Distribution Director Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary

Latigo Biotherapeutics is seeking an experienced and hands-on Senior Director, Commercial Distribution to establish and lead the commercial distribution capability for the company’s drug products from pre-launch planning through ongoing commercialization. This leader will own the overarching distribution strategy, third-party logistics (3PL) network, order-to-cash operating model, channel data, distribution licensing readiness, trading-partner integrations, and day-to-day distribution operations.

The role will work in close partnership with Commercial, Market Access, Finance/FP&A, Accounting, Quality, Legal, IT, Patient Services, and the Technical Operations/Supply Chain. The successful candidate will build practical, scalable processes that support reliable product availability, accurate financial and channel data, compliant distribution, and a strong customer experience in a lean biotechnology environment.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Distribution Strategy & Launch Readiness

• Own the overarching U.S. commercial distribution strategy for the company’s commercial products in close consultation with Commercial and Market Access, including channel design, product flow, service model, and scalability requirements.
• Lead distribution launch readiness across internal functions and external partners, including critical-path activities, dependencies, risk identification, mitigation, and executive-level status reporting.
• Design and implement the distribution network spanning the manufacturer, packager, 3PL, wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, and other dispensing pathways as appropriate.
• Coordinate trading-partner onboarding, master-data readiness, mock-order and end-to-end transaction testing, launch inventory positioning, Day-1 execution, and post-launch stabilization.
• Establish distribution governance, decision rights, SOPs, service expectations, escalation pathways, and business continuity plans.

3PL, Wholesaler & Trade-Partner Management

• Lead the 3PL lifecycle from RFP development and selection through due diligence, contracting, implementation, qualification, launch, and ongoing operational management.
• Establish and manage relationships and agreements with wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, transportation providers, data vendors, and other trade partners in collaboration with Market Access, Finance, Legal, and Quality.
• Oversee day-to-day distribution operations, including order fulfillment, inventory visibility, shipment status, returns, replacements, recalls, exceptions, and service escalations.
• Define partner KPIs, service-level expectations, scorecards, business reviews, issue-management processes, and corrective actions.
• Continuously evaluate the network and recommend operational adjustments as volume, channel strategy, and business needs evolve.

Order-to-Cash, Customer Service & Financial Coordination

• Serve as business process owner for order-to-cash, ensuring aligned execution across customer onboarding, ordering, allocation, fulfillment, invoicing interfaces, credit and collections coordination, deductions, returns, and reconciliation support.
• Ensure close operational alignment among IBP/S&OP, demand forecasting, order activity, and channel inventory analytics.
• Coordinate with Accounting and Finance/FP&A on period-end close activities, gross-to-net estimates, reserves, chargebacks, rebates, distributor fees, returns, deductions, and related reconciliations.
• Oversee customer service processes for product availability inquiries, order management, issue resolution, returns, replacements, and escalations.
• Develop and maintain trade policies covering ordering, allocation, returns, recalls, replacements, customer onboarding, and channel inventory management.

Channel Data, Systems & Performance Management

• Own aggregation, validation, governance, and interpretation of channel data needed to support IBP/S&OP, forecasts, inventory decisions, financial planning, and corporate decision-making.
• Partner with IT, Finance, Commercial Operations, and external vendors to implement and support EDI connectivity and trading-partner integrations for orders, shipments, inventory, sales, chargebacks, and related data flows.
• Define business requirements, master-data needs, controls, exception-management processes, user acceptance testing, reporting, and operational support requirements.
• Establish actionable dashboards for order fulfillment, channel inventory, customer service, partner performance, returns, chargebacks, distribution exceptions, and launch readiness.
• Analyze trends and exceptions, identify root causes, and lead cross-functional corrective actions and continuous improvement.

Distribution Licensing, Quality & Compliance

• Lead operational readiness for manufacturer and CMO state licensing required to support wholesale and retail distribution, beginning sufficiently early to meet launch timing.
• Partner with Legal, Quality, Regulatory, and external specialists to maintain applicable licenses, registrations, renewals, and distribution records.
• Ensure distribution operations comply with applicable GDP, DSCSA, serialization, traceability, state licensing, and pharmaceutical distribution requirements.
• Partner with Quality on agreements, partner qualification, audits, inspections, deviations, CAPAs, complaints, recalls, returns, suspect-product investigations, product recovery, and serialization exception management.
• Maintain audit-ready distribution documentation and support regulatory inspections or submissions as needed.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Capability Building

• Act as Latigo’s subject-matter leader for commercial distribution and advise executive leadership on network design, partner strategy, operating risks, investments, and organizational needs.
• Work closely and collaboratively with the CMC/Technical Operations/Supply Chain leader to align manufacturing and packaging supply, release timing, launch inventory, replenishment, and channel execution.
• Partner with Patient Services when free goods, samples, replacement products, or other patient-support distribution pathways are implemented.
• Build and mentor a fit-for-purpose commercial distribution team as the organization approaches launch and scales after commercialization.
• Provide concise, decision-oriented updates and recommendations to cross-functional launch governance and executive leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive pharmaceutical or biotechnology experience, including substantial commercial distribution, trade operations, or launch-readiness responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience supporting at least one successful U.S. pharmaceutical product launch with direct accountability for commercial distribution readiness.
• Proven experience selecting, contracting, implementing, and managing 3PL providers and working with wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, and data vendors.
• Direct experience with order-to-cash processes, customer service oversight, returns, chargebacks, gross-to-net inputs, channel inventory, and financial close coordination.
• Experience establishing and using channel-data feeds to inform demand forecasts, inventory decisions, IBP/S&OP, and financial planning.
• Strong working knowledge of state licensing, DSCSA, GDP, serialization, traceability, and pharmaceutical distribution compliance.
• Ability to translate distribution requirements into effective EDI, system, master-data, integration, reporting, and exception-management solutions.
• Demonstrated success working across Commercial, Market Access, Finance/FP&A, Accounting, Quality, Legal, IT, Patient Services, and Technical Operations.
• Excellent vendor management, negotiation, analytical, executive communication, and decision-making skills, with the ability to build fit-for-purpose capabilities in a lean environment.
• Ability to travel approximately 20% of the time to support 3PL, wholesaler, CDMO, and other trading-partner site visits, business reviews, and launch-readiness activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience launching products through national wholesale and broad retail pharmacy channels.
• Experience in a pre-commercial or emerging biotechnology company preparing for its first product launch.
• Experience with specialty pharmacy, specialty distribution, hub services, free-goods/sample programs, or patient-support integration.
• Experience with ERP, order-management, chargeback, gross-to-net, channel-data, or commercial analytics platforms.
• APICS/ASCM certification such as CPIM or CSCP, and/or PMP certification.
• Experience building or scaling a commercial distribution or trade-operations team.