Therapy Area Commercial Lead, Rare Disease

About This Role:In the highly visible role of Commercial Therapy Area Lead, Rare Disease, you will lead Biogen’s cross-functional Rare Disease team across the UK and Ireland, with direct accountability for both marketing and commercial field teams. Biogen has an established presence in rare diseases, with a significant launch currently underway alongside a developing pipeline of licensed and clinical-stage medicines. These programmes have the potential to address unmet patient need across four distinct disease areas. Further commercial launches are anticipated through 2027 and beyond; this is a pivotal period for Biogen’s Rare Business. The position carries responsibility for shaping and delivering the UK and Ireland go-to-market strategy, ensuring effective execution across both pre- and post-launch phases. You will work collaboratively to align local priorities with global strategy, fostering a cohesive “one team” approach across internal teams and external partners to support delivery. Reporting to the Head of Commercial UK, you will be a member of the Commercial Leadership Team, contributing to broader portfolio strategy while ensuring delivery against financial, compliance and organisational objectives. You will also play a key role in developing a high-performing team culture grounded in accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. This is a rare opportunity to influence the direction of a strategically important therapy area within Biogen UK and Ireland. The role offers the chance to shape future launches, strengthen commercial execution, and contribute meaningfully to improving outcomes for patients living with rare diseases.This is hybrid role requiring 50% of each week to be spent on site in the offices in Maidenhead.What You’ll Do:Provide overall leadership for UK and Ireland sales and marketing activities within the Rare Disease therapy area, with accountability for launch delivery.Develop and implement go-to-market strategies across pre- and post-launch phases, ensuring alignment with European and global plans.Build, develop and lead a high-performing team, setting clear objectives and development plans to support successful launch execution.Foster strong cross-functional collaboration across Sales, Marketing, Market Access, Medical and External Affairs to orchestrate delivery of the Rare business.Lead the development and execution of marketing and brand strategies, informed by market analysis and aligned to organisational objectives.Develop and maintain strong relationships with healthcare professionals and key stakeholders, supporting appropriate partnership working.Represent the UK and Ireland business on leadership forums, and through collaboration with regional and global teams, advocating for local requirements while ensuring compliance with all relevant codes, policies and legislation.Define and drive portfolio strategy, including pricing and market development, informed by market insights and competitor activity.Set performance objectives, accountable for commercial results with P&L Leadership for the Rare portfolio.Leadership of the strategic and tactical planning processes to ensure plan development leading to sustainable growth.Ensure consistent delivery against agreed objectives, maintaining high standards of execution and compliance.Support a culture of professional conduct, collaboration and continuous improvement across the team.Work closely with Field Force Effectiveness to enable strong, compliant field performance and capability development.Who You Are:You are an experienced leader with a strong track record in biotechnology and/or pharmaceuticals, including rare disease. You bring proven experience of leading product launches and shaping portfolio strategy within complex and competitive markets.A collaborative and inclusive leader, you build high-performing teams and strong relationships with key stakeholders. You combine strategic thinking with the ability to adapt to a changing environment, maintaining focus on delivery.With sound commercial judgement and a patient-focused mindset, you communicate a clear vision, lead effectively through change, and create an environment where teams can perform at their best.QualificationsBachelor’s Degree in Science, with a CIM marketing diploma preferred.Substantial marketing leadership experience or transferable commercial experience in the biotech/pharma industry.Rare disease market experience is highly preferredPrevious experience in sales, ideally in a leadership role.Track record of launching new products and driving growth within a portfolio.Proven experience managing specialised products in secondary care and skilled in opinion leader liaison.Extensive experience in leading complex cross-functional teams across multiple disciplines (medical, sales, marketing).Demonstrated ability in navigating competitive markets with cost containment challenges.Broad commercial expertise, including the ability to evaluate and analyse customer and market needs.Leadership, motivational, and people management skills.Awareness of change management principles and experience leading and building organizations adept at responding to change.Flexibility and adaptability, with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.Customer-focused with a passion for field engagement and building relationships with key opinion leaders/influencers. Job Level: ManagementWhy Biogen?We are a global team with a commitment to excellence, and a pioneering spirit. As a mid-sized biotechnology company, we provide the stability and resources of a well-established business while fostering an environment where individual contributions make a significant impact. Our team encompasses some of the most talented and passionate achievers who have unparalleled opportunities for learning, growth, and expanding their skills. Above all, we work together to deliver life-changing medicines, with every role playing a vital part in our mission. Carin