Head of Competitive Intelligence

Head of Competitive Intelligence

Summary

• Set the strategy, standards, and operating model for competitive intelligence across Ionis’ portfolio, ensuring insights translate into implications, strategic choices, and decision support.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the competitive intelligence strategy, priorities, and operating model.
• Maintain a current, cross-functional view of the competitive landscape, scenarios, and business implications.
• Generate, synthesize, and communicate competitive insights from primary/secondary/field/congress and other sources into actionable recommendations.
• Drive competitive readiness and rapid-response execution (risks, opportunities, trigger points, scenarios).
• Partner with Market Insights, Forecasting, Commercial, Medical, Market Access, R&D, Supply, and others to pressure test assumptions and plans.
• Build and scale competitive intelligence capabilities (frameworks, processes, knowledge management, AI-enabled tools).
• Select and oversee external intelligence partners.
• Establish standards for objective analysis, competitive conduct, and information protection; ensure compliance with laws/industry codes/company policy.
• Plan and execute intelligence for key external events (e.g., medical congresses).
• Develop, coach, and lead a high-performing team; manage planning, resources, and budget.
• Build external networks with industry experts.
• Travel ~20% (including internationally).

Requirements

• 15+ years pharma/biotech experience with significant competitive intelligence/market insights/strategy/commercial/medical/R&D and/or investor relations; OR 12+ years with a master’s; OR 8+ years with a PhD.
• Bachelor’s required; PhD or advanced degree preferred.
• Proven cross-functional leadership and influence (often without direct authority).
• Deep competitive intelligence monitoring across the product lifecycle (early development through post-launch).
• U.S. launch experience required; global preferred.
• Experience in broad and rare disease markets (e.g., neurology, cardiology, pulmonology, immunology) preferred.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical rigor, and executive communication.
• Build scalable processes; digital and AI-enabled approaches strongly preferred.
• Strong people leadership; high learning agility; challenge assumptions constructively.