Associate Director, Patient Support Services Operations

Cytokinetics; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 193,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health benefits

401k with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Cytokinetics is seeking an Associate Director, Patient Support Services (PSS) Operations to lead and optimize patient support programs, ensuring an exceptional, patient-centric experience across access, reimbursement and adherence pathways.

You will oversee day-to-day operations with third‑party partners, manage vendor governance and KPIs, and partner across Market Access, Commercial, Medical Affairs and Compliance to align PSS strategy with brand objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA, MPH or equivalent preferred.
• 7+ years in biopharma with patient support, access or reimbursement operations.
• Experience managing third‑party vendors or hub providers.
• Knowledge of access/reimbursement processes and REMS is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational execution of Patient Support Services, including access, affordability and adherence programs.
• Oversee vendor relationships, governance, KPIs and SLAs with external partners.
• Ensure compliant, high‑quality service delivery and end-to-end patient journeys.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Market Access, Commercial, Medical Affairs and Compliance.
• Define and monitor KPIs for PSS effectiveness and operational efficiency.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Data-driven decision making

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA / MPH preferred

Job description

Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.

The Associate Director, Patient Support Services (PSS) Operations is responsible for the execution, and optimization of patient support programs to ensure a seamless, patient-centric experience across the treatment journey. This role oversees day-to-day operations of patient support services—including access, reimbursement, affordability programs, adherence support, and specialty pharmacy coordination—typically delivered through third-party partners.

This candidate will drive operational excellence, ensuring patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers receive high-quality, timely support that enables efficient access to therapy. The Associate Director will partner cross-functionally to align PSS strategy with business objectives while maintaining a strong focus on patient experience, compliance, and performance.

This is a great opportunity to grow and develop in a fast, entrepreneurial collaborative environment, and help move the needle with a rapidly growing company. This position will report to the Head of Treatment Experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the operational execution of Patient Support Services, ensuring delivery of best-in‑class support across access, affordability, and adherence programs
• Oversee relationships with outsourced vendors (e.g., hub providers), establishing governance, performance management, and accountability structures
• Ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery aligned with company standards and patient needs ensuring compliance across services
• Manage Escalations from Vendors and Field teams on individual patient cases
• Work closely with the REMS operations team to ensure a seamless experience for HCPS and Patients
• Be familiar with internal material review process submissions and content pull through.
• Design and continuously improve the end-to-end patient journey, from prescription through ongoing therapy
• Identify pain points across the patient and provider experience and implement solutions to enhance satisfaction and outcomes
• Establish and monitor key experience metrics (e.g., time to therapy, case resolution, patient/provider satisfaction)
• Oversee development and maintenance of SOPs, work instructions, and training materials

Vendor & Program Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for external patient support vendors
• Monitor vendor performance against KPIs and SLAs, ensuring compliance and continuous improvement
• Lead regular business reviews, issue resolution, and program enhancements

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Market Access, Commercial, Medical Affairs, Trade & Distribution, Compliance, Legal, and Data & Insights teams
• Ensure alignment of patient support strategy with brand objectives, product lifecycle, and access strategy
• Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Define and track key performance indicators for PSS effectiveness and operational efficiency
• Leverage data and analytics to generate insights and inform decision-making
• Identify trends and proactively implement process improvements and innovations

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage PSS operational budget, including vendor contracts and program costs for assigned vendors
• Optimize resource allocation to maximize program impact and efficiency
• Support forecasting and long-range planning for patient support programs

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, or equivalent) preferred
• 7+ years of experience in biopharma, with significant experience in patient support services, market access, or reimbursement operations
• Strong expertise in access and reimbursement processes, specialty pharmacy, and patient affordability programs
• Experience managing third‑party vendors or hub service providers
• Experience supporting product launches and/or scaling patient support programs
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements related to patient support programs (REMS experience is a plus)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to effectively convey complex information to stakeholders

Key Competencies

• Patient-first mindset with a strong focus on experience and outcomes
• Operational excellence and process improvement expertise
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive alignment
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, evolving environment

Location & Travel

• This position requires up to 30% travel, primarily to vendor locations and between corporate offices in Radnor, PA and South San Francisco, CA.

Pay Range

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Radnor, PA is $192,600-$224,700. The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. Base salary is just one component of our competitive total compensation package, which includes equity in the form of stock options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer