Executive Director, Payer Field Team

Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the largest medical challenges of our time. Denali Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases through our deep commitment to degeneration biology and principles of translational medicine. Denali is founded on the collaboration of leading scientists, industry experts, and investors who share the vision that scientific discovery energetically applied to translational medicine is the key to delivering effective therapies to patients.

Executive Director, Head of Payer Field Team will lead efforts ensuring robust formulary status, access, and coverage for its innovative medicines. This leadership role will manage a nimble, focused team responsible for engaging National and Regional Payers, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Medicaid programs, Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), the VA/DoD, and other relevant payer related entities. The successful candidate will bring expertise in payer strategy, industry relationships with major payers, relationship management, negotiations, rare disease, and market access for innovative medicines reimbursed through both medical and pharmacy benefits. As part of an emerging biopharma company, the ideal candidate will thrive in a resource efficient environment, balance strategic vision with tactical execution, and foster a collaborative, patient-focused culture.

Key Accountabilities/Core Job Responsibilities:

• Payer Engagement and Strategy:

  • Develop payer strategies to secure favorable formulary status, access, and coverage for the Denali’s medicines across all relevant payer segments including Denali's first US launch in MPS II, Hunter syndrome, with tividenofusp alfa.

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with National and Regional Payers, PBMs, Medicaid programs, MACs, VA/DoD, and other key stakeholders.

  • Partner with internal stakeholders including sales and marketing to address coverage challenges and optimize reimbursement.

  • Initially serve as the primary contact for all payers with the intention of ultimately developing the expansion plan for the Payer Team to eventually include additional account managers 

• Leadership and Team Management:

  • Hire, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing payer field team with a focus on strategic engagement and execution, including annual goal setting, growth planning, adherence to company policies, maintain training compliance and provide ongoing feedback on growth, development and areas of improvement

  • Set clear objectives and performance metrics aligned with organizational goals for payer access, reimbursement and profitability.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Work closely with market access, trade and distribution, sales & marketing, medical affairs, and commercial teams to align payer strategies with broader business objectives.

  • Align and partner with field sales on robust pull through and push through strategies.

  • Provide actionable insights to internal stakeholders based on payer feedback and trends.

  • Contribute as appropriate with clinical operations, technical operations and medical affairs on all topics that may impact access and coverage decisions to be made by payers (e.g. BIM model, RWE, product packaging…).

• Policy and Market Expertise:

  • Stay current on payer policy changes, regulatory developments, and market trends impacting Denali’s medicines, competitive products, and general patient access.

  • Serve as a subject matter expert on reimbursement, access, and coverage for internal and external stakeholders.

• Operational Excellence:

  • Oversee team engagement with payers, ensuring compliance with company policies and industry regulations.

  • Develop tools, resources, and training to support the team’s effectiveness in payer interactions and negotiation outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, healthcare, or related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred).

• 15 years of relevant experience, including 10 years in market access, payer relations, and reimbursement strategy, with a focus on rare diseases and/or innovative medicines.

• Proven track record effectively managing National and Regional Payers, PBMs, Medicaid, Medicare, and VA/DoD accounts while delivering exceptional medicine access and profitability.

• Strong leadership and team management skills, with at or near 12 years experience coaching and developing others, including direct and indirect reports.

• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

• Comprehensive understanding of payer policies, formulary management, and reimbursement processes.

• Ability to synthesize complex information and provide strategic insights to guide decision-making.

Critical Success Factors

• Strategic Vision and Execution: Capable of shaping long-term payer strategies while delivering measurable short-term results.

• Collaboration and Influence: Skilled at fostering cross-functional collaboration and influencing internal and external stakeholders.

This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.
 

Denali is committed to its core company value of unity by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.