Senior Director, Payer Marketing, Pricing and Operations

Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on the development of innovative therapies to treat serious diseases of the eye with high unmet need. Based in Cambridge, Mass., Alkeus was founded in 2010, and since that time has been developing its lead compound, gildeuretinol acetate (ALK-001). Designated as a breakthrough therapy and granted orphan drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, gildeuretinol is being evaluated in multiple clinical trials for the treatment of Stargardt disease and geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the U.S.

Position Summary

The Senior Director, Payer Marketing, Pricing and Operations role is responsible for the overall Payer strategy for their assigned therapeutic area(s). This individual will lead the development and implementation of each value proposition, strategy, materials and integration of pricing and contracting approach across payer, provider and pharmacy, ensuring customer facing teams are appropriately trained on current strategies that align to Brand Strategies. The role will require leadership to work cross functionally to manage the performance of the payer channel, including accountability for marketing strategies and tactics that will optimize business. They are responsible for defining account related critical success factors including contracting strategies and budget.

The Senior Director, Payer Marketing, Pricing and Operations will oversee development of payer account messaging and execution of tactical plans (branded sales/promotional tools, convention/symposia, PR/media, web strategy, market research, launch planning etc.) and manage the tactical budget. The candidate will lead the Payer Marketing team to enable their success and the success of the business and provide the strategic direction for the account management team. They will work closely with all groups within Alkeus to ensure the goal of patient access and will also be responsible for collaborating with multiple functional groups, including but not limited to Marketing, Sales Medical, Regulatory, Commercial Operations, Training, Finance, Legal, Compliance and Corporate Communications.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develops overall payer account strategy to support the Brand’s strategic objectives. Revise and update strategy as needed. Translate the account strategy to key strategic initiatives and tactics through the support of agency partners.
• Ensures close collaboration with other Market Access colleagues such as HEOR, Payer Account Team, Trade and patient services.
• Collaborates with teams outside of Market Access- Medical, Marketing, Business Intelligence, and other colleagues to capture relevant account insights, identify data gaps, develop compelling value propositions, and ensure field-based teams are equipped with the right materials and support.
• Educated cross functional teams on Market Access initiatives.
• Establish and lead strategic pricing committee and pricing recommendations. Work closely with Finance and Government Reporting vendor to stay compliant with all federal regulations and support contract execution and Gross-to-Net calculations.
• Aligns with Marketing leadership to develop integrated customer planning tactics for Market Access objectives. This includes creating, leading and facilitating the overall Account Strategy and tactical plan. This also includes monitoring the effectiveness of all strategic and executional plans and addressing gaps through an iterative process
• Creates a performance-based culture with clear accountability and a sense of urgency for achieving results
• Recruits, hires, coaches, develops, motivates, manages, and monitors performance of Payer Marketing and Operations team.
• Acts as a conduit for communication across various departments in Market Access, making sure each functional objectives are aligned to the overall plan.
• Projects and maintains the budget for Payer Marketing and the overall Market Access budget
• Organizes the Market Access presence at Payer and Trade related congresses
• Supports systems development and data acquisition that increases the impact and efficiency of the Payer Account Team
• Create practice-facing materials for the Field Reimbursement team, Patient Services Hub and Specialty Pharmacy network.
• Analyze and report on the impact of strategies, tactics and contracts to achieve Brand goals and iterate as needed.
  
  

Skills And Qualifications

• B.S./B.A. Degree or Higher
• Pharmaceutical/Biotech industry experience required with at least 6 years of experience working in marketing, market access strategy or pricing.
• Proven track record of leading market access initiatives across Payers, Providers and Health Systems.
• Experience in vendor management.
• An understanding of Specialty Pharmacy, Specialty Distribution, Patient Services and Reimbursement.
• Extensive knowledge of laws and regulations that govern contracting for pharmaceutical products.
• Strong clinical, health economic or scientific knowledge; Market Access external access and reimbursement landscape knowledge, development and implementation of disease management programs and resources for Payor/HS accounts
• Understanding and compliance with the OIG and FDA regulations governing pharmaceutical marketing and the PhRMA code.
• Excellent communication skills with stakeholders at all levels of the organization; possess a persuasive and credible presentation style.
• Preferred qualifications include experience in rare disease and/or ophthalmology drugs.
  
  

Skills And Key Success Factors

• Entrepreneurship spirit with a passion to build, learn and evolve with the team
• Highly organized and detail oriented with a passion to deliver quality results
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience translating complex concepts for various audiences
• Demonstrated record of intellectual curiosity, innovation and creative problem solving with an entrepreneurial spirit
• Ability to lead fast-paced projects with a keen sense of urgency to get the job done well
• Evidence of "hands-on" experience and expertise
• Proven and successful track record as a team-player and collaborator in small working environments
• Highest levels of professionalism, confidence, personal values and ethical standards
  
  

Other Relevant Information

• Travel: Location in Cambridge, MA with occasional travel up to 15% of the time
  
  

Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.