Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Associate Director, Commercial Training

Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.$175K — $241K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred in life sciences or business.
  • 10+ years of experience in biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.
  • 3+ years of experience in commercial or sales training.
  • Experience developing training for field-based roles and advisory teams.
  • Familiar with product launches and new indication expansions in specialty markets.
  • Strong understanding of pharmaceutical compliance and review processes.
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute training strategy aligned with brand objectives and launch timelines.
  • Partner with cross-functional leaders to assess training needs and translate strategy into training plans.
  • Design and deliver comprehensive training programs covering key product and disease knowledge.
  • Implement credentialing programs to enhance field competency and message retention.
  • Create engaging learning experiences through various modalities to boost engagement and retention.
  • Lead training for sales meetings, regional workshops, and launch readiness programs.
  • Conduct field assessments to gauge training effectiveness and identify learning gaps.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
  • Generous parental leave and family planning benefits.
  • Opportunities for personal and professional growth in an outstanding company culture.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Deciphera is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Associate Director, Commercial Training to lead the strategy, design, and execution of training programs that enable the success of the commercial organization in support of the anticipated launch of tirabrutinib, a highly potent and selective Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor being advanced for patients with relapsed or refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma (R/R PCNSL). PCNSL is a rare and aggressive extra-nodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma with significant unmet need, and tirabrutinib represents an important potential new treatment option for patients facing limited therapeutic choices. The Associate Director, Commercial Training will play a key role in ensuring field readiness by building capabilities across disease state knowledge, product expertise, customer insights, market access dynamics, and selling skills. This individual will partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Sales Operations, and other cross-functional stakeholders to deliver impactful training programs that support launch readiness, commercialization in a new disease area, and compliant customer engagement. The role also requires the ability to translate brand strategy and clinical data into practical learning experiences, identify capability gaps, and continuously enhance training effectiveness based on field insights and business needs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the Position:
  • Develop and execute the commercial training strategy aligned with brand objectives, launch timelines, and business priorities for tirabrutinib and the broader hematology commercial organization.
  • Partner with cross-functional leaders to identify capability gaps, prioritize training initiatives, and translate business strategy into impactful training plans and measurable outcomes.
  • Design and deliver comprehensive training programs including onboarding curriculum, disease state education on PCNSL, product training for tirabrutinib, patient journey, customer insights, market access considerations, and advanced selling skills.
  • Implement credentialing and reinforcement programs to build strong field competency, message retention, and sustained customer impact.
  • Create engaging learning experiences using a mix of live, virtual, and digital modalities, as well as reinforcement tools to maximize learner engagement and retention.
  • Lead training strategy and execution for national sales meetings, POAs, regional workshops, launch readiness programs, and preparation for commercialization in a new disease area.
  • Ensure field teams are fully prepared with the knowledge, tools, and franchise-specific capabilities needed for successful market execution.
  • Conduct field rides and gather insights to assess training effectiveness, identify learning gaps, and refine training programs accordingly.
  • Partner with Marketing, Medical, Legal, Regulatory, and Market Access to ensure training content is aligned, accurate, and compliant.
  • Manage the review and approval process for training materials and ensure all activities are executed in a compliant, ethical, and patient-focused manner consistent with company values and policies.
  • Collaborate with external vendors and agencies to develop high-quality training content and support timely execution of training initiatives aligned to launch milestones.
  • Manage vendor relationships across scopes of work, content development, timelines, and budget expectations.
  • Define and track key performance indicators to evaluate training effectiveness and overall field readiness.
  • Utilize feedback, field insights, performance data, and analytics to continuously improve training content, delivery, and business impact.
  • Manage the commercial training budget, including forecasting, expense tracking, and optimization of resources across training programs, vendors, meetings, and field enablement initiatives.
  • Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.


Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in life sciences, business, or related field preferred.
  • 10+ years of experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.
  • 3+ years of experience in commercial training or sales training.
  • Experience developing and implementing training for field-based roles, including development of field advisory teams.
  • Experience supporting product launches and/or new indication expansions.
  • Experience in malignant hematology, oncology, rare disease, or specialty pharmaceutical markets.
  • Strong understanding of pharmaceutical legal and compliance requirements, including role-specific SOPs and the review and approval process.
  • Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders across a matrixed organization.
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
  • Strong project management skills, vendor oversight, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to understand, interpret, and translate complex clinical information and product strategy into effective, practical learning experiences for commercial teams.
  • Strong business acumen and ability to use data, feedback, and field insights to inform training strategy and continuous improvement.
  • Ability to travel as needed to support field engagement, training delivery, national meetings, and launch readiness activities.

Preferred Capabilities:
  • Prior field sales or sales leadership experience.
  • Experience training on products in oncology, hematology, rare disease, or other complex specialty markets.
  • Familiarity with learning technologies and platforms such as LMS and Veeva.
  • Experience managing external vendors and agencies.
  • Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
  • Ability to adapt to changing market conditions and quickly evolve training plans in support of launch readiness and commercialization needs.


Additional Information

Deciphera is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary pay range for this role is $175,400 - $241,292. Actual compensation packages will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to depth of experience, education, skillset, overall performance and/or location.

Deciphera believes in providing a competitive compensation and benefits package to all employees. Our base salary is just one component of Deciphera's competitive total rewards strategy that also includes annual performance bonus, a long-term incentive plan, full range of benefits and other incentive compensation plans (if applicable)

Benefits:
  • Competitive salary and annual bonus.
  • Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with company match, and more.
  • Generous parental leave and family planning benefits.
  • Outstanding culture and opportunities for personal and professional growth.


About Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Deciphera Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative medicines to improve the lives of cancer patients. The company's drug candidates include ripretinib, a broad-spectrum KIT and PDGFR? inhibitor, and DCC-3014, a selective inhibitor of CSF1R. Ripretinib is in clinical development for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), systemic mastocytosis (SM), and other solid tumors. DCC-3014 is in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of solid tumors. Deciphera Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Learn more about Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Size
280 employees
Market Cap
$1 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$266.4 million
Founded
2003
Revenue
$42 million
NASDAQ

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