Sales Lead – Special Access Medicines – Hospital Business

Location: Dubai, UAEEmployment Type: Full-TimeIndustry: PharmaceuticalsReports To: CEO/ManagementAbout the EmployerOur client is an established pharmaceutical company with operations and a strong presence across five GCC countries. With an established pharmaceutical network, market knowledge, and regional healthcare relationships, the organization is now expanding into a new business vertical focused on Special Access Medicines (SAM).The company is looking for an entrepreneurial and commercially driven Sales Lead – Special Access Medicines & Hospital Business to build and develop this division in the UAE.Position SummaryThe Sales Lead will be responsible for building the Special Access Medicines business from the ground up, with a primary focus on the UAE hospital and healthcare market.The role will involve identifying unmet medicine requirements, drug shortages, rare and specialty medicines, and other products that are difficult to access through conventional supply channels.The candidate will be responsible for building the opportunity pipeline, developing hospital relationships, identifying sourcing opportunities, coordinating with regulatory and supply teams, and converting identified requirements into sustainable business.This is a high-ownership role suited to a pharmaceutical professional with strong hospital relationships, market intelligence capabilities, and an established network across the UAE healthcare ecosystem.Key Responsibilities1. Build the Special Access Medicines DivisionDevelop and execute the go-to-market strategy for the company's Special Access Medicines division.Build the SAM business pipeline from the ground up.Identify target hospitals, healthcare institutions, therapeutic areas, and product categories.Develop processes for identifying, evaluating, sourcing, and supplying Special Access Medicines.Establish the commercial framework and operating model for the new division.Work closely with management to define business priorities, targets, and growth plans.2. Identify Medicine Access OpportunitiesContinuously identify:Special Access MedicinesDrug shortages and supply gapsRare and orphan medicinesSpecialty medicinesCritical and emergency medicinesHard-to-source or unavailable medicinesOther unmet pharmaceutical requirements within the hospital ecosystem.Develop reliable sources of market intelligence to identify medicine requirements before they become sales opportunities.Build and maintain a database of identified medicine requirements and potential supply opportunities.3. Hospital Business DevelopmentDevelop strong relationships with hospitals, hospital pharmacies, procurement teams, pharmacists, and relevant decision-makers.Identify and onboard target hospital accounts.Understand hospital procurement processes, formularies, medicine requirements, and purchasing patterns.Generate business opportunities through direct hospital engagement.Develop long-term relationships with key hospital stakeholders.Convert hospital requirements into commercial opportunities.4. Drug Shortage & Supply IntelligenceDevelop a systematic approach to identifying drug shortages and supply disruptions.Monitor market availability and identify products with limited or interrupted supply.Identify alternative sourcing opportunities for shortage products.Coordinate with sourcing and procurement teams to establish reliable supply.Develop a network of pharmaceutical suppliers and manufacturers capable of supporting urgent and specialized requirements.5. Rare & Specialty MedicinesIdentify opportunities in rare, orphan, specialty, and high-value medicines.Build relationships with hospitals and specialty departments.Understand therapeutic-area requirements and patient access challenges.Identify appropriate manufacturers, suppliers, and sourcing channels.Develop commercial opportunities around specialty and rare medicine requirements.6. Cross-Functional CoordinationWork closely with Regulatory, Procurement, Supply Chain, Logistics, Quality, and Finance teams.Coordinate product sourcing and regulatory requirements.Ensure appropriate documentation and approvals are obtained.Coordinate the process from requirement identification through sourcing, approval, order, and delivery.Resolve commercial and operational issues affecting supply.Candidate ProfileThe ideal candidate should be a pharmaceutical business development/sales professional with strong UAE hospital exposure and a demonstrated understanding of specialty and hard-to-source medicines.The candidate should ideally bring:An established network of UAE hospitals and healthcare stakeholders.Strong understanding of pharmaceutical hospital procurement.Existing relationships with hospital pharmacists, procurement teams, and key decision-makers.Experience identifying pharmaceutical supply gaps and market opportunities.Understanding of Special Access Medicine processes.Strong network among pharmaceutical suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, or sourcing partners.Strong commercial negotiation and relationship-management skills.Required Experience5+ years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, hospital business, specialty pharmaceuticals, business development, or a related field.Strong experience in the UAE pharmaceutical market.Experience with hospital business and institutional sales is mandatory.Experience with Special Access Medicines, rare medicines, specialty medicines, drug shortages, or emergency medicine supply is highly preferred.Existing relationships with UAE hospitals and healthcare stakeholders are a significant advantage.GCC pharmaceutical market experience is preferred.Key SkillsSpecial Access MedicinesHospital Business DevelopmentPharmaceutical SalesSpecialty & Rare MedicinesDrug Shortage IntelligencePharmaceutical SourcingHospital ProcurementKey Account ManagementSupplier & Manufacturer NetworkBusiness DevelopmentMarket IntelligenceCommercial NegotiationRegulatory CoordinationSales Pipeline DevelopmentGCC Pharmaceutical MarketCompensation & BenefitsCompetitive salary based on experience.Performance-based incentives linked to business growth.Medical insurance.UAE employment benefits as applicable.Mobile/telephone reimbursement.Career growth opportunity within a newly established business division.Why Join?Build a new Special Access Medicines division from the ground up.Work directly with management on a strategic new business vertical.Leverage an established pharmaceutical platform across five GCC countries.Build relationships across hospitals, pharmaceutical suppliers, and healthcare stakeholders.Opportunity to shape the business model, product portfolio, sourcing network, and hospital strategy.Potential to expand the division across the wider GCC after establishing the UAE business.