Associate Sales Specialist

Summary

Join Acadia Pharmaceuticals as a Sales Specialist providing interim coverage for open sales territories across the U.S. This role involves managing all aspects of territory management, including product sales and addressing customer needs, requiring extensive travel (up to 90%) for assignments lasting 1-6 months. You will build relationships with healthcare professionals, educate them on Acadia's products, and analyze sales potential to achieve strong business results. After a successful 12-month performance, you'll be eligible to apply for a permanent, full-time sales territory. The position demands strong selling skills, effective communication, and the ability to adapt to new environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required, with an emphasis in the life sciences, preferred
• A minimum of 2 years of healthcare sales
• Ability to travel 90% of the time and live in assigned geographies for 1-6 months at a time
• Must be in good standing with the FDA and OIG
• Demonstrated selling skills and ability to dialogue effectively with customers
• Ability to quickly build relationships with key customers and build networks within the neuroscience community
• Must be able to live within the assigned territory in temporary housing paid for by Acadia and be able to relocate every 3 to 6 months as business needs dictate
• Ability to demonstrate exceptional disease state and product knowledge
• Strong persuasive selling and negotiation skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to assess territory business opportunities and customer needs, operating with a business owner mentality to maximize impact in a short time frame
• Demonstrated ability to learn and apply technical/scientific knowledge and business analyses
• Organization, initiative, and self-motivation
• Consistently models professionalism, integrity, and the ability to comply to strict policy, work in a highly regulated environment, and maintain confidential information and data
• Must possess a valid driver's license and maintenance of an acceptable driving record. Must follow all applicable guidelines as set forth in the Company Fleet Management Program including periodic DMV reviews
• Requires significant and extensive driving of company-provided car on a daily basis as well as overnight travel depending on the territory’s geography. Air travel also required, based on territory’s geography, to the Company’s headquarters and for regional and national meetings and events

Responsibilities

• Effectively impact existing and new customers by providing exceptional value and service, which ultimately helps providers to identify and start appropriate patients on therapy
• Educate physicians and physicians’ staff on the value of the Company’s products for patient care
• Utilize knowledge, critical thinking, and dialogue skills to deliver meaningful customer experiences that result in satisfaction, equity, and loyalty
• Anticipate, identify and appropriately address healthcare professionals (HCP) objections, questions, and concerns
• Utilize appropriate techniques to gain consistent access to customers
• Utilize appropriate sales aids, clinical reprints, etc. according to training. Tailor appropriate resources and information depending on customer needs
• Develop strong relationships with HCP customers including key opinion leaders (KOLs’) within the territory
• Identify and investigate customer concerns and communicate with appropriate staff to solve problems in a timely manner
• Analyze sales potential and then execute in the territory to ensure appropriate calls, reach, frequency, business meals, speaker programs, etc. to achieve consistently strong business results. Work within given budgets and policy guidelines
• Analyze, evaluate, and adjust as needed to develop effective quarterly business/action plans
• Prepare and submit timely reports of business transactions and keep accurate expense account records
• Provide appropriate guidance around pricing and reimbursement for promoted products to customers. Act as liaison between customers and Company when specific reimbursement questions arise
• Communicate and collaborate with sales management and region/area teammates, as well as cross-functional teammates (i.e. managed markets, operations, sales training, marketing, etc.) as business needs dictate
• Attend conferences, trainings, exhibits, meetings, and product launches as required
• Take on leadership opportunities as appropriate, and consistently operate with a positive, collaborative attitude
• Remain compliant with all regulations in the course of carrying out responsibilities
• May participate in the training of new Sales Specialists in the field
• May participate in training activities during Area, Regional and National meetings
• Consistently carry out responsibilities with proficiency and professionalism
• May participate in cross-functional projects affecting area, regional and commercial objectives
• May provide mentoring support to new and/or junior Sales Specialists
• Other duties as assigned
• Proudly represent Acadia and its culture, mission, and values
• Meet or exceed sales expectations
• Exhibit a firm understanding of the selling process
• Develop and execute territory business plans
• Exercise professionalism, leadership, and teamwork at all times
• Adhere to all Acadia company policies
• Partner and build relationships with customers to understand and meet their needs – including providing disease, product, and reimbursement information
• Interact and sell to the entire spectrum of applicable customer types, including staff, nursing, physicians, and other healthcare professionals
• Provide approved resources to customers as appropriate, including product samples, clinical trial data, and patient brochures
• Manage relationships with important customers, including key opinion leaders, Acadia speakers, local medical societies and advocacy groups, long-term care facilities, local and regional payers, pharmacists, etc
• Develop deep neuroscience and Acadia product knowledge, and an understanding of local and regional market trends
• Aggressively pursue ongoing personal development
• Earn a reputation throughout the neuroscience medical community as a subject-matter expert and a valued resource
• Disease state and product information expert

Preferred Qualifications

Emphasis in the life sciences (for Bachelor's degree)

Benefits

Temporary housing paid for by Acadia