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Oncology Business Unit Lead
Reporting to the General Manager of Lilly Canada, this Affiliate Leadership Team Member will join at a defining moment for Lilly Canada's Oncology business. We are in the midst of an exciting phase of rapid pipeline growth — with multiple launches planned or underway across key tumour types. The Oncology Business Unit Lead is a senior commercial leadership role that will serve as the engine behind this momentum, driving our oncology portfolio from a position of strength while shaping the long-term strategic direction of the business unit in Canada.
As a member of the Affiliate Leadership Team, the Oncology Business Unit Lead will hold full commercial and P&L accountability for the Oncology portfolio, bringing together marketing, sales, market access, and medical affairs to deliver outstanding results for patients, healthcare providers, and the business.
**Location: **
This is a hybrid role – onsite presence at our Toronto office will be 10 days or more per month (or at least 50% of the time), determined in collaboration with your manager and based on business needs.
This role is also National in scope and will require 25 - 30% travel.
This role is eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as participation in the Lilly Bonus Program and car allowance.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Commercial Leadership & P&L Accountability
- Hold full P&L accountability for the Oncology Business Unit, including revenue delivery, expense management, and forecasting across the full oncology portfolio.
- Own the development and execution of the annual oncology business plan, aligning commercial strategy with Lilly Canada's affiliate-level objectives.
- Prepare, manage, and report on budgets and financial forecasts; monitor KPIs and take corrective action to achieve agreed financial targets.
- Drive revenue growth and brand uptake across promoted oncology products and pipeline launches, leveraging market insights to sharpen competitive positioning.
- Oversee all commercial operations across marketing, sales, and KOL engagement functions — ensuring seamless integration and accountability at every stage of the customer journey.
Affiliate Leadership Team Membership
- Serve as a full member of the Lilly Canada Affiliate Leadership Team, contributing to enterprise-wide strategy, resource allocation, and affiliate culture.
- Represent the Oncology Business Unit's performance, challenges, and outlook at the affiliate level, providing regular updates to the VP & General Manager and the broader leadership team.
- Champion cross-functional integration and a culture of accountability across the affiliate, promoting shared goals and collective ownership of outcomes.
- Collaborate with other Business Unit Leads and functional heads (Medical, Regulatory, Finance, HR, Legal, Government Affairs) to advance affiliate-wide priorities.
Brand Strategy & Marketing Excellence
- Provide strategic direction for all oncology brands in Canada — including identifying key customer insights, setting brand objectives, and developing integrated brand plans.
- Lead preparation and execution of short- and long-term brand strategies that are grounded in deep knowledge of the Canadian oncology landscape, competitive dynamics, and patient pathways.
- Act as player-coach for brand planning where needed, working directly alongside Brand Managers on material development and tactical execution.
- Foster a solution-focused contact strategy that enhances the customer experience while driving efficient resource deployment.
- Partner actively with global and regional brand teams to ensure Canada maximizes learnings from international markets and is positioned advantageously for global launches.
Market Access & Reimbursement
- Engage closely with the Market Access and Pricing & Reimbursement (PRA) teams to align commercial strategy with PMPRB guidelines, provincial formulary submission priorities, and pan-Canadian reimbursement processes (CDA/CADTH).
- Lead oncology-specific access strategy, including managing payer relationships, supporting Health Technology Assessment (HTA) submissions, and shaping reimbursement arguments at the provincial and national level.
- Partner with Government Affairs and Medical Affairs to inform and shape Health Canada regulatory and policy conversations relevant to the oncology portfolio.
- Support the development and delivery of value dossiers, pharmacoeconomic models, and reimbursement narratives in partnership with PRA colleagues.
Sales Leadership & Team Performance
- Lead, coach, and inspire the Oncology sales organization — via the Oncology National Sales Manager— to deliver high standards of customer engagement and business results.
- Build and maintain a high-performance sales culture rooted in accountability, continuous development, and exceptional customer service.
- Drive capability development across the sales team, with particular emphasis on institutional selling, account management, value-based selling, and oncology clinical acumen.
- Lead all national oncology sales meetings, POA cycles, and field coaching activities; model best-in-class selling behaviours.
- Manage field execution tracking and provide senior leadership with transparent reporting on key performance indicators and field activity.
Pipeline Launch Readiness
- Serve as the commercial lead for oncology launch planning, ensuring Canada is positioned to maximize launch opportunities across multiple tumour types in the near-term pipeline.
- Work with Regulatory, Medical, and Global teams to understand upcoming product label developments and their commercial implications, integrating this intelligence into launch strategies early.
- Champion pre-launch stakeholder engagement with KOLs, Tumour Boards, provincial cancer agencies, and national oncology societies.
- Build and refine launch readiness frameworks to ensure the commercial team is trained, resourced, and strategically aligned well ahead of product approvals.
Stakeholder Engagement & External Affairs
- Build and maintain relationships with key external stakeholders, including Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), major academic cancer centres, provincial cancer agencies, and national oncology professional associations.
- Represent Lilly Canada in oncology at national scientific congresses, advisory boards, and relevant patient advocacy forums.
- Partner with Medical Affairs and Government Affairs to shape the external environment in support of the oncology portfolio.
- Leverage thought leader relationships strategically to inform brand strategy, strengthen Lilly's scientific reputation, and support access initiatives.
Ethics, Compliance & Culture
- Ensure that ethics and compliance are at the centre of all decisions and activities within the Oncology Business Unit; uphold Lilly's Code of Business Conduct at all times.
- Create and sustain a business unit culture that is winning, inclusive, customer-focused, and grounded in the Lilly values of Respect for People, Excellence, and Integrity.
- Foster an environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion within the team and across partner functions.
- Hold team members accountable for adherence to all regulatory, legislative, and IMC Code of Ethical Practices standards.
Basic Requirements
Education
- University degree required; graduate degree in business (MBA) or life sciences strongly preferred.
Experience
- Minimum 10 years of progressive pharmaceutical commercial experience, with at least 5 years in oncology.
- Demonstrated experience in senior commercial leadership, including direct management of multi-functional teams (marketing, sales, and/or access).
- Proven track record of delivering P&L results and managing full commercial accountability for a therapeutic business unit.
- Experience leading or contributing to oncology product launches in the Canadian market.
- Strong working knowledge of the Canadian oncology access and reimbursement environment, including HTA/CDA processes, provincial formulary submissions, and PMPRB regulations.
- Familiarity with Health Canada regulatory pathways and their commercial implications.
Skills & Competencies
- Exceptional leadership presence and people management skills — ability to inspire, coach, and develop a high-performing multi-functional team.
- Strong strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to translate complex data and market dynamics into clear, actionable plans.
- Deep customer and stakeholder focus — proven ability to build trust-based relationships with KOLs, payers, and cancer agency decision-makers.
- Outstanding communication and influencing skills across multiple organizational levels, including affiliate leadership and global/IBU partners.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity and change, maintaining focus and team engagement during complex launch environments.
- High personal integrity and commitment to ethical conduct.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bilingual (English/French) strongly preferred, reflecting the bilingual nature of the Canadian market.
- Broad cross-functional experience (e.g., medical affairs, market access, business development) beyond core commercial roles.
- Experience managing or influencing IMC Code compliance and industry self-regulatory frameworks.
- Track record of building and launching oncology brands in competitive, rapidly evolving markets.
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is
$170,250 - $249,700
Full-time equivalent employees may also be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a pension plan; vacation benefits; eligibility for healthcare benefits; flexible benefits (if applicable) life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
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