Back to jobs
New

Director, Field Operations

Waltham, Massachusetts, United States

Who We Are:

Cogent Biosciences is a publicly traded biotechnology company dedicated to developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases. By leveraging validated biology and a rational drug discovery approach, Cogent aims to create real solutions that address the underlying drivers of disease and offer meaningful hope to patient's.

The company’s lead therapeutic candidate, bezuclastinib, is a highly selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor designed to potently target KIT D816V and other mutations in KIT exon 17. These mutations are known drivers of systemic mastocytosis (SM) and advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) - both serious conditions driven by oncogenic KIT signaling. Bezuclastinib is currently being evaluated in multiple registration-directed trials across Non-Advanced SM (NonAdvSM), Advanced SM (AdvSM), and GIST.  In July 2025, Cogent announced that its registration-direct SUMMIT trial in patients with NonAdvSM achieved statistical significance across all primary and key secondary endpoints, and the company is on track to file its first New Drug Application for this patient population by the end of 2025.  The company also remains on track to announce top-line results for its APEX trial in patients with AdvSM in the second half of 2025 and for its PEAK trial in patients with GIST by the end of 2025.  The company also has an ongoing Phase 1 study of its novel internally discovered FGFR2 inhibitor, and the Cogent Research Team is developing a portfolio of novel targeted therapies to help patients fighting other serious, genetically driven diseases targeting mutations in ErbB2, PI3Kα and KRAS.

Through its commitment to precision medicine and targeted innovation, Cogent Biosciences is working to transform the treatment landscape for patients with serious and underserved diseases. By leveraging validated biology and a rational drug discovery approach, Cogent aims to create real solutions that address the underlying drivers of disease. Our culture of inquisitiveness fuels continuous learning and innovation; we challenge assumptions, ask bold questions, and embrace a mindset of discovery to uncover transformative insights.

The Role: 

This critical role will lead the strategic and tactical execution of field (commercial customer-facing) operations supporting the launch of bezuclastinib across 3 important indications, Cogent Biosciences’ key pipeline asset. The Director of Field Operations will be a key member of the Commercial Operations and Analytics leadership team responsible for driving operational excellence for the commercial organization.  We are seeking a strategic and hands-on leader to optimize field deployment, execution, and operational readiness for our upcoming launches. As a key strategic partner to senior sales leadership, this will own the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of our customer-facing operating model.  The ideal candidate possesses both the strategic perspective required for sales excellence, and the executional perspective required for a field team to deliver a best-in-class launch.  The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in CRM systems, analytics, field operations, and cross-functional collaboration to drive operational excellence and accelerate launch impact. 
 
Responsibilities:
  • Strategic Leadership & Business Partnering  
    • Strategic partner to Senior Sales Leadership, Market Access, Marketing, Patient Services and Analytics to understand key functional needs that translate to field operational solutions and execution. 
    • Engage and Align with critical cross-functional team members that support field teams (IT, HR, Compliance, Sales Training, Congress Execution, Medical, etc).
    • Key field operations leader for real-time issue resolution, solution development, performance monitoring and operational support needs. 
  • Field Planning and Execution Operational Leadership 
    • Aligned with  the vision of the senior commercial leadership, develop and lead all the field planning processes (at the National and Regional level) required to enable a field force to launch in the rare disease and oncology space.  This includes business and call planning, targeting and segmentation, resource allocation, budgeting, reporting and all key sales enablement tools. 
    • Develop and lead the annual cadence of key field engagements and meetings (business reviews, key sales meetings, performance updates, etc).
    • Develop key field performance management and monitoring systems, processes and reporting (goals, key performance and execution metrics, etc) that are strategically aligned and visible to all stakeholders.
    • Ensure compliance with regulatory and legal requirements, including credentialing and spend reporting. 
  • Enabling Customer Facing Teams with Technology, Tools and Systems 
    • Working with senior commercial leadership to identify key technology capabilities and requirements to support an engaged and productive customer-facing organization across functions.
    • Collaborate with key functions (IT, L&D, Marketing) to develop, integrate and implement key field-facing tools such as CRM, call/business planning tools, peripherals (such as tablets), virtual selling capabilities, etc. 
    • Lead the onboarding and ongoing training requirements for the field to adopt new technology and processes into their way of working.
    • Develop/implement novel enabling SOPs for the field force to allow them to perform more effectively.  
    • Find opportunities to leverage technology or new digital solutions to improve productivity, simplicity and engagement of the field team.
    • Oversee vendor relationships related to CRM, data analytics, and field operations platforms. 
  • Performance Management, Monitoring and Reporting 
    • Leading an aligned approach to critical measurable indicators and outcomes related to field performance and execution.
    • Develop scalable reporting capabilities, field-facing dashboards, KPIs, and scorecards that enable actionable insights, performance monitoring and support coaching conversations.
    • Work with commercial leadership to establish the overarching philosophy of the SIP (sales incentive plan) and build the SIP integration plan for the field (quota setting process, key data sources and inputs, sales vs quota reporting capabilities, payout frequency and processes, QA/QC processes).
    • Build field response process and capability to respond to data, IC, and comp enquiries.
  • Launch Readiness and Deployment/Territory Optimization 
    • Work with senior leadership and external partners to design a fit for purpose customer facing organization with the right capabilities to ensure a best-in-class launch.
    • Optimize the deployment of field resources and geographies aligned with the market opportunities across Cogent’s three potential indications, HCP targeting, key centers of excellence in each territory.
    • Support the scale and build of the field operations resourcing and infrastructure to prepare for launch.
    • Act as a key member of the Launch Readiness workstream to represent the field readiness and key milestones reflecting the preparations for field activation on Day 1. 

 

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred. 
  • 8+ years of experience in pharmaceutical or biotech field operations, with launch experience in rare or specialty diseases. 
  • Proven expertise in CRM systems (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce), field analytics, and commercial data infrastructure. 
  • Strong understanding of field force effectiveness, territory design, and incentive compensation. 
  • Experience in a startup or growth-stage biotech environment preferred. 
  • Excellent project management, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills. 
  • Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly regulated environment. 

 

Salary Range:

215,000 - 245,000 $USD 

Target Bonus: 20%
Exact compensation will vary based on skills, experience, and location.
 
 
Our Locations
 
Waltham, MA: Our Boston office includes an open office layout that has recently undergone a makeover designed for collaboration and giving our employees the best work place possible. Free access is provided for both on-site parking and gym facilities in the building.
 
Boulder, CO: We have just moved into our new state-of-the art Research Facility in the fast-growing biopharmaceutical hub in the greater Denver/Boulder corridor.  Our CEO is based full-time in this location and we are proud to call this the home of Cogent’s discovery research organization.
 
Our Offer To You
 
To attract the very best talent, we offer a generous benefits package that includes competitive pay, performance-based bonus, stock options, insurance coverage (health, dental, life, and disability), competitive time-off, a 401(k) plan, and commuter/parking benefits.
 
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our goal is to have a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or disability, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

 

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Phone
Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


Select...
Select...
Select...