Director, Learning Excellence & Capability Development

Dompé is an Italian bio-pharmaceutical company that focuses on innovation, where a long tradition in the field of personal wellness goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to research and development to meet unsatisfied therapeutic needs. 
Established in 1940 in Milan, Dompé has an industrial and biotech research hub in L’Aquila, in addition to branches in Europe (Barcelona, Berlin, Paris and Tirana). The company has approximately 900 employees. The US headquarters of Dompé are based in Boston (R&D) and in the San Francisco Bay Area (Commercial Operations). 

Job Summary:
The Director of Learning Excellence & Capabilities Development is a role responsible for advancing learning strategy, field capability transformation, and learning operations across the Biotech organization.

Reporting to the Head of Biotech Learning & Training, this role serves as a strategic partner to Commercial, Market Access, Medical, IT, HR, Operations/Analytics, and Compliance leaders. The Director ensures learning initiatives are high-impact, scalable, and tightly connected to business outcomes, while reinforcing Dompé’s leadership standards, coaching culture, and values.  The role will be highly collaborative and pivotal driving organizational growth through innovative learning solutions and employee engagement pathways.  

The Director of Learning Excellence & Capabilities Development will work closely with Biotech BU functional heads on learning programming needed to support the business needs.  The role is designed to ensure best practices and innovative approaches are consistently applied across the Biotech Commercial BU.  This role will support and mapping learning programs to reinforce the competencies and enhance capabilities required to drive brand objectives, bridging skill development into professional development and learning / coaching insights into field effectiveness data.  This role will also be a valuable partner to the technology and analytics teams to ensure our platforms connectivity, keeps employees utilizing their available tools quantifying investments into their trainings and resource utilization. 
The role requires a high level of collaboration locally and a proactive approach is necessary to refine and build new learning resources and platforms.  The role will partner closely with HR operations to ensure training administration is captured within HRIS and assigned at time of trainings for all Biotech assignments
Candidates must enjoy working in a fast-paced, innovative environment. Excellent interpersonal skills, management and leadership experience, conflict management and negotiation experience, prioritization, ability to analyze complex issues to develop relevant and realistic plans, training programs and recommendations. Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into action; excellent analytical skills and an ability to communicate complex issues in a simple way and to orchestrate plans to resolve issues and mitigate risks.
OXERVATE is a first in class treatment for neurotrophic keratitis, a rare corneal disease impacting approximately 65,000 people in the United States. Given the first-in-class nature and strong clinical profile of OXERVATE, the US team, as well as our partners in Italy, China and other emerging countries will be growing in the coming years.  

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Biotech Learning Excellence & Operations Advancement
• Advance the Biotech capability and learning excellence strategy to engage and develop colleagues aligned to business priorities and kpis.
• Lead role-based capability frameworks across field and commercial populations that evolves to modern standards and grows for future marketplace demands of current employee population as well as new employee groups.
• Translate brand and go-to-market strategy into scalable learning journeys that can replicate and continuously develop learners.
• Implement a learning and development strategy aligned with the company's business goals and objectives

Field Readiness, Optimization & Performance Enablement
• Drive field readiness and execution excellence aimed at tomorrow’s learner with nimble platforms and reference aids.
• Partner with Commercial, HR, and Analytics to leverage effectiveness insights and map for talent and investments and measurable results.
• Optimize ways of working and role clarity as the organization scales and transforms.

Coaching Excellence & Skills Mapping
• Link Coaching Model usage by our front-line leaders to skills and talent strategies for future employee groupings
• Strengthen first- and second-line leader capability
• Review and modernize the KAM, FAM, PAM & Field Marketing employee competencies mapping skills of top employees and sharing insights. 

Learning Program Design & Innovation
• Lead blended learning solutions with measurable impact
• Reinforce Being a Leader at Dompé and company values in innovative and collaborative coaching programming.
• Maintain centralized learning repositories

Innovative Learning Methods
• Implement cutting-edge learning methodologies such as e-learning, gamification, microlearning, augmented reality (AR), and blended learning incorporation with AI
• Transform Biotech Learning modeling the adult learning principles needed for future corporate training in partnership with enabling functions

Strategic Project Implementation
• Within Biotech Commercial collaborate with the Head of Biotech Learning & Training on strategic implementation of projects by developing detailed plans, assigning tasks, and allocating resources. 
• Ensure that projects align with organizational goals and drive meaningful change. 

Dompe training calendar & planning
• Modernize and build efficiencies to how we communicate, plan and train our Biotech colleagues.
• Collaborate with the field leadership team to communicate upcoming training and context to the cross functional team

Qualifications:
•    Pharmaceutical/biotech sales or marketing experience and 12+ years people management experience is required
•    Multiple global positions across multinational companies working in matrix environments 
•    Recent ophthalmology market experience, ideally in anterior segment; Experience in optometry is a plus
•    Superior organizational skills including strong attention to detail and accuracy, the ability to prioritize and organize multiple projects, meet deadlines, problem-solve, analytical abilities and multi-task
•    Experience leading a team of direct reports is required knowing this individual will have direct reports, and be responsible for building a training platform that supports both current managers and those who aspire to lead others
•    Strong coaching and consultative skills with ability to communicate and influence at all levels of the company. 
•    Experience working in a complex matrix set-up with diversified business departments, internal and external stakeholders.
•    Experience with program management, learning & development, instructional design and e-learning.
•    Bachelor’s degree is required, MBA or master’s level degree a plus (PharmD, RN, OD, MPH, PhD)
•    40% travel is required

SKILLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS: TECHNICAL
•    Experience with hiring, coaching, on-boarding and developing others for success.  
•    Familiarity with feedback frameworks and critical conversations to help foster a culture of transparency across the organization.
•    Network of support, or demonstrated ability to build a network, within vendor and L&D space
•    Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills
•    Adept at forming and maintaining a collaborative work environment in and among cross functional teams. 
•    Knowledge and understanding of ophthalmology & optometry, as well as other therapeutic areas as the company grows.
•    Understanding of pharma/biotech compliance landscape, as well as understanding of budget planning & measuring impact
•    Ability to respond appropriately to needs of key stakeholders and manage expectations 
•    Demonstrated ability to effectively manage time and set priorities in circumstances of conflicting requirement
•    Excellent project management skills and follow through, as well as a proven ability to delegate and lead through others for key deliverables 
•    High performer with the ability to set a vision and provide clear direction across diverse internal and external stakeholders

SKILLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS: PERSONAL
•    Results-oriented
•    Strong strategic thinking and leadership skills.
•    Self-starter who thrives in fast-paced, start-up environment 
•    Critical thinker and active listener
•    Influential in driving outcomes and buy-in for ideas
•    Ability to manage multiple priorities and simplify approach based on priorities
•    Teamwork & collaboration
•    The desire to actively solicit feedback on performance and skill development needs
•    Appreciation for diversity of perspectives and approaches among peers
•    Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
•    Proven ability to design and implement effective learning and engagement programs.
•    Experience with performance management and talent development.
•    Proficiency in using learning management systems (LMS) and other relevant technologies.
•    Knowledge of biotech and life sciences industry trends and challenges.
•    Understanding of US general services regulations and standards.
•    Expertise in developing and delivering commercial training programs for Oxervate.

 
BENEFITS OF JOINING OUR TEAM 
•    Comprehensive medical benefits: we value access to healthcare for our patients as well as our employees
•    Generous vacation / holiday time off: we care about our employees and encourage a balanced lifestyle
•    Competitive 401(K) matching

Base Salary: $230,000 - $260,000 a year

At Dompe, we offer an attractive compensation package to our team members. Any offer would include a competitive base salary (estimate shared above), incentive bonus, and benefits package customary to the position. Actual individual pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.
We believe that the unique contributions of all employees create our success. To ensure that our products and culture continue to incorporate everyone’s perspectives and experience, we never discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.