National Lead Strategic Payer Accounts (Commercial)

Cartesian Therapeutics; Frederick (MD); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Cartesian Therapeutics is building a robust Commercial Organization as it nears Ph3 trials and readies for launch. The National Lead Strategic Payer Accounts reports to the Head of Value, Access, & Trade and steers national and regional payer engagement, pricing discussions, and contracting to secure optimal coverage and access.

You will translate evidence into payer value narratives, guide NAMs, and shape field plans.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years biopharma experience with payer account management.
• Proven leader with ability to build high-performing teams.
• Strong U.S. payer/reimbursement expertise (gov and commercial).
• Experience in cell/gene therapy or related fields preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with national and regional payers.
• Lead payer negotiations and contracting aligned to strategy.
• Operationalize market access plans in field to align with brand strategy and evidence.
• Engage payers early to shape access environment and generate insights.
• Deliver payer value narratives supported by clinical/economic evidence.

Skills

Payer engagement

Account leadership

Negotiation

Access strategy

Field execution

Market intelligence

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA/MPH/PharmD or equivalent

Job description

Location: Hybrid Role – based in Princeton, NJ or Frederick, MD

Reports to: Head of Value, Access, & Trade

About Cartesian Therapeutics

Cartesian Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing mRNA CAR-T therapies for autoimmune diseases. Our mission is to expand the reach of cell therapy to patients living with serious autoimmune conditions through scientific rigor, collaboration, and innovation.

About The Role

As we look ahead to the upcoming completion of our Ph3 Generalized Myasthenia Gravis trial, along with the continued progression of our trials in Myositis and Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Cartesian is further building-out our Commercial Organization.

Thus, we are seeking a National Lead Strategic Payer Accounts, which will report to the Head of Value, Access, & Trade, and lead national & regional payer engagement and contracting execution (where appropriate) to secure optimal coverage, reimbursement, and access, while translating enterprise access strategy into high-impact field execution.

Direct reports are anticipated to include the National Account Managers / NAMs, as we approach commercial launch.

Key Responsibilities

• Payer Engagement & Account Leadership: Build and maintain senior-level relationships across key Payer decision-makers, and lead strategic engagement with national and regional commercial payers and government accounts, to shape coverage, reimbursement, and access
• Negotiation & Contracting Execution: Support and lead payer negotiations and contracting efforts (where appropriate and aligned to strategy), translating enterprise pricing and contracting strategy into actionable, account-specific agreements that optimize access, reimbursement, and long-term value
• Access Strategy Pull-Through: Operationalize market access strategy in the field by aligning payer engagement plans to brand strategy, value proposition, and evidence; ensure consistent execution and feedback loops to inform ongoing strategy refinement
• Pre-Launch Payer Shaping & Insight Generation: Engage payers early (within compliant frameworks) to shape the access environment, test value hypotheses, and generate actionable insights to inform pricing, evidence generation, and go-to-market strategy
• Value Communication & Payer Education: Deliver compelling, compliant payer value narratives supported by clinical, economic, and real-world evidence; partner with internal teams to tailor tools and resources to payer segment needs
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with commercial peers and medical affairs, to ensure aligned payer strategy, coordinated engagement, and seamless execution across stakeholders
• Field Team Build & Leadership: Hire, develop, and lead the National Account Manager (NAM) team over time; establish clear account planning, performance expectations, and best practices to drive consistent, high-impact payer engagement and team performance
• Market Intelligence & Feedback Loop: Continuously capture and synthesize payer insights, including coverage expectations, policy trends, and competitive dynamics; translate insights into actionable recommendations for pricing, contracting, evidence, and access strategy
• Launch Readiness & Execution: Play a critical role in pre-launch planning and execution, including account prioritization, engagement strategy, and readiness for coverage and reimbursement at launch

Qualifications

• BioPharma Experience: ~10–15 years of progressive biopharma experience with deep expertise in payer account management, market access, and/or field-based payer engagement, including direct responsibility for national and/or regional payer relationships in high-growth launch-stage environments
• Leadership Profile: Purpose-driven leader that values and role-models innovation, collaboration, integrity, and patient-centric thinking. Proven "player-coach" with the agility & humility to operate seamlessly between strategy and execution; known for building and leading high-performing teams and driving impact in resource-constrained, fast-paced, high-science environments
• Payer Expertise: Strong expertise in U.S. payer & reimbursement landscape, including government and commercial payers, contracting frameworks, buy-and-bill dynamics across sites of care, field-based resourcing & deployment, and compliant payer engagement (including PIE)
• Therapeutic Experience: Experience within cell and/or gene therapy, rare disease, neurology, rheumatology, and/or hematology/oncology strongly preferred, including successful launch of novel or first-in-class therapies
• Strategic & Execution Capability: Ability to translate complex clinical and economic data into clear, compelling value narratives and execute against broader access strategy in a dynamic pre-launch environment
• Collaboration & Influence: Strong communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence both external payer stakeholders and internal cross-functional teams
• Education: Bachelor\'s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, or equivalent) preferred; relevant work experience will be considered

Travel Expectations: Field-facing leadership role; ~50-75% travel, most significantly during pre-launch and payer-critical periods