Senior Strategic Alliances Manager/Executive Manager Strategic Alliances (West Coast)
Description
Our Mission: Changing the trajectory of autoimmune diseases.
Our Vision: Enabling patients to live their fullest life.
We are a dedicated team of experts committed to changing the trajectory of autoimmune diseases with unmet medical needs. We are relentless in our pursuit to provide transformative medical treatments. We are resilient. We Care.
Along with driving adoption of our approved therapy, LUPKYNIS™, for appropriate people with lupus nephritis, we are pursuing a broader portfolio of innovative autoimmune disease therapies.
We provide high quality products to our patients, that are safe and effective. Each of us at Aurinia own Quality, and we proactively integrate Quality into everything that we do. Exceptional quality and regulatory compliance are essential to our business, and “We Care” so that patients can take our drugs with confidence.
Our strategy leverages the skills and knowledge of our expert team and our deep experience in principled drug development and commercialization. Aurinia’s working environment enables every individual to thrive in a professional atmosphere guided by our Culture Values:
- Achieve together
- Collaborate
- Explore & build
- Act responsibly
Together, we drive to change the trajectory of autoimmune disease for patients in need.
Position: Executive Manager, Strategic Alliances
Department: Commercial Operations
Location: Remote
This position will report to the Executive Director, Commercial Operations.
Overview
The Associate Director, Strategic Alliances is a U.S. field-based role responsible for advancing awareness and education on lupus nephritis among healthcare professionals and community leaders. They translate complex science into meaningful dialogue, strengthen relationships with the expert community, and shape brand strategy through scientific insights, all while upholding compliance and medical integrity. The position drives partnerships with key lupus centers, academic institutions, trusted community stakeholders, and advocacy organizations to advance the awareness and education of lupus nephritis to improve patient outcomes.
Responsibilities:
- Thought Leader & Stakeholder Engagement
- Identify, map, and develop long-term relationships with KOLs, rising stars, community thought leaders and key stakeholders across academic and clinical networks.
- Partner with medical affairs and commercial colleagues to coordinate thought leader engagement plans that align with brand and pipeline objectives.
- Collaborate with Key Opinion Leaders to shape and elevate scientific discussions from the podium through balanced, evidence-based education and thought leadership.
- Partner with academic institutions to support fellowship engagement and educational initiatives that advance clinical knowledge and strengthen relationships within the LN community.
- Engage with medical societies and professional organizations to support compliant collaboration on education, awareness, and evidence-based best practices within the LN disease community.
- Help shape and execute advisory boards and Marketing Insight roundtables.
- Scientific and Clinical Education
- Facilitate peer-to-peer scientific exchange to enhance understanding of the lupus nephritis disease state, treatment paradigms, and unmet needs.
- Support fellowship education initiatives to strengthen clinician knowledge and engagement within academic institutions.
- Collaborate with Marketing and Medical Affairs to develop and support speaker bureau programs, including faculty identification, training, and ensuring alignment with scientific and educational objectives.
- Conference & Event Management
- Lead planning and execution of company presence at regional and national scientific congresses and lupus symposia (e.g., booth strategy, KOL engagement scheduling, insights collection).
- Coordinate thought leader interactions, poster/presentation tracking, and post-conference debriefs.
- Advocacy & Partnerships
- Build and sustain strategic relationships with patient advocacy groups, community leaders, and healthcare institutions to expand disease awareness and access to care.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Partner closely with internal teams to ensure consistency in education, messaging, and program execution.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Medical and Marketing to support compliant communication, scientific accuracy, and consistency across approved materials and initiatives.
- Partner with Marketing and Medical teams to enhance appropriate patient-centric engagement and community awareness.
- Strategic Insight Generation
- Identify emerging scientific trends and data gaps to guide strategy, future resources and educational initiatives to support lupus nephritis education and engagement.
- Gather and synthesize clinical, educational, and strategic insights from field interactions to inform cross-functional teams (Medical, Marketing, Market Access, and Clinical Development).
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred.
- 10-15 years of pharmaceutical or biotech experience, with a focus on KOL and key account management. Rheumatology and/or Nephrology experience strongly preferred.
- Proven ability to build trusted partnerships within the expert community with demonstrated success in KOL development.
- Demonstrated ability to strengthen scientific advocacy for the brand and disease area and drive actionable insights that refine strategy and improve patient outcomes.
- Proven ability to lead fellowship and professional education initiatives, engage external stakeholders, and manage conference strategies and events that advance educational objectives.
- Strong communication, relationship management, and presentation skills, with proven ability in facilitation, project leadership, and strategic planning.
- Strategic, collaborative, and adaptable with the ability to work independently, while fostering strong internal and external partnerships.
- Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and travel up to 75% within assigned territory.
Desired Competencies:
- Being Resilient: Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations
- Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
- Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of unique needs and different audiences
- Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions
- Decision Quality: Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward
- Drives Engagement: Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives
- Drives Results: Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances
- Ensures Accountability: Holding self and other accountable to meet commitments
- Instills Trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
- Plans & Aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
- Self-Development: Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels
- Values Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to the organization
Additional Information
All candidate information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
All candidate information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.