Director, Patient Access

PharmaEssentia; Burlington (MA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

Dental and vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan with company-m

Flexible Spending Account

Job summary

PharmaEssentia seeks a Director of Patient Access to lead strategy and operations for patient access programs, ensuring affordability, payer coordination, and high-quality patient services. The role oversees a team of Patient Support Specialists and partners with hub and specialty pharmacies to drive program success.

The ideal candidate has 10–12 years in patient access or related fields, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of payer processes, benefits verification, and reimbursement

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership of patient access programs and cross-functional teams.
• Strong strategic thinking with ability to translate insights into actions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management at executive levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and governance for Patient Access programs.
• Manage KPIs, dashboards, and performance reviews with vendors.
• Oversee SOPs, training, and cross-functional alignment for patient access.
• Travel up to 25% domestically as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, life sciences, business

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

The Company

It’s not often you get the chance to make a real impact on the lives of others, while expanding your own possibilities. You’ll find that rare opportunity at PharmaEssentia. Join us, and let’s transform lives, together.

PharmaEssentia Corporation is a rapidly growing biopharmaceutical innovator. We are leveraging deep expertise and proven scientific principles to deliver effective new biologics for challenging diseases in the areas of hematology and oncology, with one product approved and a diversifying pipeline. We believe in the potential to improve both health and quality of life for patients with limited options today through the combination of rigorous research and innovative thinking.

Founded in 2003 by a team of Taiwanese-American executives and renowned scientists from U.S. biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, today we are listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 6446) and are expanding our global presence with operations in the U.S., Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and China, along with a world-class biologics production facility in Taichung.

Position Overview

The Director, Patient Access will serve as the strategic and operational leader for PharmaEssentia’s Patient Access function, with accountability for access strategy, patient support operations, vendor governance, program performance, and continuous improvement across Patient Access Programs. This leader will set the vision and priorities for the function, translate business objectives into actionable strategies, and ensure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), service-level expectations, and compliance standards are consistently met or exceeded.

The Director will provide leadership and oversight to the Patient Support Specialist (PSS) team and key external partners, including hub, specialty pharmacy, and patient services vendors. This role will drive strategic planning, Quarterly Business Reviews, technology and process enhancements, training strategy, and cross-functional alignment to support patient access, affordability, and a positive patient and provider experience.

This is a highly visible, enterprise-facing leadership role requiring strong business acumen, people leadership, executive presence, collaboration, and a solutions-oriented mindset. A successful candidate will demonstrate deep expertise in the patient, prescriber, payer, and channel/distribution flow and its connection to the business model and competitor products, while proactively identifying opportunities to optimize access and scale the function for future growth.

Roles And Responsibilities

• Lead the overall strategy, governance, and operational performance of Patient Access Programs, including hub, specialty pharmacy partnerships, affordability programs, and related patient support services.
• Establish and manage Patient Access goals, KPIs, service-level expectations, and performance dashboards to monitor effectiveness, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement.
• Serve as the internal subject matter expert and strategic lead for patient access operations, reimbursement support, benefits verification, prior authorization, financial assistance, and specialty pharmacy coordination.
• Partner cross-functionally with Market Access, Commercial, Medical, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Data/Analytics, and other stakeholders to align Patient Access strategy with broader business objectives.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for the Patient Support Specialist (PSS) team, ensuring strong performance, engagement, accountability, and readiness to support business growth.
• Define team structure, training strategy, performance expectations, and resource needs to ensure the Patient Access function is scalable, efficient, and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Lead vendor governance, business reviews, issue escalation, and performance management with hub, specialty pharmacy, and other patient services partners.
• Oversee the development, maintenance, and communication of SOPs, business rules, work instructions, and operational processes to ensure consistency, compliance, and high-quality execution.
• Identify and implement technology, data, and process enhancements that improve patient and provider experience, operational efficiency, data integrity, and business insights.
• Lead strategic planning and execution of Quarterly Business Reviews and other key stakeholder forums, ensuring clear visibility to results, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions.
• Manage manufacturer free goods and co-pay programs and ensure they are administered in accordance with approved business rules, compliance requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Monitor the evolving access, reimbursement, payer, and specialty pharmacy landscape and proactively communicate implications, recommendations, and mitigation plans to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Ensure data integrity through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and optimize the utilization of patient access data to inform decisions and improve program performance.
• Represent Patient Access at commercial, leadership, vendor, and other relevant business meetings, including travel as necessary.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, life sciences, business, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10–12 years of experience in patient access, reimbursement, patient services, case management, specialty pharmacy, market access, or related pharmaceutical/biotechnology functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading patient access programs and managing hub, specialty pharmacy, affordability, free goods, co-pay, charitable access, and other patient support solutions.
• Proven people leadership experience, including leading, coaching, developing, and performance managing teams in a dynamic and highly matrixed environment.
• Experience managing external vendors and service providers, including governance, performance management, issue escalation, business reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of payer coverage, benefits verification, prior authorization, appeals, reimbursement support, medical and pharmacy benefits, billing/coding, insurance plan types, and specialty distribution models.
• Experience with rare disease, oncology, hematology, and/or other specialty therapies preferred.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical capabilities, with ability to assess trends, identify business risks and opportunities, and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Excellent executive communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with ability to represent Patient Access in internal and external forums.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners, drive alignment, and lead initiatives from strategy through execution.
• Solid understanding of healthcare laws, regulations, and compliance requirements in the pharmaceutical industry.
• High level of initiative, sound judgment, adaptability, problem-solving skills, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% domestically.

The expected salary range for this position based on greater Boston, MA location is $184,620 - $239,700. Actual salary pay will be based on multiple factors, including geographic location, experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

Benefits Of Working With Our Team

• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Dental and vision coverage
• Generous paid time-off
• 401(k) retirement plan with competitive company match
• Medical & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Up to $150 monthly cell phone reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Free parking

EEO Statement

At PharmaEssentia USA, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. PharmaEssentia USA believes that diversity and inclusion among our team are critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

PharmaEssentia does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Staffing agencies should not send resumes to our HR team or to any PharmaEssentia employees. PharmaEssentia is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

At PharmaEssentia, our goal is to treat as many people with cancer as possible. That means challenging the status quo with better science that leads to better lives. By joining our team, you will not only expand your own possibilities, but you will contribute to expanding options for people with cancer.

https://us.pharmaessentia.com/careers/