Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Senior Manager/Associate Director, Marketing Operations & Commercial Review
Who We Are:
Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XENE) is a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to drug discovery, clinical development, and commercialization of life-changing therapeutics for patients in need. We are looking for great people who thrive in a respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and productive culture to join the Xenon team.
What We Do:
We are advancing an exciting product pipeline to address indications with high unmet medical need, including epilepsy, depression and pain. Our Phase 3 azetukalner program represents the most advanced, clinically validated potassium channel modulator in late-stage clinical development for multiple indications. In March 2026, we announced positive topline data from our Phase 3 X-TOLE2 study of azetukalner in focal onset seizures (FOS), and we anticipate submitting a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter of 2026. Our Phase 3 epilepsy program also includes a second FOS study, X-TOLE3, which would support regulatory submissions outside the U.S., and the X-ACKT study in primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which would support regulatory submissions for an additional epilepsy indication. We also have multiple Phase 3 azetukalner clinical trials underway in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression (BPD), based on topline data from our Phase 2 X-NOVA clinical trial. In addition, we are proud of our strong heritage in human genetics, deep understanding of ion channel biology, and expertise in novel chemistries to enable potent, selective ion channel targeting. We continue to advance an early-stage pipeline of novel therapeutic candidates, including Phase 1 studies for XEN1701 (targeting Nav1.7) and XEN1120 (targeting Kv7), which are important pain targets. Backed by a strong balance sheet to support our growth plans, we continue to build a fully integrated, premier neuroscience company with strong discovery, clinical development, corporate, and commercial operations.
About the Role:
Xenon is seeking a Senior Manager/Associate Director, Marketing Operations & Commercial Review to lead the commercial review committee and enable scalable, compliant, and high-quality delivery of programs and tactics. This role will work in close partnership with Marketing, Regulatory, Legal, Medical Affairs, Compliance, and IT to ensure seamless coordination, efficient processes, and strong governance across all marketing activities.
This position is critical in a fast-paced, pre-launch environment and requires a highly organized, proactive leader with deep experience in marketing operations, MLR/CRC processes, and cross-functional execution.
This position reports to the Vice President, Commercial Operations, and will be based out of Boston, MA, USA in our Needham office. Hybrid positions require a minimum of two onsite days per week.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Marketing Operations & Process Excellence
Lead the design, optimization, and execution of the Commercial Review Committee (CRC/MLR) process, ensuring alignment with Marketing, Regulatory, Legal, Medical, and Compliance stakeholders
Continuously assess and improve CRC workflows, identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and cycle-time challenges; proactively propose and implement solutions to enhance efficiency and quality
Serve as primary CRC operations lead, either directly coordinating reviews or managing an outsourced/vendor-supported model depending on capacity and business needs
Establish and manage CRC governance forums, including coordinating CRC steering committees, setting agendas, and aligning stakeholders on process improvements and priorities
Lead and coordinate the Executive Review Committee escalation governance committee
Partner with IT and cross-functional teams to manage systems supporting CRC workflows (e.g., Veeva PromoMats or similar), including user access, license management, and system enhancements
Lead the development and delivery of training programs for CRC processes, systems, and ways of working across Marketing and cross-functional partners
Stay current on industry best practices, emerging technologies, and innovation (including AI-enabled content and review solutions); identify opportunities and drive adoption of new capabilities to improve efficiency and scalability
Collaborate cross-functionally to evaluate and enhance the end-to-end content lifecycle, including:
Content intake and planning
Content creation and modular content strategy
Digital asset management (DAM) and content libraries
Content reuse and optimization
Develop and align stakeholders to a forward-looking roadmap for content operations maturity and implement prioritized enhancements
Lead the vendor selection, process development, and day to day coordination with marketing and other partners on materials printing and fulfillment management
Coordination & Planning
Partner closely with Marketing leadership to forecast review volume, assess capacity, and plan for fluctuations in workload and complexity
Proactively identify risks related to throughput, timelines, or resource constraints and develop mitigation plans in alignment with cross-functional stakeholders
Drive integrated planning and scheduling of marketing materials through the CRC process to ensure timely delivery of key campaigns, launches, and field materials
Act as a central point of coordination across Marketing, Regulatory, Legal, Medical, and Compliance to ensure alignment on priorities and timelines
Vendor & Agency Management
Manage external vendors and agency partners supporting:
CRC operations (if outsourced components are implemented)
Print, fulfillment, and material distribution
Define scope of work, performance expectations, and service-level agreements (SLAs) for vendors
Monitor vendor performance against KPIs and drive continuous improvement
Track budgets related to marketing operations and vendor services, ensuring efficient and compliant resource utilization
Performance Enablement
Define, implement, and track KPIs for marketing operations and CRC performance, including cycle times, approval rates, rework levels, and throughput
Develop and maintain operational dashboards and reporting to provide transparency into process performance and identify improvement opportunities
Use data-driven insights to continuously refine processes and improve effectiveness
Develop and propose short- and long-term objectives for the function in accordance with overall Company strategies and plans
Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with the Company’s Human Resource policies and practices
Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any
Some international travel may be required
Other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required
Bachelor’s degree required
6–10+ years of experience in marketing operations within pharmaceutical/biotech or agency environments
Demonstrated experience with:
MLR/CRC processes and governance
Campaign operations and asset lifecycle management
Vendor and agency management
Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements in pharmaceutical marketing
Preferred
Experience in launch or pre-launch environments, particularly in specialty or rare disease
Experience with Veeva PromoMats or similar systems
Exposure to omnichannel marketing and modular content strategies
Experience implementing process improvements or transformation initiatives
Our Total Rewards program includes base salary, target bonus, and stock options, as well as a full range of benefits including medical, dental, vision, short-& long-term disability, accidental death & dismemberment, and life insurance programs, Employee Assistance Program, travel insurance, and retirement savings programs with company matching contributions.
Xenon encourages time to rest and re-charge through vacation, personal days, sick days, and an end-of-year company shutdown. Xenon highly values employee development and has an expanding Training, Learning & Development program, including a Tuition Assistance program for advanced degrees.
Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. Needham, Massachusetts, USA Office
117 Kendrick Street , Suite 200, Needham, MA, United States, 02494
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