Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., is a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan with operations in the U.S. (Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.), focused on addressing patient needs in oncology, urology, women's health, rare diseases, cell & gene therapies and CNS. With several marketed products and a diverse pipeline of early- to late-stage investigational assets, we aim to accelerate discovery, research, and development to bring novel therapies to patients sooner. For more information on SMPA, visit our website https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Job Overview:
This position reports to the Director, Commercial Learning & Development and is part of the Commercial Excellence department. The Sales Training Manager (STM) is responsible for the design, development, and delivery of high-impact training programs that build capability, confidence, and performance across the Commercial field sales organization. This role partners closely with cross-functional stakeholders - including Sales Leadership, Marketing, Market Access, Commercial Excellence and Compliance - to ensure training strategies align to brand objectives and corporate priorities.
The STM plays a critical role in onboarding new hires, advancing the effectiveness of tenured sales professionals, and reinforcing key capabilities through National Sales Meetings (NSM), Plan of Action (POA) meetings, and field-based training initiatives. This role requires a balance of strategic thinking, instructional design expertise, and strong facilitation skills across both virtual and in-person environments.
Essential Functions Required for Job:
Training Strategy & Execution
Design and deliver comprehensive training curricula for new hire onboarding (Phase 1 and Phase 2), including product knowledge, disease state education, selling skills, business acumen, and market access
Lead end-to-end facilitation of New Hire Training (NHT), ensuring readiness, certification, and alignment to field expectations
Develop and deliver training content for POA and National Sales Meetings, and other learning initiatives
Incorporate adult learning principles, experiential learning, and capability-based frameworks to drive measurable outcomes
Cross-Functional Partnership
Collaborate with Marketing, Market Access, Sales Leadership, and PRC partners to ensure accuracy, alignment, and approval of training materials
Partner with Field Trainers and First Line Sales Leaders to reinforce training in the field and support ongoing capability development
Contribute to strategic learning initiatives tied to product launches, brand priorities, and commercial excellence programs
Program & Project Management
Manage training projects from concept through execution, ensuring timelines, quality standards, and stakeholder alignment are met
Support continuous improvement by gathering feedback from learners, managers, and business partners and incorporating insights into future programming
Participate in CL&D special projects and innovation initiatives to enhance training effectiveness and scalability
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Product, Disease State & Customer Fluency
Learning Strategy, Instructional Design & Facilitation Excellence
Strategic Thinking & Cross-Functional Partnership
Business Acumen & Market Access Understanding
Project & Program Management
Executive Communication & Influence
Strong facilitation and presentation skills across live and virtual environments
Solid understanding of adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies (e.g., ADDIE, 6Ds)
Proven ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, matrixed environment
Experience working cross-functionally and influencing without authority
Proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
Familiarity with ROI measurement and training impact evaluation is a plus
Education & Experience Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree required, with a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in biotech or pharmaceutical industry
Minimum of 3…