Position OverviewThe Region Business Director (RBD) is a pivotal first-line sales leadership role responsible for recruiting, building, and leading a high performing team of Territory Business Managers (TBMs). This leader will drive the regional commercial strategy for Belite Bio's first-in-class therapy targeting rare inherited retinal disease within the retina and broader eye care markets. This role is foundational to Belite's pre-launch and launch commercial buildout and requires a leader who can operate in the field with entrepreneurial rigor in a small-company, start-up environment while upholding the discipline, compliance, and customer engagement standards of an established specialty and rare disease organization.
Key Responsibilities - Recruit, hire, onboard, and develop a high-performing team of Territory Business Managers across an assigned region, with a strong emphasis on rare disease, retina, or specialty pharmacy selling experience.
- Lead team through pre-launch training, planning, and market development.
- Translate national brand strategy into a regional business plan; set territory-level strategy and corresponding tactical plan while holding TBMs accountable to activity, access, and sales objectives.
- Spend approximately 50-60% of field time co-traveling with TBMs, providing actionable coaching on pre-call planning, listening, probing, clinical impact, and support for complex patient access and education. Must reside within a 60-minute drive of a major commercial airport.
- Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Patient Services, Regulatory, and Legal/Compliance to ensure aligned, compliant execution in the field.
- Manage regional budget, expenses, and resource allocation responsibly.
- Foster an ownership mindset within the team by emphasizing customer prioritization, thoughtful resource allocation, and an analytical view of opportunities.
- Monitor and report on lead/lag indicators (identified patients, referral pathways, diagnostic odyssey engagement, specialty pharmacy pull-through) and escalate competitive intelligence and field insights to sales leadership.
- Ensure full compliance with FDA promotional regulations, PhRMA Code, and company policies; model and enforce a culture of integrity in a rare disease/orphan drug environment.
- Represent Belite Bio at regional and national IRD/retina conferences and advocacy events.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, creativity, development, and accountability.
Key Competencies & Leadership Attributes - Strategic thinking and execution excellence
- Patient-centric mindset
- High-level customer partnership and development
- Strong business acumen and market insight with an ownership mindset
- Cross-functional influence and collaboration
- Adaptability in complex, evolving markets
- Demonstrated advanced clinically based selling skills
- Ability to lead through ambiguity
- Proven track record of recruiting and elevating top tier sales talent through constructive field coaching and clear accountability
- Proven success and a positive track record of consistent top-tier sales performance in complex markets.
- Expertise in developing and executing business plans informed by firsthand market knowledge and aligned with leadership strategy.
- Passion for understanding and championing the needs of customers and accounts, resulting in strong relationships, credibility, and trust.
- Effective use of active listening, probing, and other selling skills to enhance communication and build relationships with key customers.
- Demonstrated learning agility, as shown by past success when encountering new challenges, roles, and situations.
- Positive attitude and experience working in a fast-paced start-up environment.
- Commitment to effective collaboration with key company stakeholders, supported by a high degree of emotional intelligence.
- Ability to persevere and focus on solutions when encountering obstacles.
- Models high ethical standards and enforce strict adherence to regulations and corporate compliance standards.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with exceptional presentation and facilitation skills required.
Qualifications & Requirements - Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree a plus.
- 8+ years of pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device sales experience, including 5+ years of direct sales management/first-line leadership experience.
- Ophthalmology, retina, or rare/orphan disease experience strongly preferred; specialty pharmacy experience is a plus.
- Demonstrated success building or rebuilding a team, including hiring in a competitive talent market and developing representatives in low-incidence, rare disease selling environments.
- Prior product launch experience, ideally in a small or pre-commercial biopharma setting, with comfort operating without extensive infrastructure.
- Strong understanding of the payer/reimbursement landscape including hub services and patient access support models.
- Proven ability to build relationships with academic and community retina specialists, genetic counselors, and low-vision/ancillary care providers relevant to the IRD patient journey.
- Exceptional coaching, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills; high integrity and comfort operating in a compliance-forward culture.
- Willingness and ability to travel 50-60% of the time, including overnights, internal meetings, field time, and conventions.
- Must reside within a 60-minute drive of a major commercial airport.
Compensation & Benefits Statement:Salary Range: $250,000 - $285,000 per year.
The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including the candidate's skills, qualifications, professional experience, geographic location, and relevant education or certifications. In addition to base salary, total compensation may include performance-based incentives, comprehensive health and wellness benefits, a 401(k)-retirement plan with company match, paid time off, and professional development opportunities.
