Commercial Operations Director

​Job purpose

• Lead and grow the Commercial Operations team impact by driving best-in-class performance via operational excellence, strong launch / in-market execution, financial performance in excess of set expectations, whilst delivering on-target sales performance & prudent cost management

• Lead the Commercial Operations team’s customer-facing team: drive their activity, execution and outcomes across all customer-facing arenas:

  • Commissioning interface with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)

  • Pharmacy Chain and Wholesaler partner interface

  • Tender and Contract Authorities

  • Export market Wholesaler partners & downstream customers

• Lead with bold ambition and entrepreneurial spirit to maximise patient access to the Napp portfolio in all arenas, in particular identifying new, compliant and sustainable opportunities with tendering and contracting stakeholders in the UK, and with export market partners

Responsibilities

• Lead the Commercial Operations team; reinforce company values and culture, maintain effective internal communications, drive teamwork and strong cross-functional collaboration, & be a constant source of positive energy to the organisation.

• Accountable for the recruitment, development and performance management of all within the Commercial Operations team ensuring that the team performs to a high standard and delivers its  objectives in full, on time

• Lead the team to success in the four main customer arenas by ensuring they identify & develop key strategic relationships for the business to obtain maximum patient access and commercial benefit for Napp:

  • Commissioning interface with ICBs

  • Pharmacy Chain interface

  • Tender & Contract authorities

  • Export market wholesaler groups and end-customers

• Set the priorities and execute the annual business plan, engagement plan and manage the operational budget for the Established Brands portfolio. Organise and align resources to deliver the plan and ensure the cross-functional matrix colleagues have clear operational direction and focus on their priorities. Design appropriate performance metrics and communicate via timely reporting. Ensure alignment with global / cluster / UK strategy.

• Regularly report relevant activities, priorities and outcomes to the Country lead in a monthly dashboard/tracker

• Develop and drive a clear governance system to ensure Country Lead approval where necessary; lead the UK engagement with global pricing governance process and ensure the team collaborates to gain maximum utility from Global systems, plus operational and governance processes

• Ensure that robust systems and processes are in place to manage the Supply Chain and make sure payment of discounts and rebates to purchasing customers are fulfilled timely

• Ensure auditable and compliant rebate tracking systems are in place and functional to ensure ICB, Pharmacy Chain, Tender and Contract rebates are managed, accrued, paid & reported timely

• Ensure that Napp maximises the profitability of all of its commercial product portfolio throughout the product lifecycle

• Responsible for the Commercial Operations team, driving growth of the business by delivering revenue goals for existing products and successfully executing new product launch and supply opportunities

• Continually reviewing financial results to identify variances; develop and implement action plans to maximise opportunities and mitigate challenges

• Manage expenses to budget and deliver targeted profit contribution

• Lead and develop relationships with all commercial customers (commissioners, pharmacists, hospitals, secondary care commercial units, dispensing doctors, hospices, tender authorities, export wholesale partners and downstream customers etc.) to obtain maximum benefit for Napp’s product range; negotiating and implementing commercial terms with customers

• Ensure that appropriate commercial policies are in place to develop Napp’s competitive position through all purchasing channels (commissioning, wholesalers, community pharmacy & pharmacy chains, hospitals, tendering & contracting authorities, dispensing doctors, hospices etc.)

• Contribute fully and effectively to the UK & Ireland Commercial management Team, including advising and contributing to commercial decision-making as well as wider Company level decisions and team development.  Contribute to organisational development and design to ensure that the Company is evolving in line with its commercial needs.

Minimum Required:

Preferred:

Education

• Undergraduate degree in science, medicine/pharmacy or allied professions, business/finance or connected discipline

• Postgradaute degree in business, finance or connected discipline

Experience

• Clear track record of strong commercial outcomes in leading Established Brand business and delivering results and value beyond set objectives

• Previous experience as a Chief Pharmacist, NHS England Commissioner and/or Pharmacy Chain Buyer considered a distinct advantage

• Strong leader of people with the ability to articulate a clear vision

• Track record of eveloping and motivating individuals & teams in order for them to perform to their best abilities

• Ability to credibly operate at a senior management level and communicate effectively to above-country functional colleagues and senior management colleagues

• High level of strategic awareness and demonstrated business acumen

• Manage budgets and make sound decisions that will generate return on investment, whether the investment be time-based or financial 

• Excellent negotiating, influencing, networking & communication skills

• Creative thinker with an entrepreneurial spirit and able to recognise and develop opportunities that will benefit Napp 

• Flexible approach and can respond to changing strategies and tactics to match the needs of the situation 

• Results driven and self motivated 

• Proactively seek self development and knowledge growth 

Knowledge and Skills

Experience & Expertise:

• Proven leadership experience in managing and developing high-performing commercial operations teams.

• Strong background in profit and loss management, with direct responsibility for significant revenue

• Demonstrated success in driving business growth through strategic revenue planning and new product launches.

• Deep understanding of commercial terms, customer negotiations, and relationship management across diverse healthcare channels (pharmacies, hospitals, secondary care, dispensing doctors, hospices, etc.).

• Experience in developing and implementing commercial policies to enhance competitive positioning across multiple purchasing channels.

Strategic & Operational Skills:

• Ability to set and deliver annual business priorities and budgets aligned with broader organisational strategy.

• Skilled in resource planning and cross-functional alignment to ensure operational focus and delivery.

• Strong financial acumen with the ability to analyse results, identify variances, and implement corrective actions to optimise profitability.

• Experience in managing supply chain processes and ensuring accurate execution of discounts and rebates.

• Experience in designing and implementing performance metrics and reporting mechanisms.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Proven ability to build and maintain strategic relationships that deliver commercial value.

• Active contributor to senior management teams, with a track record of influencing commercial and company-wide decisions.

• Have an in-depth understanding of: 

• the cost structure of pharmaceutical products and public healthcare funding flows across the UK & Ireland
• the current NHS & HSE environments and their future direction of development
• the purchasing methods and procedures used by all customers 
• the ‘grey market’ and parallel import market 
• key competitor activity 

Have a working knowledge of: 

• strategic planning tools and processes 

• how to develop brand and launch strategies 

• data sources and systems available to support the analytical work required 

• ABPI Code of Practice 

Additional Job Description:

Primary Location:

Job Posting Date:

Job Type: