Sales Training Manager, CL&D

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 years of field sales experience
• Minimum of 1 year in a field trainer, sales training, or equivalent role
• Demonstrated experience supporting onboarding and sales capability development

Travel Requirements: Primarily remote role with periodic on-site meetings in office. Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

This role requires regular travel to support key training and commercial meetings, including:

• New Hire Training (NHT): Minimum of 4 in-person sessions annually
• Commercial Excellence Meetings: Approximately 2 meetings per year
• National Sales Meetings (NSM): Participation as required (1 per year)
• Additional ad hoc travel may be required based on business needs
• 3-4 CL&D department meetings
• Supporting POA meetings and Developmental meetings (i.e. LTEN) as needed.

Mental/Physical Requirements: Fast-paced environment handling multiple demands is involved. Must be able to exercise appropriate judgment as necessary. Requires a high level of initiative and independence. Excellent written and oral communication skills required. Requires ability to use a personal computer for extended periods of time.

People Management: This is an individual contributor role and does not have direct reports or formal people‑management responsibilities.

Travel Requirements:

Primarily remote role with periodic on-site meetings in office. Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Mental/Physical Requirements:

Fast-paced environment handling multiple demands is involved. Must be able to exercise appropriate judgment as necessary. Requires a high level of initiative and independence. Excellent written and oral communication skills required. Requires ability to use a personal computer for extended periods of time.

The base salary range for this role is

Base salary is part of our total rewards package which also includes the opportunity for merit-based salary increases, short incentive plan participation, eligibility for our 401(k) plan, medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances and leaves provided in line with your work state.  Our robust time-off policy includes flexible paid time off, 11 paid holidays plus additional time off for a shut-down period during the last week of December, 80 hours of paid sick time upon hire and each year thereafter.  Total compensation, including base salary to be offered, will depend on elements unique to each candidate, including candidate experience, skills, education and other factors permitted by law.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

Confidential Data: All information (written, verbal, electronic, etc.) that an employee encounters is considered confidential, in accordance with applicable law.

Compliance: Achieve and maintain Compliance with all applicable regulatory, legal and operational rules and procedures, by ensuring that all plans and activities for and on behalf of Sumitomo Pharma America (SMPA) and affiliates are carried out with the "best" industry practices and the highest ethical standards.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Drug Screening Requirements
Applicants for sales/field, manufacturing, or other designated roles will be required to submit to a pre-employment drug test.

Sumitomo Pharma America (SMPA) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

Sumitomo Pharma America (SMPA) endeavors to make its application process accessible to all. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact SMPA at [email protected]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.