# Category Lead, Oncology & Rare Disease – Middle East **Company**: Pfizer Gulf **Location**: Dubai **Experience**: senior **Job type**: full-time **Category**: Healthcare **Industry**: Healthcare **Apply**: https://pfizer.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PfizerCareers/job/United-Arab-Emirates---Dubai/Category-Lead-Oncology---Rare-Disease---Middle-East_4966088-1?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_a1530d28-cb5 ## Description The Category Lead, Oncology & Rare Disease – Middle East is a strategic member of the Middle East Leadership Team, accountable for the portfolio’s end-to-end strategy, performance and long-term value across the cluster. The role translates enterprise and regional priorities into differentiated portfolio, launch and market strategies that balance near-term performance with sustainable growth and patient impact. It sets clear priorities across in-line brands, Growth Knots and breakthrough launches, enabling disciplined investment, resource allocation and execution across diverse Middle East healthcare systems. Working across Commercial, Medical, Access & Value, Regulatory, Policy & Public Affairs, Supply, Finance, Legal and Compliance,as well as regional and global teams,the role creates the conditions for launch excellence, expanded patient access and sustainable portfolio growth. It also builds a high-performing marketing organization and strengthens category leadership, customer engagement and execution capabilities across the cluster. **CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES** - **CATEGORY STRATEGY & PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP** - Translate the Middle East Oncology and Rare Disease strategy into clear portfolio, brand, market and customer priorities aligned with the cluster operating plan and growth agenda. - Lead end-to-end portfolio planning across in-line brands, new indications, pipeline assets and future launches, balancing current performance with long-term category value. - Shape differentiated strategies that reflect local disease burden, clinical pathways, diagnostic requirements, patient needs, access conditions and competitive dynamics. - Establish category governance, operating rhythms and performance reviews that connect enterprise and regional strategy with market execution. - Make disciplined portfolio trade-offs and direct resources toward the highest-value opportunities for patients and the business. - **BUSINESS & P&L LEADERSHIP** - Own category performance, providing clear direction on revenue, profitability, market share, investment and resource deployment. - Lead annual operating and long-range planning for the Oncology and Rare Disease portfolio, ensuring robust assumptions, scenarios, risk assessment and growth choices. - Prioritize approved marketing and commercial investments across brands, launches and markets, reallocating resources to the highest-impact opportunities. - Monitor performance and intervene early when launch, demand, access, supply or execution risks threaten category objectives. - Use performance data, market intelligence and customer insights to accelerate decisions and strengthen execution. - **LAUNCH & LIFECYCLE EXCELLENCE** - Lead integrated launch strategy and readiness for new products, indications and presentations across Middle East markets. - Define launch ambition, sequencing, market archetypes, customer strategy, investment requirements and critical success factors. - Build integrated launch plans across Regulatory, Medical, Access & Value, Policy & Public Affairs, Supply, Marketing, Sales and customer engagement. - Track readiness and post-launch performance through clear milestones and governance, accelerating decisions and removing execution barriers. - Optimize lifecycle strategies for in-line assets to sustain growth, expand patient reach and maximize portfolio value. - **PATIENT JOURNEY, DIAGNOSTICS & ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT** - Identify barriers across awareness, diagnosis, referral, treatment initiation, monitoring and continuity of care. - Translate patient and healthcare-system insights into compliant, cross-functional priorities and solutions. - Sponsor initiatives that strengthen diagnostic pathways, specialist networks and coordinated care. - Ensure category strategies reflect the needs of patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and health-system stakeholders. - Define measurable outcomes for priority patient-journey and ecosystem initiatives. - **MARKET SHAPING & PATIENT ACCESS** - Partner with Access & Value, Medical, Policy & Public Affairs and other functions to address pricing, reimbursement, diagnostic and system barriers. - Shape differentiated access strategies for Oncology and Rare Disease assets, including high-unmet-need and specialized-care pathways. - Embed access assumptions, payer insights and market-shaping priorities into portfolio, launch and operating plans. - Sponsor priority external initiatives that enable timely and sustainable patient access within approved responsibilities. - Anticipate policy, funding and healthcare-system changes, translating them into portfolio risks and opportunities. - **CUSTOMER & EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER LEADERSHIP** - Maintain a strong external orientation and ensure customer, patient and healthcare-system insights shape category strategy and execution. - Sponsor priority relationships with healthcare leaders, institutions, professional organizations and other relevant stakeholders within approved engagement responsibilities. - Represent the category with credibility, scientific fluency and executive presence. - Coordinate external engagement across functions to ensure a consistent Pfizer position. - Protect Pfizer’s reputation through responsible, transparent and compliant engagement. - **CROSS-FUNCTIONAL & MARKET LEADERSHIP** - Lead category teams across functions and markets, clarifying accountabilities, removing barriers and enabling coordinated, patient-centered execution. - Partner with market and sales leaders to translate category strategy into executable local plans with clear ownership and performance expectations. - Align with Medical on evidence generation, scientific engagement and education priorities that support portfolio and launch needs. - Collaborate with Access & Value, Regulatory, Supply and Finance to anticipate approval, demand, allocation, access and investment risks. - Partner with regional and global category teams to ensure Middle East needs and opportunities are reflected in portfolio strategies and enterprise decisions. - **ORGANIZATION & PEOPLE LEADERSHIP** - Build a high-performing, inclusive Oncology and Rare Disease organization with strong capabilities in portfolio strategy, launch excellence, insight generation and matrix leadership. - Attract, coach, develop and retain talent through meaningful experiences, candid feedback, succession planning and exposure to enterprise priorities. - Create clarity, accountability and collaboration across marketing, customer-facing teams, markets and functions. - Strengthen category, brand and launch capabilities across the Middle East cluster. - Foster a culture of courage, excellence, equity and joy, underpinned by high standards of ethics, compliance, inclusion and responsible leadership. **DECISION RIGHTS** - Set the strategic direction and portfolio priorities for the Middle East Oncology and Rare Disease category within approved enterprise and cluster governance. - Recommend category operating-plan assumptions and allocate approved marketing resources across brands, launches and markets. - Approve category brand plans, launch strategies, readiness governance and success measures. - Prioritize patient-journey, diagnostic, access and market-shaping opportunities for senior sponsorship and cross-functional investment. - Hold the category organization and cross-functional teams accountable for execution quality, compliance, performance and patient-centered delivery. - Escalate material portfolio, launch, access, supply and investment decisions through the appropriate governance forums. **CAPABILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS** - Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, Business or a related field; an MBA or equivalent advanced degree is preferred. - At least 10 years of pharmaceutical or healthcare experience, including substantial commercial leadership responsibility. - Demonstrated success leading complex portfolios, major launches and cross-functional teams in a matrix environment. - Experience in Oncology, Rare Disease, Specialty Care or another complex specialty portfolio is strongly preferred. - Strong commercial and financial acumen, including P&L management, forecasting, investment decisions and portfolio prioritization. - Deep understanding of specialized clinical pathways, diagnostics, patient journeys and complex access environments. - Proven people leadership, with direct accountability for talent development, succession and team performance. - Ability to integrate Commercial, Medical, Access & Value, Regulatory, Supply, Finance, Legal, Compliance and regional or global perspectives into practical business decisions. - Strong external orientation and the ability to convert customer, patient, competitor and health-system insights into action. - Enterprise mindset and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across cultures, markets, functions and organizational levels. - Excellent analytical, strategic, communication and executive-presentation skills. - Fluent English is required; Arabic language capability is an advantage. - Uncompromising standards of ethics, compliance, governance and responsible stakeholder engagement. **CRITICAL LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS** - Connects portfolio, market, patient and enterprise priorities to create sustainable value across the cluster. - Balances evidence, access, investment, supply, customer needs and business value across brands, launches and markets. - Sets clear launch ambition, mobilizes cross-functional teams and removes barriers to execution. - Builds strong marketers and matrix leaders while fostering clarity, accountability and collaboration. **KEY ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS** - Middle East Cluster Lead and Middle East Leadership Team - Market, sales and commercial leaders across Middle East markets - Medical, Access & Value, Regulatory, Policy & Public Affairs, Supply, Finance, Legal, Compliance and People Experience - Regional and global Oncology, Rare Disease, Category and Commercial teams - Marketing, customer-facing and launch teams across the Middle East - Healthcare professionals, healthcare leaders, payers, institutions, professional organizations and relevant health-system stakeholders, within approved engagement responsibilities ## Skills ### Required - Life Sciences - Pharmacy - Medicine - Business - Commercial Leadership - Portfolio Management - Launch Excellence - Patient Access - Market Shaping - Customer Engagement - Cross-Functional Leadership - People Leadership - Strategic Planning - Financial Acumen - Communication - Executive Presence ### Nice to have - Oncology - Rare Disease - Specialty Care - Arabic - MBA or equivalent advanced degree --- Source: [Apply at pfizer.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com](https://pfizer.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PfizerCareers/job/United-Arab-Emirates---Dubai/Category-Lead-Oncology---Rare-Disease---Middle-East_4966088-1?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)