Sr. Director, Payer Account Management

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals is a leading gastrointestinal (GI) healthcare company on a mission to advance the treatment of GI diseases and redefine the standard of care for GI patients.  One of the focus areas is on discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative treatments for patients with severe, rare conditions for which there is a significant unmet medical need. These conditions are challenging to diagnose, often devastating, and have limited, if any, treatment options.

The lead product candidate, apraglutide, is a next-generation, best-in-class, synthetic peptide analog of glucagon-like peptide-2, or GLP-2, and is in Phase 3 for the treatment of patients with short bowel syndrome, or SBS, a malabsorption disorder caused by the loss of functional small intestine. It is an exciting time to join as Phase 3 is underway and the company is preparing for an initial launch in the coming years for which it is building out a commercial presence.

Purpose of this role:

Reporting to the Vice President, Global Market Access, Reimbursement, and Distribution, the Senior Director, Payer Account Management will lead a team of National and Regional Payer Account Directors responsible for calling on targeted payer accounts. This individual will lead the execution of market access and reimbursement strategies to support the current product portfolio as well as future pipeline products. Most critically, the Senior Director is responsible for securing, and protecting the best and most profitable access to products and ensuring their market performance. This talented individual must thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, drive for results, understand market dynamics, demonstrate excellent judgment, and be motivated by the desire to improve patients' lives.

Major Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Lead the Payer Accounts Team in executing customer-specific market access strategies.
• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing team of National and Regional Payer Account Directors.
• Have an in-depth knowledge of current trends in the Commercial, Medicaid, Medicare, and other Government channels as well as an understanding of current healthcare regulations, contracting, and reimbursement.
• Collaborate with the cross-functional field team to develop and implement strategies around reimbursement, formulary access, and product pull-through within the Commercial, Medicaid, Medicare, and other Government channels.
• Collaborate with marketing on product and customer strategies to support brand value propositions and secure market access/formulary acceptance of Ironwood products.
• Provide leadership and development to internal and external matrix teams to support strong relationships with national and regional accounts.
• Develop relationships and thought leader advocacy within the Commercial, Medicaid, Medicare, and other Government channels.
• Attend key organizational meetings and conferences such as AMCP, Asembia, and ASPEN.
• Maintain open communication throughout the organization, especially regarding cross-region and cross-functional payer customer efforts.
• Review and analyze product performance at the national and regional level and communicate payer account performance broadly with key internal stakeholders.
• Provide input on and implement pull-through programs and build teams supporting key company initiatives.
• Ensure that team members are appropriately trained in company policies.
• Work closely with legal and regulatory departments to ensure proper compliance.
• Perform all company business per regulations and company policies and procedures.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a B.A/B.S. is required; an MBA or other related advanced degree is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of 15 years of successful pharmaceutical experience.
• A minimum of 6-10 years of successful experience in account management in the pharmaceutical industry.
• 5 + years of direct management experience with a preference for experience managing a field-based managed care organization.
• Successful product launch experience in the US required with a preference for specialty drug launches.
• Experience with both Pharmacy and Medical Benefit products, with knowledge of rare diseases, orphan, or ultra-orphan product experience.
• Demonstrated negotiation and contracting skills and ability to develop a sound business rationale to influence external decision-makers.
• Extensive managed care and payer account management experience.
• In-depth knowledge of current trends in regulation, contracting, and reimbursement.
• Experience in communicating clinical outcomes programs, pharmacoeconomic data, and/or cost-benefit analyses to high-level formulary committee members.
• Strong understanding of the legal and regulatory environment along with demonstrated integrity on the job.
• Outstanding customer relationship, interpersonal, and communication skills with the established ability to effectively work with diverse audiences and influence cross-functionally.
• Strong analytical skills with the proven ability to effectively analyze data sets to determine trends and establish strategies.

Ironwood is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
 

Ironwood currently anticipates that the initial base salary for this position could range from between $232,000 to $270,690.  The actual base salary will depend, in part, on the successful candidate’s qualifications for the role, including education and experience.  Ironwood offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits program to eligible employees, including Restricted Stock Unit awards; eligibility to participate in either a bonus or sales incentive program; company-sponsored 401(k) with matching contributions; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; wellness stipends; and a generous vacation/holiday schedule.

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