Job description
We are seeking a Head of US Training to lead the cross-functional training team at Ascendis. This team leader will play the critical role of designing and executing training strategies that align with business objectives and empower both internal and external stakeholders to deliver exceptional customer engagement. Stakeholders will range from a large US field organization across sales, medical, patient access, to external partners (e.g., specialty pharmacy, patient support vendors, etc.) covering an expanding portfolio of rare endocrine products.
They will lead the development and delivery of US training across multiple domains:
1. Medical/Clinical: Disease state, product, and device expertise
2. Non-Clinical: Managed care landscape, reimbursement process and trends
3. Functional: Selling skills, consultative interviewing, objection handling, and more
The ideal candidate is highly collaborative with advanced communication, leadership, training development, and project management competencies. The candidate must have a foundational understanding of learning program design and execution across various lifecycles stages of drug development. This role will partner with and serve as an advisor for the US Leadership Team and provide operational support to cross functional teams to enable field teams to drive commercial success.
The Head of US training will report directly to the US Head of Analytics & Commercial Operations. The role will be based in Princeton, NJ in a hybrid model and will be heavily integrated with US business leadership and partner with global training counterparts.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership and Team Management
o Design a comprehensive US training roadmap that aligns with brand strategies across the portfolio and across functions
o Manage necessary resources (budget and headcount) to enable and support the development and execution of those plans (tactical, change management, communication)
o Provide strategic direction and vision for planning, design, development, and implementation of modules, materials, tools, solutions, and technologies to support training needs of the US Business Unit
o Lead, build, and develop a team of cross-functional experts, fostering a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and accountability
o Continuously evaluate US training needs analysis, which includes base competency assessments to identify needs and address gaps to be included in future curriculum
o Develop approaches to rapidly iterate on training and incorporate enhancements
o Partner with US leadership to address competency gaps across the commercial, patient support, and medical organizations
o Partner with global training team to leverage and adapt common materials as appropriate
o Partner with HR on US learning & development needs as appropriate
Content and Learning Solutions Development
o Design and develop effective course curriculum and workshops that meet the needs of the organization and evolves in response to learner needs across clinical (disease state education, product, device) and non-clinical (managed care, functional skills), etc.
o Ensure training content reflects current medical science, therapeutic area expertise, clinical data, product knowledge, and evolving managed care landscape.
o Designs and delivers training programs for roles that engage directly with both healthcare providers and patients, ensuring consistent, compliant, and high-quality interactions across the care continuum
o Collaborate with internal teams, including compliance and legal, to ensure deliverables are current, effective, and compliant with regulatory guidelines
Execution and Delivery - Training Excellence
o Participate in the design, development, and delivery of training solutions to support learners, including commercial (sales and marketing), medical affairs, patient support services, and key external stakeholders (e.g., specialty pharmacy, hub partners, etc.)
o Onboard and certify new hires to ensure minimum certification requirements are met prior to customer interactions
o Collaborate with marketing, sales, medical affairs, and market access in planning and project management of National Field Meetings and Plan of Action Meetings to ensure consistency of training methodologies and processes
o Identifies internal and external subject matter experts to deliver effective live training as required
o Embed adaptive learning and other technologies into program design
o Coordinate and oversee the implementation and execution of training modules across portfolio and various teams via Cornerstone and other training / IT platforms
o Manage learning platforms, digital learning tools, and external training vendors
o Work with individual functions to develop key performance indicators for measurement before and after training
Qualifications:
o 15+ years of experience in commercial training, clinical training, learning design, or related roles within biopharma
o Advanced degree in Life Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Education, Organizational Development, or related field preferred.
o Extensive experience managing direct reports and building high performing, cross-functional team
o Demonstrated experience translating strategy into scalable execution through tools, processes, and insights
o Ability to manage processes and timelines with urgency and accountability,
o Proactive, detail-oriented, and skilled in identifying risks and opportunities, with a relentless drive to remove inefficiencies
o Excellent facilitation, communication, and interpersonal skills, with comfort and experience communicating across all levels of the organization as well as with vendors and agencies
o Proven track record of collaborating cross-functionally with teams and ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the organization
o Entrepreneurial, highly accountable, and adaptable to shifting priorities and ambiguity; Continuous improvement mindset, focused on enhancing methodologies and processes
o Knowledge of industry best practices, with a passion for leveraging new tools and technologies to improve efficiency
The estimated salary range for this position is $215k - $260k/year. Actual salary determination is dependent on a variety of factors some of which include: experience, qualifications, and geographic location. This position may be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus or an incentive compensation plan (eligibility varies based on role and position level), discretionary stock-based long-term incentives, paid time off, and a comprehensive benefits package.
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Medical, dental, and vision plans
- Company-offered Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
- Company-provided short and long-term disability benefits
- Unique offerings of Pet Insurance and Legal Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Discounts
- Professional Development
- Health Saving Account (HSA)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Various incentive compensation plans
- Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
- Mental Health resources
- Paid leave benefits for new parents
Ascendis Pharma is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
A note to recruiters:
We do not allow external search party solicitation. Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma Inc Human Resources team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed. If this occurs your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.
