AD, Patient Support Services

Acadia Pharmaceuticals; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision

401(k) match

Employee stock purchase plan

Paid time off

Parental leave

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Acadia Pharmaceuticals in San Diego or Princeton seeks an Associate Director, Patient Support Services to lead strategies that engage customers and remove access barriers across our neuroscience portfolio.

You will advance hub processes, develop messaging and training, manage vendor relationships, and track KPIs to measure impact. This role requires collaboration with Brand Marketing, Access & Reimbursement, and Field Access teams, plus travel up to 30%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years in patient support services or healthcare operations.
• Experience with specialty medications and Medicare Part D is preferred.
• Strong project management, vendor management, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; patient-centric mindset.
• Ability to travel 30%.

Responsibilities

• Lead PSS strategies and initiatives to improve customer engagement.
• Collaborate with Brand Marketing, Access & Reimbursement to align programs.
• Develop hub processes and training for national meetings.
• Manage vendor relationships and budget oversight.
• Create data-driven reports for leadership reviews.
• Ensure programs meet legal, regulatory, and compliance standards.

Skills

Project management

Vendor management

Customer relationship

Program development

Communication

Team collaboration

Attention to detail

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

About Acadia Pharmaceuticals

Acadia is committed to turning scientific promise into meaningful innovation that makes the difference for underserved neurological and rare disease communities around the world. Our commercial portfolio includes the first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome. We are developing the next wave of therapeutic advancements with a robust and diverse pipeline that includes mid- to late-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, along with earlier-stage programs that address other underserved patient needs. At Acadia, we’re here to be their difference.

Please note that this position is based in either San Diego, CA, or Princeton, NJ. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Patient Support Services leads Patient Support Services (PSS) strategies and initiatives, including messaging and training to drive customer engagement and overcome access barriers across the portfolio with a focus on Neuroscience. Advances hub processes and enhances support programs to best serve Acadia’s customers. Develops strategies, key messages, and tactics to help increase customer engagement. Ensures executional excellence. This role reports to the Senior Director, Patient Support Services & HUB Operations.

Primary Responsibilities to Execute on Key Areas of Focus:

• Partners with Patient Support Services field team members to evolve and improve services & execute on hub and other PSS strategies across the portfolio with a focus on Neuroscience.
• Collaborates with internal partners on relevant market research and lead PSS projects to refine strategies to help generate insights to create/optimize programs that better meet healthcare professionals (HCP) and patient needs across the portfolio with a focus on Neuroscience.
• Helps lead the planning, development and implementation of access marketing strategies, programs, tactics and messaging by:
  • Ensuring access services marketing plan and execution align with Brand Marketing and Access & Reimbursement strategies.
  • Supporting access-related Brand Planning process.
  • Collaborating closely with Brand Marketing to ensure a seamless customer experience and alignment with brand initiatives.
  • Planning and developing hub priorities, content, tools, and training for national meetings and customer-facing team training.
• Serves as access services expert, making recommendations on solutions to deliver upon unmet needs, across the portfolio with a focus on Neuroscience.
• Helps lead the planning, development, and management of access website, materials, messaging, and programming; including, but not limited to, copay programs, sample programs, reimbursement and patient financial support services, etc.
• Develops and tracks KPIs; continually assesses and monitors impact and execution of access services & across the portfolio with a focus on Neuroscience, including feedback from service users and internal stakeholders.
• Attends professional, provider, and patient conferences, and keeps up to date on innovation.
• Manages vendor relationships to ensure exceptional customer service, quality delivery, and budget oversight.
• Collaborates with Field Access team for process development, operations management, and ongoing training needs.
• Creates and presents relevant data and/or presentations for business review and/or other key meetings.
• Collaborates with Access & Reimbursement, Specialty Trade and Distribution, Brand Marketing, Sales, Field Access, and Patient Advocacy teams to ensure best-in-class offerings and services; continually work to optimize and improve.
• Collaborates with internal and external partners to ensure all programs meet Acadia legal, regulatory, and compliance standards.

Education/Experience/Skills

• Bachelor’s degree with 8+ years of experience in patient support services, program strategy, and healthcare operations within pharma/biotech.
• Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be

Must Possess

• Experience with specialty medications (rare disease product, neuropsychiatric product, and Medicare Part D experience preferred)
• Proven project management experience
• Agency/vendor management experience (briefing/execution/budgetary oversight) preferred
• Outstanding customer relationship, interpersonal, and communication skills with an ability to effectively communicate across diverse audiences and influence cross-functionally
• Proven success in high impact program development and execution
• Patient-centric and service-oriented mindset
• Must be a team player with strong self-awareness and excellent interpersonal skills
• Must be results oriented, pay attention to detail, be accurate, prompt and able to meet deadlines
• Ability to drive multiple projects simultaneously and to deliver results
• Demonstrated ability able to influence others without authority and successfully partner with cross-functional teams
• Strong enthusiasm with a drive to succeed
• Business acumen and budgeting skills
• Must be a fast learner, creative, and flexible
• Possess strong presentation skills
• Adaptable and open to an environment of change
• Ability to travel 30%

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, see, talk or hear in a standard office environment. Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.

In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is also eligible for discretionary bonus and equity awards based on factors such as individual and organizational performance. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance, and location.

Salary Range

$144,000—$180,000 USD

What we offer US-based Employees

• Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
• 401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
• 15+ vacation days
• 13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
• 10 days of paid sick time
• Paid parental leave benefit
• Tuition assistance

EEO Statement (US-based Employees)

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in the exact way they are described in job postings. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and innovative company, and we are looking for the BEST candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background or may meet the qualifications in a different way. We strongly encourage you to apply, especially if the reason you are the best candidate isn’t exactly what we describe here.

It is the policy of Acadia to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to considerations of race, including related to hairstyle, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition, country of origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, legally-protected medical condition or information, marital status, domestic partner status, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran or military status (including reserve status, National Guard status, and military service or obligation), status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, enrollment in a public assistance program, or any