Director, Commercial Italy / greece

Apellis is entering an exciting phase with its first product launch in ophthalmology, along with additional launches, including the first medicine for geographic atrophy in eye care. The company aims to build a comprehensive team and is hiring a strong commercial leader for its newly established Italy affiliate, working across Italy and Greece.

Reporting to the General Manager Italy / Greece, the Director of Commercial Italy / Greece will be a key member of the leadership team, responsible for leading the launch and commercialization of APL-2 in ophthalmology. This is a pre-commercialization role, offering the opportunity to build the commercial strategy and establish the Sales and Marketing functions from scratch, aligning with the affiliate's goals. This includes developing a fully integrated commercial plan and managing the transition from pre-marketing to launch, leading the sales and marketing organization. Strong strategic skills and practical knowledge of translating insights into strategy and execution are essential.

Managing the first commercial launch in Italy / Greece requires strong leadership and commercial acumen, with a competitive mindset focused on delivering an exceptional customer experience.

• Key Responsibilities include:
• Partnering with cross-functional teams to prepare for a best-in-class launch, ensuring accountability and alignment with Apellis' strategic direction and customer experience standards.
• Developing and executing cross-functional plans to achieve business goals, including maintaining and improving sales, profit, and market share in line with the company's long-term strategy.
• Introducing innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to bring this treatment to market.
• Building strategic relationships with key customers in the therapeutic area to support commercial activities within compliance guidelines.
• Monitoring business performance and ensuring management actions are taken to adhere to plans.
• Collaborating with cross-functional partners to align commercial strategy and brand uptake for both short and long-term success.
• Building a high-performing commercial team, fostering an inclusive environment that values integrity and diversity.
• Providing leadership to motivate and inspire marketing and sales teams towards excellence.
• Recruiting and developing key talent, retaining high performers, and cultivating a customer-focused, innovative culture.

Education, Registration & Certification

• Undergraduate degree in business, science, or related discipline required.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years of successful experience in marketing and sales roles at an affiliate or country level, with increasing scope and responsibility.
• Recent product launch experience in Italy / Greece is preferred and advantageous.
• Experience in commercial roles such as sales, market access, or business insights.
• Experience in building and leading pharmaceutical/biotech teams.
• Ophthalmology experience is a plus but not essential.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Deep understanding of strategy development and execution, with ability to measure impact.
• Proven success in managing field force and achieving sales forecasts.
• Ability to analyze trends and insights to identify opportunities or barriers and develop action plans.
• Innovative thinking and ability to implement novel approaches.
• High professionalism, maturity, and confidentiality.
• Excellent communication skills in Italian and English, with ability to collaborate across teams.