Head Marketing - Ssa At Cipla

Key Accountabilities (1/5)
Develop marketing strategy for existing and new products across East Africa countries to build the Cipla brand and drive market growth in SSA
Identify key products driving business, and develop medium to long-term marketing and branding approaches for them to create a unique value proposition for each product and drive higher participation across value chain
Drive revenues for key therapy areas through marketing initiatives
Develop marketing and branding strategy to drive success of key new product launches in East Africa markets and also provide new product ideas based on market visits to portfolio group
Plan and ensure availability of optimal resources to secure the regional franchise targets
Drive demand generation through marketing initiatives and ensure that Cipla's market leader position is maintained in key markets
Recommend competitive pricing strategies for products based on market knowledge and research, aligned to the marketing growth objectives

Drive and monitor marketing operations to ensure smooth functioning and effectiveness of marketing initiatives
Establish appropriate budget goals aligned with external marketplace and internal strategy and ensure that all marketing and branding initiatives fall within this budget through optimal budget planning and allocation of monetary resources among countries
Commission external market research to gain additional market insight and into customers – segmentation, buying behaviours, profiles etc., to design appropriate targeting strategy for the markets
Undertake competitor mapping on parameters such as product portfolio, marketing strategies, price-product offerings, launch techniques and media planning, and utilize this understanding to redefine own strategies to maintain competitive edge
Gain insights from market visits that translate into recommendations for other functions (e.g.: new product opportunities for Portfolio)

Drive the implementation of marketing strategies via therapy experts in the countries to ensure achievement of targeted profitability in the region
Develop and recommend pricing strategies, in line with the marketing and commercial strategy of the region & company
Act as an internal consultant for the top management to drive the new strategy business model in order to increase the sales force productivity and achieve successful results
Build and manage a strong business partnership with external vendors to maximize company investments and ensure implementation of 'Best in Class' programs

Provide additional support to countries to roll out the marketing initiatives as per the country-specific strategic plan, and ensure that the initiatives are implemented

Drive the development of standardized marketing materials for top performing products to harmonize brand communication and prevent rework
Design common marketing strategies and promotional plans across SSA countries, which can be used in each country with little or no adaptation, ensuring alignment to the overall organizational growth objectives
Design promotional and medical events to be conducted across regions to establish Cipla as a science-driven company
Ensure that a unified message is communicated to medical fraternities and other target audiences across regions on a given product
Oversee the development of common promotional materials and collaterals to be rolled out across SSA, customized to the portfolio and market needs of the region
Partner with the legal department to review marketing materials for legal compliances across regions
Coordinate with the countries and scientific event agencies to identify key speakers for the Regional and Local/Key Country events
Collaborate with Medical Services and Regional teams to identify important international conferences and CMEs for Cipla as well as events that can be initiated by Cipla, and ensure unified company presence across these events
Engage with Key Opinion Leaders to better tailor the medical events to suit the needs of the medical fraternity
Support all frontends in developing and executing the yearly planner with objectives of ensuring more focus on Cipla events & Big Bang events to establish Cipla as a differentiated and well recognised brand across all East Africa markets

Key Accountabilities (5/5)
Support Sales Force Effectiveness team to ensure that the sales force is adequately equipped with appropriate tools and materials to drive excellence across regions
Support the design of the yearly training calendar for each country/ region, to include medical as well as technical sales training programs, and number of medical visits, by taking inputs from the Regional Heads/ Country Managers on the training requirements
Support the planning of a training program for newly inducted sales force, to ensure that their skills are enhanced up to company standards
Assist with inputs on incentive structures and a unified incentive plan across region to drive sales force productivity and motivation
Build and maintain strong partnerships with SFE and Sales Managers, HR, IT, Finance and other internal departments to support the implementation of sales excellence programs and development of a systematic approach to monitor, measure and track sales performances
Assess the effectiveness of all training programs and materials through participant evaluations and management feedback

Commercial planning, commercial policies and compliance policies
Adapt a flexible sales process that can incorporate market knowledge, adapt to local business conditions, and enable quick feedback to derive higher returns

Develop the team capabilities for long-term growth within the company, in line with business objectives and requirements
Provide holistic direction and guidance to the team when needed (e.g.: improving process efficiency for roll outs, or advising on the strategy for building focus for a particular therapy)
Invest in capability-building for the team by providing them with opportunities for their long-term development

Major Challenges
Developing unified marketing strategies and materials such that they will have customer appeal across diverse regions
Key Interactions (1/2)
Head of Sales Force Effectiveness – frequent – to align on regional marketing strategies and sales force training needs
Medical Services – frequent – to collaborate on identifying or designing conferences
Regional Product Managers – frequent – to provide guidance on roll out of marketing initiatives

Key Interactions (2/2)
Vendors – need-based – for external market research, design of collaterals etc.
KOLs – frequent – to build networks and relationships and keep abreast of trends in the market

Dimensions (1/2)
Key DTMs handled for marketing: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Other key markets:
Key therapy areas: Gastro, Respiratory, Cardiology, HIV, Infectious Diseases, Oncology, Men's Health, Women's Health
Drive demand generation through relevant marketing efforts for DTM markets
Define partnering opportunities for markets
Revenue supported through marketing initiatives across SSA

Education Qualification
Any science / medical / pharma graduate + MBA

Relevant Work Experience
At least 10 years' experience in marketing
Prior pharmaceutical marketing experience is preferable
Prior experience in developing and executing marketing and branding strategies is preferable