The Sales & Marketing Director will Lead & accelerate sustainable growth by leading the Marketing function and delivering in order to drive sales strategies for the promoted product portfolio across all managed and partner geographies. The role is accountable for translating market insight into decisive commercial action, delivering profitable revenue growth, scaling to drive long-term business impact while expanding patient access to high-quality, essential medicines that improve health outcomes.
In addition to developing and delivering marketing and sales strategies, it is expected that the Sales and Marketing Director will play an active role in supporting and coaching the sales and marketing teams, working directly with customers and partners where needed to drive results
If you are keen to join a patient centric, high-growth company, then read on and apply today!
What You Will Do
- Integrated commercial leadership: Leadership role across the Sales and Marketing organisation with clear accountability for growth, execution quality, results & patient impact.
- Growth strategy: Define and execute growth strategies across the portfolio, identifying and prioritising key growth levers including launches, lifecycle opportunities, customer segmentation, and market expansion, with a clear focus on improving patient access and continuity of care.
- Market analysis and insight: Own market intelligence and customer insight generation, translating data into clear strategic choices, differentiated value propositions, and focused execution plans.
- Market focus and portfolio management: Specify and direct the market planning process to optimise portfolio performance, sharpen prioritisation, and maximise long‑term value while ensuring patients benefit from reliable access to essential therapies.
- Sales performance: Set ambitious growth targets, monitor KPIs, and drive performance through active follow‑up, clear accountability, and timely corrective action.
- Marketing leadership: Lead marketing strategy and execution, ensuring strong linkage between brand strategy, customer insight, and field activity to drive demand and share growth.
- Cross‑functional leadership: Build, lead, and develop high‑performing cross‑functional teams across sales, marketing, and medical, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Stakeholder engagement: Define and lead market development strategies, building and expanding relationships with healthcare professionals, key opinion leaders, and patient advocacy groups in close partnership with medical.
- Budget oversight: Own sales and marketing budgets with a growth‑investment mindset, ensuring disciplined resource allocation and clear return on investment.
- Compliance: Ensure all sales and marketing activities are conducted in full compliance with pharmaceutical regulations and ethical standards, placing patient safety and trust at the centre of all decisions.
- Business development: Participate as required in business development activities, including evaluation, due diligence, and commercial integration of new products or assets.
What We Do
Essential Pharma is a global pharmaceutical company working to make a difference for patients in niche populations.
Everything at Essential Pharma is driven by the fact that every patient matters. We are focussed on developing and delivering medicines for patients in small, underserved or rare disease populations. Our team of 70+ people has an entrepreneurial spirit, challenging convention and working creatively to deliver results. Our headquarters are in Surrey, UK, and we have offices in Malta, France, Spain and Switzerland.
We are an international business, with a growing product portfolio that reaches patients in approximately 70 countries. We cover multiple therapy areas with a particular focus on rare disease, CNS, ophthalmology and gastroenterology. Our first development‑stage asset is an anti‑GD2 antibody for the treatment of high‑risk neuroblastoma. We have a proven track record of acquiring, investing in and commercialising treatments.
What You Will Bring
Qualifications
- Experience leading launches, relaunches, or market expansions
- Exposure to omnichannel and digitally enabled commercial models including AI tools
Experience
- 8–10 years’ experience across pharmaceutical sales and marketing.
- 3–5 years in a senior leadership role with direct commercial accountability.
- Demonstrated track record of driving growth through integrated sales and marketing execution.
- Strong commercial and growth mindset with a bias for action
- Proven leadership and people development capability
- Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills
- Deep understanding of pharmaceutical markets and regulatory environments
- Strong analytical skills and comfort using data, CRM, and performance tools
Core Competencies
- Strong growth mindset with a bias for execution and results
- Clear commitment to patient impact and access to essential medicines
- Agile thinker able to operate in fast‑changing and ambiguous environments
- Problem solver who can work through complex commercial challenges
- Demonstrates integrity and consistently high ethical standards
- Proven ability to work effectively across functions and lead through influence
- Results‑oriented and accountable for outcomes
- Ability to present, engage, and inspire internal and external stakeholders
- Strong people leadership
What We Offer
- We understand that productivity requires balance, so we offer office‑based contracts and allow flexibility on locations of work when required and appropriate. This can be different for each department so please have that conversation at interview
- £150 towards your home office
- Pension – you contribute 5% and we offer 5%.
- Life Insurance – lump sum (tax free) death benefit of 4 x basic salary.
- Enhanced family leave
- 25 days annual leave
- Discretionary annual performance bonus
What To Expect
- At Essential Pharma, every colleague matters: we want every member of the team to thrive and grow during their time with us
- Right from the interview stage, we encourage candidates to ask us questions, voice opinions and be curious
- This is a dynamic, fast‑paced working environment. We expect individuals to be responsible and accountable, while understanding the importance of collaborating with colleagues to fuel success
- We pride ourselves on our inclusive culture, based on the belief that everyone brings unique strengths and perspectives
- We have an unwavering dedication to employee growth and development
