Business Unit Head Rare Disease - GCC

About This Role

Important note: This position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The selected candidate must be located in Riyadh.

As the Rare Disease Business Unit Head for the GCC, you will play a critical leadership role in shaping and executing the rare disease strategy across the region. You will drive the successful launch and expansion of innovative therapies in areas such as SMA HD, ALS, and Friedreich’s Ataxia - ensuring patients gain timely access to life-changing treatments.

You will lead the Rare Disease Business Unit across GCC countries, overseeing strategy, operations, and performance. Working in close partnership with the GCC Leadership Team and global stakeholders, you will build a high-performing organization, ensure cross-functional excellence, and deliver both patient impact and business results.

What You'll Do

• Develop and execute the GCC rare disease commercial strategy at the local level, in close alignment with regional and global teams

• Establish and lead high-performing cross-functional in-country teams, ensuring full launch readiness across medical, value & access, sales, and supply

• Drive the successful launch and expansion of therapies across SMA, including SMA HD, as well as ALS and FA

• Lead the development and execution of country-specific account plans to maximize patient access and organizational impact

• Collaborate with regional and global teams to adapt and localize marketing, medical, and value & access strategies to local market needs

• Lead local segmentation and targeting processes, ensuring effective resource allocation and execution

• Define and oversee local sales targets, incentive structures, and performance review processes for commercial teams

• Own full P&L responsibility for the Rare Disease Business Unit, delivering against financial and operational KPIs

• Build the necessary pathways and processes to accelerate approval, access, and reimbursement across GCC markets

• Ensure all launch activities are executed on time, on budget, and in compliance with internal governance and launch excellence frameworks

• Act as a key strategic partner to regional and global teams, providing insights on local market dynamics, opportunities, and challenges

• Establish strong governance and collaboration models with specialty business units to ensure alignment and effective use of shared resources

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, payers, professional organizations, and patient advocacy groups

• Partner with local and regional functional leaders to design and execute effective stakeholder engagement strategies

• Strengthen and maintain the organization’s reputation within the rare disease community through trusted and compliant engagement

Who You Are

You are a strategic and entrepreneurial leader with a passion for making a meaningful impact in rare diseases. You thrive in complex, fast-evolving environments and bring a strong balance of vision and execution.

You are known for your ability to lead through influence, build high-performing teams, and navigate cross-functional and multicultural environments. You combine strong business acumen with deep empathy for patients, ensuring that every decision contributes to better outcomes.

You are collaborative, resilient, and driven, capable of translating strategy into action while inspiring those around you.

Required Skills

• 10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with a significant number of years in a leadership role

• BSc/BA required (MBA preferred)

• Strong experience in rare diseases or specialty care strongly desired

• Proven track record of leading successful product launches across multiple markets, including pre-launch, launch readiness, and post-launch execution

• Demonstrated leadership experience building and managing high-performing cross-functional teams across multiple countries

• Proven ownership of full P&L, including delivering financial targets and performance management

• Deep expertise in market access, pricing, reimbursement, and healthcare systems within the GCC region

• Strong understanding of Saudi Arabia, with relevant experience working in the market

• Strong experience developing and executing local commercial strategies, including account planning, segmentation, and targeting

• Experience defining sales targets, incentive structures, and performance management frameworks

• Proven ability to drive approval, access, and reimbursement pathways in complex environments

• Experience working in matrix organizations, collaborating with regional and global stakeholders

• Fluent in Arabic and English, with high proficiency in commercial IT systems (e.g., CRM platforms)

 

Job Level: Management