Senior Director - Strategic Payer Accounts (Commercial)

Algernon Group; Princeton (NJ); Sur place; USD 180 000 - 240 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Cartesian Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, seeks a National Lead Strategic Payer Accounts to lead national and regional payer engagement and contracting for upcoming launches. You will translate access strategy into field execution, while building a NAM team and shaping coverage, reimbursement, and access to maximize patient access.

Ideal candidates have 10–15 years in biopharma payer roles, deep U.S. payer expertise, and a track record with first-in-class therapies.

Qualifications

• Progressive biopharma experience with payer account management and market access.
• Strong leadership with ability to manage cross-functional teams.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. payer and reimbursement landscape, including government and commercial payers.

Responsabilités

• Build and maintain senior-level payer relationships at national and regional levels.
• Lead payer negotiations and contracting aligned to strategy.
• Operationalize access strategy in field with brand value and evidence.
• Engage payers early to shape access and generate pricing insights.
• Deliver payer value narratives supported by clinical, economic, and real-world data.
• Collaborate with commercial and medical teams for aligned payer strategy.
• Hire and mentor NAM team; drive accountable, high-impact engagement.
• Synthesize payer insights to refine pricing, contracting, and access plans.
• Support pre-launch readiness and coverage strategies for launch.

Connaissances

Biopharma

Payer Management

Market Access

Strategic Leadership

Contracting

Formation

Bachelor's degree

MBA or PharmD preferred

Description du poste

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