growthroles

[KOREA] Head of Commercial Operations

Santen santen.com Open · verified Sep 29, 2026
Hybrid Seoul Full-time Director Sales Leadership

At a glance

Leadership Sales Leadership role at Santen. Seoul · full-time.

Pay not stated

RoleSales Leadership
SeniorityDirector
LocationSeoul
WorkplaceHybrid
EmploymentFull-time
PostedSep 11, 2026 · 2w ago
Role brief

growthroles summary, based on the employer's posting.

What you'll do

  • Turn brand and product direction into sales plans that improve commercial growth and field execution
  • Set priorities with Sales and Patient Journey Solutions teams, connecting commercial plans to field activity
  • Track KGI and KPI results, diagnose obstacles, and lead ongoing PDCA improvements
  • Use internal and external data to shape decisions, improve sales force effectiveness, and strengthen brands
  • Run CRM, omnichannel, training, target-setting, evaluation, and incentive processes across the commercial organization

What you bring

  • A related bachelor's degree or higher, plus at least seven years in pharmaceutical sales or another commercial function
  • At least seven years focused on Commercial Excellence, Sales Effectiveness, or related commercial operations work
  • Strong ophthalmology knowledge and familiarity with Korea's pharmaceutical and healthcare market
  • Advanced Excel, PowerPoint, and BI-platform skills for analysis and reporting, with strong problem-solving ability
  • Business-level English communication, alongside stakeholder management and cross-functional influence skills

Who this fits

This role suits a senior commercial operations leader who can connect strategy, analytics, field execution, CRM, omnichannel work, and capability building. You should understand ophthalmology and the Korean healthcare market, and be comfortable influencing Sales, Patient Journey Solutions, regional Commercial Excellence, and cross-functional teams. The position is based in Seoul on a hybrid arrangement and asks applicants to submit a resume in Korean plus English or Japanese.

From the employer

Santen is a specialized life sciences company with a proud 130-year heritage focused exclusively on ophthalmology. As a Japan-originated, global company with our footprint in over 60 countries, we are dedicated to delivering innovative treatments and digital solutions for eye health and addressing vision-related social issues for people around the world.

As an affiliate of Santen Global, guided by our vision of “Happiness with Vision,” Santen Korea is committed to improving patients' lives through innovative eye care solutions, scientific excellence, and strong partnerships with healthcare professionals.

As we continue to expand our business, we are seeking a dedicated, strategic, and talented Head of Commercial Operations to join our team in Seoul, Korea.

The Head of Commercial Operations drives Commercial Excellence by translating brand and product strategies into effective sales execution plans that support business growth and deliver the company's vision. The role develops customer-focused commercial strategies based on Right Targeting, Right Message, and Right Resource Allocation, enhances sales force effectiveness, monitors execution performance, and collaborates cross-functionally to maximize commercial impact. In addition, this position leads capability-building initiatives to strengthen the scientific knowledge, communication skills, and strategic execution capabilities of the commercial organization.

What you will do

  • Lead the development and execution of Commercial Excellence (CE) strategies, translating brand and product strategies into actionable sales plans that drive business growth and market success.
  • Partner closely with Sales and Patient Journey Solutions (PJS) teams to establish strategic priorities, optimize execution processes, and ensure alignment between commercial strategy and field activities.
  • Monitor and analyze KGI/KPI performance, identify key success factors and barriers, and drive continuous improvement through effective PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) management.
  • Collaborate with regional Asia Commercial Excellence and cross-functional teams to share best practices, address business challenges, and advance omnichannel and commercial excellence initiatives.
  • Leverage internal and external data to generate actionable insights, support strategic decision-making, enhance sales force effectiveness, and strengthen brand performance.
  • Oversee CRM operations and omnichannel projects, ensuring effective system utilization, process optimization, and continuous improvement of commercial execution capabilities.
  • Lead the development and implementation of Medical Representative (MR) training programs, building capabilities in scientific knowledge, customer engagement, communication, and strategic execution.
  • Drive target-setting, performance evaluation, and incentive processes, ensuring fair, transparent, and strategic allocation of targets while supporting performance management across the commercial organization.

What you will bring to the role

  • Bachelor's degree or above in a related field.
  • Minimum 7 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, field force leadership, marketing, or other commercial roles, with at least 7 years of Commercial Excellence, Sales Effectiveness, or related commercial operations experience.
  • Strong knowledge of ophthalmology and a solid understanding of the Korean pharmaceutical and healthcare market, preferably within eye care.
  • Proven expertise in Commercial Excellence principles, including sales force effectiveness, customer targeting, resource allocation, performance management, and omnichannel engagement.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable business insights.
  • Advanced proficiency in data analysis and reporting tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Business Intelligence (BI) platforms.
  • Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and drive strategic initiatives across the organization.
  • Strong communication and presentation skills, with business-level proficiency in English (written and spoken).

Grow your career at Santen

A career at Santen is an opportunity to make a difference. Through our long-term vision outlined in Santen 2030, we are committed to be a Social Innovator - addressing the social and economic needs of people with visual impairments. We have team members around the world using their diverse talents to unlock new modalities and drive innovations for patient outcomes, education and treatment. At Santen, we believe in empowering all our team members with flexible ways of working and a highly inclusive work environment.

The Santen Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building diverse teams and ensuring a safe and inclusive physical and virtual workplace for every one of our team members. All employment decisions are based on business needs, role requirements and individual qualifications regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/ expression, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you require any kind of accommodation during our recruitment process, please let the recruiter from our team know.

Please use the attached Resume Format template when you submit the resume.

Submit in 2 languages please. (Korean & English or Korean & Japanese)

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