Senior Director, Commercial Skills & Training (Learning & Development)
About the role
The Senior Director, Commercial Skills & Training is responsible for leading the design, adaptation, implementation, and continuous improvement of commercial capability building initiatives across the US organization.
Responsibilities
Translate global Commercial Excellence strategy into localized learning journeys, curricula, and capability-building initiatives for the US market while contributing to the development of an always more comprehensive Global offering.
Strategically partner with US Commercial Excellence leadership, identifying capability gaps and defining training priorities.
Ensure strong alignment between global frameworks (e.g., ASK & INSPIRE, Value-Based Selling) and US market execution.
Lead the adaptation and deployment of global training programs in the US (virtual, in-person, blended).
Oversee the development of locally relevant learning assets, leveraging global content and ensuring consistency.
Facilitate high-impact training sessions and ensure excellence in delivery standards.
Partner with Sales Leadership to embed training into daily field execution and coaching routines.
Coordinate and/or directly manage product training programs for designated Business Units.
Ensure integration between product knowledge and commercial selling capabilities.
Partner with BU stakeholders and subject matter experts to maintain accurate, impactful, and up-to-date product training content.
Act as a key interface between US Commercial teams, Global CommEx, and Business/Market Units.
Collaborate with global teams to ensure harmonization while enabling local flexibility.
Engage senior stakeholders to ensure strong adoption and sponsorship of training initiatives.
Define/adopt and track KPIs for training effectiveness and behavior change.
Leverage data (e.g., surveys, field feedback, performance indicators) to continuously improve programs.
Ensure data integrity and compliance for training records.
Manage training planning, logistics, and budget ownership for US initiatives.
Ensure high-quality execution and consistency across all training activities.
Contribute to the evolution of the global Commercial Excellence learning ecosystem.
Lead and develop a small team of skills & training managers, clinical specialists, and instructional designers.
Provide direction, coaching, and performance management aligned with Commercial Excellence priorities.
Foster a culture of continuous learning, feedback, and high performance.
Attends local, national, and global meetings as needed.
Completes all training requirements, including all department-specific, compliance training, etc.
Participates in any and all reasonable work activities as assigned by management.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, Education or related field required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 12 years of related experience in Commercial Excellence, Sales, Learning & Development, or Commercial Capability Building within healthcare / Pharma / MedTech.
Minimum of 7 years management experience.
Proven experience leading training initiatives, product training and/or close collaboration with Business Units.
Strong track record of working in complex, matrixed organizations.
Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
Deep understanding of commercial processes and field execution models.
Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills (verbal and written).
Digital fluency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), and other platforms (i.e., Salesforce.com).
Travel is required to attend meetings (external and internal)/tradeshows/customer visits/trainings (approximately 30%) and is based on business need (via public transportation: air/auto); may require overnight travel.
Demonstrated strong business acumen with the ability to translate business needs into strategic priorities and measurable outcomes.
Strategic thinking and visionary leader with the ability to think enterprise-wide while driving disciplined execution.
Experience leading organizational change initiatives.
Able to manage and prioritize multiple complex projects with demonstrated time management skills.
Excellent organizational skills accompanied by strong planning skills and attention to detail and accuracy.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
High accountability and ownership mindset.
Cultural awareness and ability to operate in global/local contexts.
Ability to work flexible hours and weekends to meet business/customer needs.