Product Manager, Tavi Franchise

Structural Heart Business Mission: Why We Exist

Our business purpose is to restore health and improve quality of life through the design and provision of device and management solutions for the treatment of structural heart disease.

We aim to lead the markets we serve by requiring the solutions we offer customers provide an improved benefit/risk profile as compared to existing standards of care; a performance threshold that by definition, guides and ensures the productive output of our engineering, business development, and clinical research efforts result in outcomes that advance the standard of care.

Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs over 100,000 people.

Abbott’s leadership in Transcatheter Technologies is centered around innovations to treat valvular disease with minimally-invasive techniques including technologies for TEER and TAVI therapies. Abbott has developed Navitor® with FlexNav incorporating the latest advancements in TAVI technology and will launch in Japan in 2022.

Job Purpose and Scope

The TAVI Product Manager is responsible for setting strategic direction in Japan for the portfolio and for tactical implementation of activities aligned to a patient-centric, customer-centric and goal-achieving culture, leading to optimal clinical adoption, outcomes, and customer satisfaction within the space.

The Japan Product Manager is in charge of product and portfolio marketing activities related to technology and market, planning and execution, and achievement of business objectives for the portfolio under the leadership of the Head of TAVI. The Product Manager is responsible for products throughout their lifecycles including market analysis and opportunity assessments, and marketing plans and activities that optimize competitive differentiation, patient benefit and value. This also includes ownership of long-term planning, ensuring prioritization of Japan market for new technologies, and developing roadmaps to accelerate new market entry.

Core Job Responsibilities

The TAVI Product Manager is responsible for the following related to their portfolio:

• Develop Japan-specific marketing strategies and tactics for new product launches including market analysis, clinical strategy, reimbursement strategy, product positioning and messaging.
• Contribute to the achievement of objectives via development and close execution of annual marketing plans.
• Design and prepare the workflow, procedure, logistics and documentation required for product launch and business operation driving the cross-functional teams.
• Plan and execute TAVI marketing tactics, especially for messaging for brand positioning and differentiation, peer to peer event to demonstrate product benefit, and activities to deepen customer engagement in TAVI market.
• Set appropriate KPIs (leading KPIs, activity KPIs, clinical KPIs and performance KPIs) for marketing tactics, analyze data and track to take timely corrective actions as necessary
• Leverage customer relationships, technical expertise and product knowledge to plan and coordinate new launches, and provide the sales team with appropriate messaging, campaigns and tools highlighting objective, relevant differentiation. 
• Develop promotional tools and optimize others provided by Global Marketing; launch with appropriate localization, training, and tracking.
• Create open, productive lines of communication between the sales and clinical team and all other areas that affect the product: Regional and Global Marketing, RA, QA, etc.
• Provide clinical and sales staff with clinical knowledge and promotional guidance, ensuring products are targeted appropriately to satisfy customer needs and expectations.
• Stay up-to-date on key publications, trials, indications, society guidelines, and market dynamics and reflect to the communication / marketing strategy
• Interface with Public Relations firms, market research companies; design agencies and other vendors and customers to effectively grow business in a profitable manner while maintaining a customer focus throughout all activities. 
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with key customer accounts as well as market influencers.

Position Scope

The TAVI Product Manager is responsible for achievement of the goals and objectives associated with their products including revenue, margin, and expense budget. Business Process goals will be measured against commitments in the annual marketing plan. Strict compliance with the Abbott Quality System and all Ethics/Compliance guidelines is required

Minimum Skills Required

• Strategic thinking
• Proactive, action-oriented execution skills
• Problem solving with intense sense of ownership
• Good communicator and strong interpersonal skills
• Project management including leadership of cross-functional teams
• Proven ability to develop, and effectively present, strategies and plans
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with high expectations

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; MBA/graduate degree is desirable
• Business-level English or above
• Marketing or management consulting experience of at least two years
• Product management experience in medical device and/or pharmaceutical industry, especially in cardiology is a plus
• Knowledge/ability to develop and execute a new product launch.
• Demonstrated interest and aptitude for technical and/or clinical subjects
• Financial skills, market analysis and advanced communication skills
• Self-starter, proactive, willing to challenge status quo, and innately curious
• Strong story telling skills to captivate and influence audiences   
• Well-honed analytical skills as well as written and oral communication skills
• Successful experience with at least one cross-functional project preferred
• Able to influence and motivate individuals from sales, marketing, and other functional areas to drive product sales
• Able and willing to complete multiple projects simultaneously with tight deadlines
• Ability to travel 30-40% of the time

Accountability

• TAVI Product Manager will report directly to Head of TAVI, Transcatheter Technologies Business Unit, Structural Heart Division, Japan and will have primary marketing and budget responsibility for designated products.
• In this core Marketing role, the TAVI Product Manager will drive and be held accountable to deliver Sales, Margin, and annual goals for designated products.