Executive Director, Head of Strategy & Operations at Menarini Group

The Head of Strategy and Operations will be a critical partner to the US leadership team, playing a pivotal role in shaping and executing the strategic direction and operational framework for the US business. This individual will be responsible for driving strategic initiatives, optimizing operational efficiency, ensuring cross-functional alignment, and providing direct leadership to an operational team, the congress management team, and other supporting functions. The ideal candidate will be a highly analytical, results-oriented leader with a strong understanding of the US pharmaceutical market, particularly within oncology. This role requires a blend of strategic thinking, operational excellence, strong leadership skills, and collaboration to navigate a complex and evolving landscape.

• Strategic Planning & Execution:
• Collaborate with the US leadership team to develop and refine the long-term strategic plan for the US business, aligning with global corporate objectives.
• Lead the annual strategic planning process, including market assessment, competitive analysis, opportunity identification, and goal setting.
• Translate strategic priorities into actionable operational plans and initiatives across key functional areas (e.g., Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access).
• Monitor and track progress against strategic goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), identifying potential risks and opportunities, and recommending course corrections as needed.
• Conduct strategic projects and analyses to inform key business decisions, such as new product opportunities, market expansion, and organizational design.
• Operational Excellence & Efficiency:
• Identify and drive initiatives to optimize operational processes, improve efficiency, and enhance cross-functional collaboration.
• Develop and implement operational frameworks, policies, and procedures to support the growing scale and complexity of the US business.
• Lead the development and management of key operational budgets and resources, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and financial targets.
• Partner with functional leaders to establish and track key operational metrics, identify areas for improvement, and implement solutions.
• Oversee project management for critical strategic and operational initiatives, ensuring timely and effective execution.
• Direct Team Leadership:
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and development to the operational team, congress management team, and other assigned supporting functions.
• Set clear performance expectations, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance reviews for direct reports.
• Foster a high-performing and collaborative team environment.
• Ensure the effective planning and execution of operational activities and congress-related initiatives.
• Manage resources and budgets for the directly reporting teams.
• Recruit, train, and retain talented individuals within the operational and congress management functions.
• Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration:
• Serve as a key point of contact and facilitator across US functional teams, fostering strong communication and collaboration.
• Work closely with global counterparts to ensure alignment of US strategies and operations with global initiatives.
• Partner with Finance, HR, Legal, and Compliance to ensure operational activities are conducted in accordance with relevant regulations and internal policies.
• Support the US GM in internal and external communications, including presentations to senior leadership and other stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or other relevant advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with a significant focus on oncology.
• Demonstrated experience in strategy development, operational planning, and execution within a commercial organization.
• Proven experience in directly leading and managing operational teams and/or event/congress management functions.
• Strong understanding of the US pharmaceutical market, including market access, reimbursement, and regulatory considerations.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and initiatives effectively.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and develop actionable insights.  
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels.  
• Strong business acumen and financial literacy.
• Experience in a small to mid-sized pharmaceutical company environment is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and results-oriented environment.

Please note: this position is classified as a corporate office position. In accordance with the New York employer convenience rule, Stemline will withhold New York state income taxes for all corporate office employees, regardless of whether these employees work in New York or remotely.

Menarini Stemline is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Base Salary Range of $XX (plus bonus & LTI package). Menarini Stemline offers generous compensation and benefits packages, including Short- and Long-Term Incentive Programs, Fidelity 401(k) (with 6% company match), Anthem Premier PPO and HDHP insurance plans, Company paid Basic Life & AD&D insurance and pre-tax FSA/HSA programs.

Company Overview

Founded in 1886 in Naples under the name of Farmacia Internazionale, Menarini moved in 1915 to Florence where the Group’s headquarters are still located today. High quality therapeutics and diagnostics solutions for patients, ethics as our underlying principle, dedication to innovation and advancement, strong people centricity and environmental sustainability. These five pillars form the foundation of the Menarini Group, an Italian pharmaceutical company with nearly 135 years of history.

The Menarini Group is present in 70 countries and our products are sold in 140 locations around the world. Its companies span from Europe to Asia, to Africa and the Middle East, to Central America and to the United States where with the acquisition of Stemline Therapeutics, a NASDAQ-listed biopharmaceutical company, the company marked its entry into the US oncology market.

Thanks to the valuable contribution of around 18,000 employees, every year more than 500 million packs of drugs are produced at the Group's 18 manufacturing sites including a biotech plant for the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies that also serves external clients distributed across 6 continents.

Menarini has made a strong commitment to oncology, investing in a pipeline of five investigational compounds for the treatment of a variety of haematological and solid tumours. The acquisition of Stemline Therapeutics in June 2020, further strengthened Menarini’s oncology portfolio, adding both commercial and clinical-stage assets. Tagraxofusp is a novel, first in class targeted therapy for patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) and to date, the only approved treatment for BPDCN in the U.S. and EU, and the first and only approved CD123-targeted therapy. Tagraxofusp is also being evaluated as both a single agent and in combination, in other CD123+ indications, including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), and myelofibrosis (MF).

Additionally, Menarini received exclusive rights to commercialise Selinexor for the treatment of oncology indications in the European Union and other European countries (including the United Kingdom), Latin America and other key countries. Menarini has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Karyopharm Therapeutics for the rights to commercialise an innovative therapeutic option in Europe, Latin America, Turkey, Russia, and CIS countries. Selinexor is a first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear export compound for the treatment of hematologic cancers and solid tumours. It is already marketed in the US for multiple myeloma and is under development for solid tumour indications. Selinexor is registered in the EU for both early and late lines.

Menarini entered into a global licence agreement with Radius Health to complete the development of Elacestrant, an oral SERD in late-stage Phase 3 development for hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer. Following a successful phase 3 study, Menarini Stemline received FDA approval in January 2023 under priority review and successfully oversaw a strong launch in February to the US market with the EMA review process concluded positively in September 2023.

Menarini’s commitment to oncology is also reflected in the investments made in the liquid biopsy diagnostic field through its affiliate Menarini Silicon Biosystems (MSB), a pioneer in rare cell analysis and non-invasive, advanced diagnostic solutions. MSB’s CELLSEARCH Circulating Tumour Cell (CTC) Test is the first and only clinically validated blood test cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for detecting and counting CTCs in metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer when used in conjunction with other clinical monitoring methods.

Since 2021, MSB has offered in the US a menu of non-invasive Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) provided through its CLIA/CAP accredited US-based Lab. The services include CMC enumeration, CTC enumeration and PDL-1/HER2 biomarker and offer a minimally invasive approach to follow cancer patient’s therapeutic journey.

In 2022, the company launched the CELLSEARCH® Circulating Multiple Myeloma Cell (CMMC) Enumeration LDT, the first-of-its-kind, which directly measures levels of plasma cells in the blood of patients. This test provides new, complementary information to that of the bone marrow biopsy and other standard-of-care measures. Due to its minimally invasive nature, it can be performed serially to assess plasma cell burden without requiring repeated bone marrow biopsies.

Menarini's vision and uniqueness in oncology is to bring together innovative therapeutic solutions and advanced liquid biopsy-based diagnostics for faster, more effective and precise patient management.

It is an exciting time in the company’s development and an excellent opportunity for individuals joining us to contribute to building and shaping Menarini Stemline’s Oncology business.

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