Director, Payer Relations

Inspire Medical Systems; Minneapolis (MN); Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully Remote

Job summary

Inspire Medical Systems is seeking a Director, Payer Relations in the United States to lead payer engagement strategies, build strong relationships with national and regional payers, and shape access for innovative sleep technologies.

The role involves strategic negotiations, policy insights, and cross-functional collaboration with Medical Affairs, Regulatory, HEOR, and Sales. Travel up to 75% is expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in medical technology, healthcare, payer relations, market access, reimbursement, or related fields.
• At least 3 years of direct experience influencing payer coverage, medical policy, reimbursement, or access strategy.
• Experience developing strategic account plans and leading complex engagements with health-plan medical directors, policy leaders, or senior payer executives.
• Willingness to travel up to 75% and ability to work in a matrixed environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute payer account plans aligned with portfolio, launch, and lifecycle priorities.
• Own strategic relationships with national and regional commercial payers, Medicare and Medicaid stakeholders, and payer-affiliated networks.
• Lead payer engagements addressing medical policy, coding, reimbursement, and patient-access barriers.
• Negotiate and implement payer agreements or value-based arrangements with cross-functional teams.
• Monitor payer policies, coverage criteria, and emerging developments affecting access.
• Partner with reimbursement, coding, and health-policy experts on Medicare, commercial, Medicaid, and other payment strategies.
• Coordinate cross-functional market-access plans and ensure launch-readiness and lifecycle initiatives.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, health sciences, public health, economics, engineering, or a related field

Job description

About Inspire Medical Systems

Inspire is the first of its kind medical device designed to make a difference in the lives of those living with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). We are revolutionizing the sleep industry with our FDA-approved medical device, designed to reduce OSA severity for those who cannot tolerate or get consistent benefit from CPAP. Inspire Medical Systems is committed to enhancing patients’ lives through sleep innovation. We are steadfast in our commitment to prioritize patient outcomes, act with integrity and lead with respect. With positive persistence at our core, we are committed to all those we serve.

About Inspire Medical Systems

Inspire is the first of its kind medical device designed to make a difference in the lives of those living with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). We are revolutionizing the sleep industry with our FDA-approved medical device, designed to reduce OSA severity for those who cannot tolerate or get consistent benefit from CPAP. Inspire Medical Systems is committed to enhancing patients’ lives through sleep innovation. We are steadfast in our commitment to prioritize patient outcomes, act with integrity and lead with respect. With positive persistence at our core, we are committed to all those we serve.

WHY JOIN OUR FAST-GROWING TEAM

At Inspire, we value people – your diverse experiences, backgrounds, and thoughts. We elevate voices and encourage learning opportunities to build a professional network that grows into community. We embrace a people-first culture by offering excellent benefits, 401k matching, ESPP, flexible time off (FTO), and tuition reimbursement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference in people’s lives and want to work with innovative technology, come be a part of our great team!

• Fully Remote**

Essential Job Functions

The Director, Payer Relations develops and executes U.S. payer engagement strategies that secure, expand, and sustain appropriate coding, coverage, payment, and patient access for the company’s current and future medical technologies. The role builds strategic relationships with national and regional commercial health plans, Medicare stakeholders, Medicaid programs, Medicare Administrative Contractors, integrated delivery networks, and other payer decision makers. Working across Market Access, Clinical and Medical Affairs, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Regulatory, Legal, Finance, Marketing, and Sales, the Director translates clinical evidence, economic value, and customer insight into actionable account strategies and favorable access outcomes.

OPPORTUNITIES YOU WILL HAVE IN THIS ROLE

Key Responsibilities

Payer Strategy and Account Leadership

• Develop and execute payer account plans aligned with portfolio, launch, and lifecycle priorities, including objectives, stakeholder maps, engagement sequencing, evidence needs, risks, and measurable outcomes.
• Own strategic relationships with assigned national and regional commercial payers, Medicare and Medicaid stakeholders, health-plan medical directors, policy teams, pharmacy or benefit managers where relevant, and payer-affiliated integrated delivery networks.
• Lead payer engagements that address medical policy, utilization-management criteria, coding, reimbursement, payment adequacy, network considerations, and patient-access barriers.
• Negotiate and implement appropriate payer agreements or value-based arrangements in partnership with Legal, Finance, Compliance, and senior leadership, when applicable.

Coverage, Coding, Payment, and Policy

• Monitor and analyze payer policies, coverage criteria, claims experience, reimbursement pathways, policy-review cycles, and emerging federal and state developments that may affect access.
• Identify barriers to adoption and create focused action plans to obtain favorable, evidence-based coverage and appropriate payment for eligible patients and providers.
• Partner with reimbursement, coding, and health-policy experts on Medicare, commercial, Medicaid, facility, and physician payment strategies.
• Support engagement with relevant government, payer, and assessment bodies, including health technology assessment organizations when applicable.

Evidence and Value Communication

• Provide payer insights that shape clinical-development, real-world evidence, health-economics, outcomes-research, and evidence-generation priorities.
• Collaborate on payer value propositions, evidence dossiers, payer presentations, budget-impact and cost-effectiveness materials, coding and billing resources, and other access tools.
• Organize and facilitate payer advisory boards, medical-director discussions, executive account meetings, and clinical-expert engagements.
• Communicate field intelligence, policy trends, competitive access developments, and account risks to cross-functional leadership with clear recommendations.

Cross-Functional Execution and Leadership

• Partner with Medical Affairs, Clinical Affairs, Regulatory, HEOR, Marketing, Sales, Patient Access, Legal, Compliance, and Finance to execute integrated market-access plans.
• Coordinate launch-readiness and lifecycle initiatives against defined milestones, dependencies, budgets, and performance measures.
• Train internal stakeholders on payer policy, reimbursement pathways, value messaging, and compliant payer engagement.
• May lead employees, consultants, or project teams, including coaching, performance guidance, resource planning, and budget oversight.

Measures of Success

• Progress toward favorable or improved payer policies and reduction of inappropriate access barriers.
• Quality, reach, and strategic value of payer relationships and executive engagements.
• Completion and effectiveness of account plans, launch milestones, and evidence or value deliverables.
• Timely communication of payer insights and effective cross-functional execution.
• Compliance with company policies, quality-system requirements, and approved engagement practices.

Quality System Responsibilities

• Complete required training and competency confirmations within established timelines.
• Document product- and therapy-related field reports and provide follow-up information in accordance with applicable procedures and timelines.
• Comply with quality-system, privacy, legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements, and recommend opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Ensure payer interactions, evidence communications, contracting discussions, and external materials follow approved company processes.

Core Competencies

• Strategic payer engagement and account planning
• Coverage, coding, and payment expertise
• Evidence-based value communication
• Executive presence and influence
• Negotiation and stakeholder management
• Cross-functional leadership
• Analytical problem solving
• Execution, prioritization, and business judgment

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, health sciences, public health, economics, engineering, or a related field.
• 10 or more years of experience in medical technology, healthcare, payer relations, market access, reimbursement, managed care, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of direct experience influencing payer coverage, medical policy, reimbursement, contracting, or access strategy.
• Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, medical policy, coding, coverage, and payment pathways for medical technologies.
• Experience developing strategic account plans and leading complex engagements with health-plan medical directors, policy leaders, or senior payer executives.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, negotiation, consultative, analytical, and project-management skills.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound business judgment, and lead broad cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed environment.
• Ability to travel up to 75%, including occasional overnight travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business administration, public health, health policy, health economics, health services research, or a related discipline.
• 12 or more years of relevant experience, including medical-device experience and established relationships with national or regional payer decision makers.
• Experience supporting one or more product launches and building access pathways for novel procedures, implants, diagnostics, or digital health technologies.
• Experience with real-world evidence, HEOR, claims analytics, budget-impact models, value-based care, or payer contracting.
• Working knowledge of CMS payment systems, Medicare Administrative Contractors, state Medicaid programs, integrated delivery networks, and health technology assessment processes.

Salary

The salary for this position will be offered at a level consistent with the experience and qualifications of the candidate. This information reflects the anticipated salary range for this position at the time of posting. The salary range may be modified in the future and actual compensation may vary from the posting based on various factors such as geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.

Salary

$180,000—$240,000 USD

Benefits And Other Compensation

Inspire offers a highly competitive benefits package including (general description of the benefits and other compensation offered):

• Multiple health insurance plan options.
• Employer contributions to Health Savings Account.
• Dental, Vision, Life and Disability benefits.
• 401k plan + employer match.
• Identity Protection.
• Flexible time off.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Employee Assistance program.
• All employees have the opportunity to participate in the ownership and success of Inspire. Employees at all levels can participate through equity awards and the Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Inspire Medical Systems provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, status regarding public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, military or veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy or childbirth, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, promotion, transfer, disciplinary action, layoff, return from layoff, training, and social and recreational programs. Inspire Medical Systems complies with applicable laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which Inspire Medical Systems has facilities. All such employment decisions will be made without unlawfully discriminating on any prohibited basis.

Inspire Medical Systems is an equal opportunity employer with recruitment efforts focused on ensuring a diverse workforce. Applicants with a disability that need accommodation to complete the Inspire Medical Systems application process should contact Human Resources at 844-672-4357 or email careers@inspiresleep(dot)com

Inspire Medical Systems participates in E-Verify.