Director Patient Services Strategy, US Cell & Gene Therapy

AstraZeneca; Washington; On-site; USD 211,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD seeks a Director of Patient Services Strategy to shape the US patient support strategy for Cell & Gene Therapy. This role, based in-office with 3 days/week on-site, partners across marketing, access, operations, and medical teams to design differentiated patient support models from concept to execution.

The position emphasizes launch readiness, journey design, and cross-functional governance to ensure timely delivery and scalable solutions for patients,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, market access, patient services, customer experience, marketing, or commercial roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional strategy from concept through implementation, coordinating workstreams, decisions, risks, and milestones.
• Deep understanding of Cell and/or Gene Therapy patient support, reimbursement, access, and healthcare navigation.
• Experience supporting launch planning or commercialization initiatives.
• Experience developing patient journeys and customer experience strategies.
• Ability to earn trust, influence without authority, and negotiate trade-offs with stakeholders.
• Commit to average 3 days per week in office in Gaithersburg.

Responsibilities

• Own the US Patient Support strategy and operating model, defining priorities, capabilities, investments, decision rights, launch readiness, and outcomes.
• Develop multiyear recommendations, negotiate resource priorities, and present business cases and trade-offs to senior leaders.
• Partner across commercial, access, operations, digital, and IT teams to create support offerings for complex treatment pathways.
• Build Cell & Gene Therapy expertise, scalable frameworks, and effective ways of working across US Patient Support.
• Direct launch workstreams through implementation, integrating roadmaps, dependencies, decisions, readiness, and success measures.

Skills

Cross-functional strategy

Leadership

Patient services

Launch planning

Customer experience

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Tools

CRM platforms

Patient engagement tech

Job description

Director, Patient Services Strategy, US Cell & Gene Therapy

Office Location: Gaithersburg, MD (3 days minimum per week) Remote is not available for this role.

The Director, Patient Services Strategy, US Cell & Gene Therapy , will build the patient services strategy for AstraZeneca’s portfolio from concept through execution. Reporting to the Senior Director, US Patient Support Strategy and Brand Engagement within Access Strategy, this individual contributor will partner across Brand Marketing, Market Access, Commercial Operations, Medical, Digital, and launch teams to create differentiated support solutions and influence enterprise strategy.

This high-visibility role offers global exposure and the opportunity to design support models for Cell & Gene Therapy patients, caregivers, referral networks, and treatment centers. The Director will build commitment, turn competing perspectives into clear choices, and protect the standards, decisions, and timelines required for delivery.

The initial mandate is to create the US strategy and advance launch readiness across forthcoming assets. Priorities include defining the future-state model, closing capability gaps, sequencing investments, negotiating trade-offs, and scaling asset-specific solutions across the enterprise.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Accountability

• Leadership: Own the US Patient Support strategy and operating model, defining priorities, capabilities, investments, decision rights, launch readiness, and outcomes.
• Portfolio Investment Strategy: Develop multiyear recommendations, negotiate resource priorities, and present business cases and trade-offs to senior leaders.
• Integrated Support Models: Partner across commercial, access, operations, digital, and IT teams to create support offerings for complex treatment pathways.
• Organizational Capability: Build Cell & Gene Therapy expertise, scalable frameworks, and effective ways of working across US Patient Support.

Launch Readiness & Commercialization

• Program Leadership & Launch Execution: Direct launch workstreams through implementation, integrating roadmaps, dependencies, decisions, readiness, and success measures.
• Governance & Cross-Functional Integration: Establish decision paths and accountability, resolve issues, and embed patient support across launch, access, and field-readiness plans.

Patient Experience & Journey Design

• Journey Mapping: Map patient, provider, caregiver, and treatment-center journeys to identify barriers across referral, access, treatment, monitoring, and follow-up.
• Experience Research: Use customer research to shape services that simplify access and improve engagement.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Strategic Partnership: Build shared ownership across functions while maintaining clear boundaries around scope, governance, accountability, and delivery.
• Executive Advisory: Translate data, customer insights, and business implications into recommendations that shape US and global strategy and investment.
• Matrix Leadership: Earn commitment without hierarchy, resolve tension, negotiate outcomes, and keep teams and partners aligned to milestones.

Insights & Analytics

• Market Intelligence: Track Cell & Gene Therapy support models, customer expectations, and industry benchmarks.
• Performance Measurement: Define success measures and use qualitative and quantitative insights to optimize services.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, market access, patient services, customer experience, marketing, or commercial roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional strategy from concept through implementation, coordinating workstreams, decisions, risks, and milestones.
• Deep understanding of Cell and/or Gene Therapy patient support, reimbursement, access, and healthcare navigation.
• Experience supporting launch planning or commercialization initiatives.
• Experience developing patient journeys and customer experience strategies.
• Ability to earn trust, build followership, influence without authority, challenge constructively, and hold boundaries.
• Ability to convert complexity into an executable strategy and negotiate decisions balancing patient, business, and partner needs.
• Commit to average 3 days per week in office in Gaithersburg.

Preferred Requirements

• Oncology, Rare Disease, Specialty Pharmacy, or Market Access experience.
• Experience working with treatment centers, referral networks, and complex site-of-care models.
• Knowledge of digital health, CRM platforms, patient engagement technologies, and support program operations.
• Experience managing agencies, consultants, technology vendors, or patient support partners.

The annual base salary (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $210,856 - $242,785. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

Date Posted

08-Oct-2026

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.