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Columbus, Ohio, United States
Onsite
Aquestive Therapeutics is directly hiring for a District Sales Manager role to lead markets across multiple states.
About Aquestive Therapeutics
With more than 20 years of pioneering patient-centered innovation, we've transformed how millions access life-saving medications. Our track record speaks for itself: 6 FDA approvals, 2.5 billion doses delivered worldwide, and a presence across 6 continents. As we prepare to launch Anaphylm™, our latest breakthrough in overcoming patient barriers, we're building a sales team that shares our commitment to innovation that matters.
The Role
As a District Sales Manager, you'll be the architect of launch success in your region, building a team that doesn't just hit numbers, but changes patient outcomes. You'll recruit talent, develop future leaders, and translate corporate strategy into territory-level wins. This isn't management from a distance; you'll be in the field coaching your territory representatives through complex sales cycles, celebrating breakthrough moments, and holding the line on performance and integrity.
Key Responsibilities
Build & Lead a High-Performing Team
Recruit exceptional Therapeutic Specialty Representatives who combine sales excellence with mission alignment.
Develop your team through consistent field coaching, structured feedback, and individualized development plans.
Create a culture of accountability and growth where representatives take ownership of their territories and support each other's success.
Foster diversity, equity, and inclusion across your region—ensuring every team member has the support and opportunities to thrive.
Identify and cultivate future leaders within your team.
Drive Strategic Execution
Partner with VP of Sales, Areas Sales Director and peer DSMs to shape national sales strategy, leveraging field-level insights to inform direction.
Translate corporate objectives into district business plans that account for local market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and payer environments.
Establish clear performance metrics and tracking mechanisms that connect daily activities to launch milestones.
Analyze territory performance data to identify gaps, opportunities, and best practices worth scaling.
Coach for Impact
Conduct frequent field rides that balance observation, real-time coaching, and collaborative problem-solving.
Help representatives master the consultative selling approach required for Anaphylm's value proposition.
Guide your team through objection handling, particularly around payer access and product differentiation.
Connect daily sales activities to the broader mission—helping representatives see how their work removes barriers for patients who need an effective, easy-to-carry, easy-to-use epinephrine rescue medication.
Navigate Market Access Complexity
Develop fluency in payer landscapes—national plans, formularies, and local coverage nuances.
Translate payer insights into actionable pull-through strategies for your team.
Collaborate with Market Access and Hub Services to resolve coverage barriers and accelerate patient starts.
Track and share market access wins, barrier patterns, and successful resolution strategies.
Foster Cross-Functional Alignment
Partner with Marketing, Medical Affairs, Training, and Market Access to ensure consistent brand execution.
Serve as the voice of the field—sharing customer insights, competitive intelligence, and execution challenges that inform broader strategy.
Facilitate collaboration with specialty pharmacy partners and patient services teams.
Represent your region in national sales meetings, strategy sessions, and launch planning forums.
Ensure Operational Excellence
Drive CRM discipline across your team—ensuring high-quality documentation of calls, payer feedback, and sampling activity.
Monitor compliance with all regulatory requirements including PDMA, AE/product complaint reporting, and promotional guidelines.
Conduct regular territory business reviews that assess performance, identify improvement areas, and align on priorities.
Manage district budget and resources efficiently to maximize ROI.
Qualifications
Required:
Bachelor's degree
Minimum 5 years leading pharmaceutical or specialty sales teams (front-line management experience required)
Proven success leading teams through product launches—ideally in specialty, allergy, or related therapeutic areas
Deep understanding of sales strategy, market access dynamics, and HCP engagement models
Track record of developing talent and improving team performance through effective coaching
Strong analytical skills with ability to translate data into strategic action
Willingness to travel 60 – 75%, including overnight stays for field rides, customer events, and company meetings
Preferred:
Experience in rescue medication, allergy, or products addressing medication adherence/administration barriers
Background in specialty pharmacy or hub services operations
Previous management of geographically dispersed team
Who Thrives Here
Mission-Driven Leaders who measure success not just by quota attainment, but by the patient lives improved through your team's work.
Launch Veterans who have built markets from scratch.
Talent Developers who get genuine satisfaction from watching team members grow, earn promotions, and achieve things they didn't think possible.
Strategic Executor who thinks big picture but obsesses over execution details.
Emotionally Intelligent Coaches who read people well, adapt coaching styles to individual needs, and build trust through authenticity and consistency.
Collaborative Partners who break down silos naturally. Marketing, Medical, Access—you speak their language and align with them around common goals.
Resilient Competitors who can navigate challenges, maintain team morale during setbacks, and find paths forward.
Compliance
Maintain alignment with corporate policies, training, and legal/regulatory requirements
Ensure field compliance with all company and industry standards, including:
Sampling and PDMA (if applicable)
Adverse Event (AE) and product complaint reporting
On-label and compliant promotional dialogue
CRM data quality and timely documentation.
The Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.
Expected salary range: $180,000 - $210,000/per year.
Available benefits include bonus eligibility, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by colleagues assigned to this position. This is not intended as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Aquestive reserves the right to make changes to the job description whenever necessary.
As part of Aquestive’s employment process, final candidate will be required to complete a drug test and background check prior to employment commencing.
Aquestive provides equal employment opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.