
• Commitment to community. We’re an active participant in the communities that surround us – the communities where we live, and the community of people and their loved ones in need of better treatment options for conditions that are often overlooked.

Interested in learning more about what makes our culture unique? Visit the Inside Agios section of our website.