Primary RoleWe are seeking an experienced Vice President, Commercial to serve as Alto's first fully dedicated commercial hire and help lead the company's transition from a clinical-stage biotech to a launch-ready commercial organization. This role will establish the foundation for Alto's commercial function, with responsibility for new product planning, commercial analytics and forecasting, launch readiness planning, early commercial strategy, and the infrastructure required to support a future commercial organization.
This is a build-from-zero role suited to a hands-on commercial leader who has helped build commercial capabilities in a pre-commercial or early-commercial biotech environment. The role is primarily internally focused, translating clinical, market, and competitive insights into rigorous commercial analyses, plans, and infrastructure that support executive decision-making and future commercialization efforts.
What you'll doCommercial Strategy & New Product Planning- Lead the development of our commercial strategy for ALTO-207 and new product planning efforts for our pipeline programs, including market sizing, epidemiology-based patient flow modeling, target product profile input, and market opportunity assessment.
- Conduct competitive landscape and positioning analysis specific to the TRD, adjunctive MDD, and bipolar depression markets to inform commercial strategies and launch plans.
- Partner with internal development teams to ensure trial design, endpoints, and label strategy are informed by commercial and market access realities.
Commercial Analytics & Forecasting- Build and maintain Alto's commercial forecasting capabilities, evolving key assumptions as clinical data, competitive dynamics, and market insights develop.
- Design and execute primary and secondary market research to inform internal development plans, market opportunity, positioning, pricing, and launch assumptions.
- Establish the commercial data and analytics infrastructure (e.g., systems, partners, data sources, reporting processes), required to support a growing commercial function.
- Translate commercial analytics and market insights into clear recommendations and decision-support materials for executive leadership.
Launch Readiness & Cross-Functional Leadership- Serve as Alto's internal commercial planning lead as the company builds toward a broader commercial organization.
- Provide commercial input into protocol design decisions with downstream launch implications (dosing/titration strategy, label-relevant endpoints).
- Own the cross-functional launch readiness roadmap, coordinating with key cross-functional workstreams.
- Provide commercial input into portfolio prioritization and capital allocation discussions tied to key data readouts.
Commercial Infrastructure & Team Build- Build and lead Alto's commercial analytics, commercial operations, and new product planning teams as the function scales.
- Select and implement foundational systems (e.g., forecasting tools, data partners, market research vendors, competitive intelligence platforms) appropriate for a company at Alto's stage of growth
- Establish documentation, processes, and institutional knowledge that can scale cleanly as Alto's commercial organization expands.
- Build the internal go-to-market strategic plan and supporting infrastructure to support continued engagement with key external stakeholders (e.g., KOLs, advocacy, investors).
Supporting External Engagement- Equip internal partners and stakeholders with the market sizing, competitive analysis, and positioning materials used in KOL, advocacy, and investor conversations.
- Maintain awareness of the competitive CNS/psychiatry landscape, including recent launch performance of comparable mechanisms, and translate this into internal briefing materials.
LocationPreferred: Mountain View, CA (hybrid). Remote considered for the right candidate.
Salary Range$345,000 - $360,000
*depending on qualifications and experience levelTravel RequiredLight travel required, with additional travel as needed for internal meetings, conferences, market research, vendor engagements, and other business needs
QualificationsRequired Skills/Abilities: - 12+ years of biotech or pharmaceutical commercial experience, with direct experience in new product planning, commercial analytics, forecasting, launch strategy, or related commercial functions.
- Demonstrated experience building commercial capabilities in a pre-commercial or early-commercial biotech environment, ideally as a first or early commercial hire.
- Strong forecasting, market sizing, and quantitative analytical skills, with the ability to personally develop and evaluate models and analyses.
- Demonstrated experience developing commercial strategy and translating clinical, competitive, and market insights into actionable commercial plans.
- Experience building or scaling commercial analytics, market research, data infrastructure, and related commercial capabilities.
- Experience partnering cross-functionally with Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, and Market Access/HEOR on development and commercialization strategy.
- Demonstrated ability to build and lead teams while remaining hands-on in a lean, evolving organization.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex analyses into clear recommendations for executive leadership.
Bonus Skills/Abilities: - CNS, psychiatry, or neurology therapeutic area experience.
- Direct experience supporting a CNS/psychiatry product launch.
- Prior small- or mid-cap public biotech experience.
Supervisory Responsibilities:- Recruit, develop, and lead Alto's initial commercial analytics, commercial operations, and new product planning teams as headcount is approved.
- Provide strategic direction and oversight to consultants, vendors, and cross-functional project teams.
Education and Experience:- Bachelor's degree in business, life sciences, economics, finance, or a related field required.
- MBA or advanced scientific degree preferred.
Physical Requirements: (TSS only)- Prolonged periods of working at a computer.
- Ability to travel as needed to support business requirements.
The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements.
