Associate Director, Market Access Strategic Enablement

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.); United States; On-site; USD 169,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.) is seeking an Associate Director of Market Access Portfolio Strategy & Operations. You will partner with the Executive Director and Market Access team to drive portfolio-wide execution, operational excellence, and cross-functional alignment.

The role includes leading business operations, communication planning, resource development, budget management, and priority initiatives for inline and select pipeline assets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences, Healthcare Administration, or a related discipline.
• 4+ years of experience within the biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, healthcare, consulting, or related industry.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects and drive execution across cross-functional teams in a highly matrixed environment.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex information into actionable recommendations.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including development of executive-level presentations and communications.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, operate effectively in ambiguous situations, and adapt quickly to changing business needs.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with a track record of delivering high-quality results against aggressive timelines.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and drive alignment across diverse functions and levels of an organization.
• High learning agility with the ability to rapidly acquire knowledge in new business areas and apply insights to business challenges.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities through ownership of significant business initiatives, process improvements, or cross-functional workstreams.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, coordination, and implementation of Market Access resources, tools, and materials that support strategic priorities and stakeholder engagement.
• Partner with asset teams and cross-functional stakeholders to identify resource needs, establish development plans, and ensure delivery of high-quality materials.
• Manage review, approval, and deployment processes to ensure resources are delivered efficiently and compliantly.
• Evaluate resource effectiveness and recommend enhancements to maximize impact and organizational value.
• Support execution of strategic and operational priorities across the team, ensuring alignment of activities, timelines, and deliverables with business objectives.
• Coordinate annual planning, business reviews, governance processes, and key organizational milestones to support successful execution across inline and pipeline assets.
• Establish and maintain systems, tools, and processes that enhance organizational effectiveness, visibility, and accountability.
• Support evaluation of key initiatives and proactively identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities to improve execution.
• Build trust and credibility across the organization through authentic partnership, thoughtful communication, and a low-ego, team-first approach that fosters collaboration, encourages diverse viewpoints, and advances shared business objectives.
• Develop and execute communication plans that support team priorities, major initiatives, and leadership engagement across the Market Access function.
• Coordinate internal communications, leadership presentations, department meetings, and other forums to ensure alignment and consistent messaging.
• Lead planning and execution activities for key events, including annual meetings, strategic workshops, and leadership sessions.
• Serve as a central point of coordination for communication and engagement activities across the portfolio and with Business Unit partners.
• Lead and execute high-priority, cross-functional projects that advance business objectives, improve organizational capabilities, and address emerging business needs.
• Apply structured project management principles to drive accountability, alignment, and timely delivery of key initiatives.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify solutions, remove barriers, and facilitate decision-making in complex or ambiguous environments.
• Develop recommendations and present findings, risks, and opportunities to leadership to support informed decision-making.
• Support development of market access capabilities by creating tools, frameworks, training resources, and knowledge management approaches that improve team performance.
• Analyze business challenges, emerging trends, and organizational needs to generate actionable insights and recommendations.
• Cultivate a broad understanding of the Market Access landscape, contributing to strategic discussions and helping strengthen capabilities across the organization.

Job description

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Market Access Portfolio Strategy & Operations serves as a strategic partner to the Executive Director and broader Market Access organization, driving portfolio-wide execution, operational excellence, and cross-functional alignment. This role is responsible for leading key business operations, communication planning, resource development, budget management, and high-priority initiatives that support both inline and select pipeline assets. Through broad exposure across the portfolio, the individual will develop deep understanding of Market Access strategy while driving execution of critical business priorities, enabling organizational effectiveness, and identifying opportunities to enhance capabilities, processes, and impact.

The Associate Director, Market Access Portfolio Strategy & Operations serves as a strategic partner to the Executive Director and broader Market Access organization, driving portfolio-wide execution, operational excellence, and cross-functional alignment. This role is responsible for leading key business operations, communication planning, resource development, budget management, and high-priority initiatives that support both inline and select pipeline assets. Through broad exposure across the portfolio, the individual will develop deep understanding of Market Access strategy while driving execution of critical business priorities, enabling organizational effectiveness, and identifying opportunities to enhance capabilities, processes, and impact.

This role is designed to accelerate development of future Market Access leaders through enterprise-level visibility and ownership across multiple Market Access initiatives.

Job Description

• Lead the development, coordination, and implementation of Market Access resources, tools, and materials that support strategic priorities and stakeholder engagement.
• Partner with asset teams and cross-functional stakeholders to identify resource needs, establish development plans, and ensure delivery of high-quality materials.
• Manage review, approval, and deployment processes to ensure resources are delivered efficiently and compliantly.
• Evaluate resource effectiveness and recommend enhancements to maximize impact and organizational value.
• Support execution of strategic and operational priorities across the team, ensuring alignment of activities, timelines, and deliverables with business objectives.
• Coordinate annual planning, business reviews, governance processes, and key organizational milestones to support successful execution across inline and pipeline assets.
• Establish and maintain systems, tools, and processes that enhance organizational effectiveness, visibility, and accountability.
• Support evaluation of key initiatives and proactively identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities to improve execution.
• Build trust and credibility across the organization through authentic partnership, thoughtful communication, and a low-ego, team-first approach that fosters collaboration, encourages diverse viewpoints, and advances shared business objectives.
• Develop and execute communication plans that support team priorities, major initiatives, and leadership engagement across the Market Access function.
• Coordinate internal communications, leadership presentations, department meetings, and other forums to ensure alignment and consistent messaging.
• Lead planning and execution activities for key events, including annual meetings, strategic workshops, and leadership sessions.
• Serve as a central point of coordination for communication and engagement activities across the portfolio and with Business Unit partners.
• Lead and execute high-priority, cross-functional projects that advance business objectives, improve organizational capabilities, and address emerging business needs.
• Apply structured project management principles to drive accountability, alignment, and timely delivery of key initiatives.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify solutions, remove barriers, and facilitate decision-making in complex or ambiguous environments.
• Develop recommendations and present findings, risks, and opportunities to leadership to support informed decision-making.
• Support development of market access capabilities by creating tools, frameworks, training resources, and knowledge management approaches that improve team performance.
• Analyze business challenges, emerging trends, and organizational needs to generate actionable insights and recommendations.
• Cultivate a broad understanding of the Market Access landscape, contributing to strategic discussions and helping strengthen capabilities across the organization.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences, Healthcare Administration, or a related discipline.
• 4+ years of experience within the biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, healthcare, consulting, or related industry.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects and drive execution across cross-functional teams in a highly matrixed environment.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex information into actionable recommendations.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including development of executive-level presentations and communications.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, operate effectively in ambiguous situations, and adapt quickly to changing business needs.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with a track record of delivering high-quality results against aggressive timelines.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and drive alignment across diverse functions and levels of an organization.
• High learning agility with the ability to rapidly acquire knowledge in new business areas and apply insights to business challenges.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities through ownership of significant business initiatives, process improvements, or cross-functional workstreams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Market Access, Payer Marketing, Managed Markets, Pricing & Reimbursement, Patient Services, Brand Marketing, Commercial Operations, or related commercial functions.
• Experience within specialty and/or rare disease therapeutic areas.
• Knowledge of U.S. healthcare reimbursement, payer, pricing, contracting, and market access dynamics.
• Understanding of legislative, regulatory, and policy developments that may influence patient access and reimbursement.
• Experience managing budgets, agency partners, and external vendors.
• Experience developing and implementing communication plans, organizational engagement plans, or large-scale meeting/event planning.
• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel, with the ability to synthesize complex information into compelling business narratives and recommendations.

Competencies

Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.

Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long‑term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.

Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.

Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.

Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.

Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $169,222.00 - Maximum $253,000.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 5 business days.

Company benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.

Come discover more about Otsuka and our benefit offerings; https://ah-prod.com/multi/videoplayer/player.html?v=6385356920112.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting [e-mail].

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., and Otsuka Precision Health, Inc. (“Otsuka”) does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any Otsuka employee directly or through Otsuka’s application portal without a valid written search agreement in place for the position will be considered Otsuka’s sole property. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired by Otsuka as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.