Are you ready to join a team committed to making a meaningful impact on cancer treatment through the discovery and development of precision medicines? At Kura Oncology, you have an opportunity to be a part of something bigger, with a lasting impact that you can be proud of.

At Kura Oncology, we are working to change the paradigm and improve the science of cancer treatment. As an organization, we strive to cultivate a diverse and talented professional culture driven to develop precision medicine therapeutics.

As we continue to build a leading biotech organization with a strong culture, a patient-focused mindset and a team focused on relentless execution, we are looking for innovative, passionate professionals to join us and make our vision a reality.

To succeed at Kura, you will need to have a demonstrated ability for excellence in drug discovery and development and a roll-up your sleeves attitude. The ideal candidate will possess a values-driven work style where integrity and grit drive all behaviors, decisions, and actions.

As a key member of the US Commercial Leadership team, the Vice President of Sales will help us prepare the company’s first product launches in the US. This position reports to the Chief Commercial Officer. The VP of Sales will build, manage, develop, optimize and lead a newly formed sales organization in preparation for an expected product launch in 2025. Critical responsibilities will include aligning commercial strategies by leveraging key cross-functional partnerships and expertise in field operations, training, performance analytics, market access, and marketing to optimize performance. This sales leader will be expected to build a fit for purpose selling model initially in the AML space, with the potential to expand based on expected pipeline advancement. Initially charged with hiring at least 4 direct reports with growth as dictated by launch timelines and commercial opportunities.

Essential Job Functions

  • Build, manage, develop, optimize and lead the sales organization. Guiding their execution on product and disease state clinical acumen, business acumen, competitive selling, customer relationship and account management
  • Represent sales on the US launch readiness team in preparation for alignment and execution with critical external facing functions, inclusive of medical affairs, managed markets, payors and regional marketing.
  • Nurture and advance critical and productive relationships related to strategy with brand management and other critical internal stakeholders including marketing, market access, field operations, performance analytics and incentives,
  • Financial management of FTE and operational budgets for the entire sales force function
  • Provides leadership with regular updates on sales-focused activities including lead generation, competitive intelligence, and product opportunities
  • Keeps abreast of market conditions, competitive activities, technological trends through ongoing research and engagement at industry and medical conferences, literature reviews and other sources
  • Establishes and delivers on corporate goals with a focus on supporting collaboration and innovative approaches to execute on plans

Job Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree required.
  • Minimum of 15 years commercial pharmaceutical experience with multi-functional, commercial experience. Oncology experience is a must. AML experience is a plus.
  • Successful record of accomplishment of attracting, developing and retaining talent and building high performing teams.
  • Launch preparation and launch experience in oncology is critical.
  • Exceptional communication, negotiation, and leadership skills
  • Ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving business environment
  • Knowledge of customer and reporting requirements
  • Highly motivated and target driven
  • Excellent cross-functional working skills
  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills
  • Travel required

Kura’s Values that are used for candidate selection and performance assessments:

  • We work as one for patients
  • We are goal-focused and deliver with excellence
  • We are science-driven courageous innovators
  • We strive to bring out the best in each other and ourselves

The Kura Package

  • Career advancement/ development opportunities
  • Competitive comp package
  • Bonus
  • 401K + Employer contributions
  • Generous stock options
  • ESPP Plan
  • 20 days of PTO to start
  • 18 Holidays  (Including Summer & Winter Break)
  • Generous Benefits Package with a variety of plans available with a substantial employer match
  • Paid Paternity/Maternity Leave
  • In-Office Catered lunches
  • Home Office Setup
  • Lifestyle Spending Stipend
  • Commuter Stipend (Boston Office)
  • Regular employee social activities, including happy hours, monthly birthday celebrations, Kura Koffee Talks, and much more!

Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing personalized therapeutics for the treatment of solid tumors and blood cancers. The company’s diverse pipeline consists of small molecules that target cancer signaling pathways where there is a strong scientific and clinical rationale to improve outcomes by identifying those patients most likely to benefit from treatment. Kura Oncology’s approach to drug development is focused on rapidly translating novel science into life-saving medicines. Our goal is to help patients with cancer lead better, longer lives. Kura Oncology has offices in San Diego, California, and Boston, Massachusetts.

Kura’s pipeline consists of three investigational drug candidates: ziftomenib, tipifarnib and KO-2806. Ziftomenib is a once-daily, oral drug candidate targeting the menin-KMT2A protein-protein interaction for the treatment of genetically defined AML patients with high unmet need. Ziftomenib is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 2 registration-directed trial (KOMET-001) in NPM1-mutant relapsed or refractory AML. Kura is preparing to initiate multiple Phase 1 trials to evaluate ziftomenib in combination with current standards of care in earlier lines of therapy and across multiple patient populations, including NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML. Tipifarnib, a potent and selective FTI, is currently in a Phase 1/2 trial (KURRENT-HN) in combination with alpelisib for patients with PIK3CA-dependent HNSCC. Kura intends to evaluate KO-2806, a next-generation FTI, in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial (FIT-001) as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted therapies in adult patients with advanced solid tumors. For additional information, please visit Kura’s website at www.kuraoncology.com. 

Kura Oncology is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

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