Associate Director, Field Marketing Engagement
Company: Palvella Therapeutics
Location: Wayne, PA
About Palvella:
At Palvella Therapeutics, we’re focused on building the leading therapeutic company focused on rare genetic skin diseases with no approved therapies. Our QTORIN™ platform addresses issues in the development of targeted topical treatments including achieving therapeutic drug concentrations and chemical stability, while minimizing systemic absorption of the drug. Applied topically rather than orally, QTORIN™ has the power to transform the current treatment landscape and transform lives.
We are driven by a mission to serve patients who have been left without options, focusing our efforts where the unmet need is greatest. Everything we do is anchored in advancing treatments that can meaningfully change lives where no solutions currently exist.
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Senior Director, Field Marketing, the AD, Field Marketing Engagement will support the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of Palvella’s promotional speaker programs for the planned launch and promotion of QTORIN™ rapamycin in microcystic lymphatic malformation (mLM), a rare vascular malformation presenting in the skin.
The ideal candidate is a highly organized, compliance-minded program leader who has helped build and run speaker bureaus in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, ideally within a rare disease or specialty launch setting. A proven ability to manage speakers, vendors, budgets, and cross-functional stakeholders while delivering high-quality, impactful programs is required.
Key Responsibilities:
Speaker Program Planning and Execution
- Facilitate end-to-end planning and execution of promotional speaker programs (live, virtual, and congress-adjacent), including program calendars, venue and logistics coordination, attendee management, and post-program reconciliation.
- Partner with field marketing, brand, and sales leadership to align program strategy, targeting, and cadence with brand objectives across customer segments.
- Manage multiple concurrent programs and priorities with strong attention to detail, ensuring every program is delivered on time, on budget, and to a high standard.
Speaker and Vendor Relationship Management
- Oversee build-out and maintenance of speaker bureau portal.
- Support the ongoing management of the speaker bureau, including speaker identification, contracting, onboarding, and utilization tracking.
- Ensure speakers are trained on approved slide decks and program requirements, and train internal teams (sales, field marketing) on program nomination, execution, and compliance processes.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for speaker bureau and logistics vendors; oversee statements of work, performance against service levels, and issue resolution.
Compliance and Budget Management
- Ensure all speaker programs are executed in strict accordance with OIG guidance, the PhRMA Code, FDA regulations, Sunshine Act/Open Payments transparency reporting, and company policies; partner closely with Legal and Compliance on SOPs, monitoring, and audits.
- Develop, track, and reconcile the speaker program budget, including speaker fees, fair market value, meal limits, and vendor costs; provide regular forecasting and spend reporting.
Measurement, Insights, and Continuous Improvement
- Define and track KPIs to evaluate program effectiveness (e.g., attendance, audience quality, speaker performance, attendee feedback) and share insights with brand and field leadership.
- Apply strategic thinking and problem-solving to identify process improvements, anticipate challenges, and bring innovative solutions that raise program quality and efficiency.
- Be part of a team culture with operating norms, positive attitude, and performance standards that reflect urgency and a launch-ready mindset.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- 5+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with at least 3 years directly managing promotional speaker programs and/or a speaker bureau.
- Deep working knowledge of the regulations and guidelines governing speaker programs, including OIG guidance, the PhRMA Code, FDA promotional requirements, and Sunshine Act reporting.
- Demonstrated experience managing budgets, vendor relationships, and contracts.
- Proven project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with exceptional attention to detail.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across marketing, sales, medical, legal, and compliance teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting speaker programs for a product launch, ideally in rare disease, dermatology, and/or specialty markets.
- Experience training and developing external speakers and internal field teams.
- Familiarity with speaker bureau management platforms and program analytics.
- Passion for rare disease, patient impact, and building organizations with integrity and purpose.
Core Competencies
- Program planning and execution.
- Regulatory compliance.
- Budget management.
- Vendor and speaker relationship management.
- Project management.
- Cross-functional collaboration.
- Training and development.
- Measurement and evaluation.
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving.
- Attention to detail.
Additional Details
This role is field-based with some travel to represent Palvella at programs, as well as trips to the company’s HQ in suburban Philadelphia (Wayne, PA).
This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.
Palvella is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.
