Strategic Account Director, Payer Team, Midwest

Ipsen; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 188,100 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company contributions

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Parental leave and paid time off

Job summary

Ipsen seeks a Strategic Account Director to lead payer and PBM strategies for the Midwest region, securing access and favorable reimbursement for Ipsen’s portfolio. You will cultivate relationships with senior payer decision-makers and coordinate across Sales, Medical Affairs, and HEOR to drive patient access and brand performance.

The role emphasizes strategic planning, contract execution, and cross-functional collaboration to navigate U.S. payer dynamics and optimize formulary positioning.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of industry experience with at least 5 years in payer account management.
• Strong understanding of U.S. payer landscape including Medicare, Medicaid and commercial channels.
• Proven experience in contract negotiation and formulary access.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic account plans for regional payers and PBMs.
• Lead contract negotiations and manage payer relationships to optimize access and formulary position.
• Build deep relationships with key payer decision-makers.
• Monitor regional market trends and inform internal strategy.
• Collaborate with Sales, Medical Affairs, HEOR, and Brand Teams to ensure alignment.
• Serve as the primary contact for assigned accounts and ensure proactive communication.

Skills

Payer account management

Contract negotiations

Stakeholder relationship management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Education

BA/BS in Business or Life Sciences or Health Economics

MBA/MPH/PharmD (preferred)

Tools

Payer analytics

Strategic account planning

Job description

The Strategic Account Director is responsible for developing and executing regional payer and PBM strategies to secure optimal access and reimbursement for Ipsen’s portfolio. This role is critical in driving regional market access success by cultivating relationships with key decision-makers, negotiating or pulling through contracts, and aligning Ipsen’s value proposition with payer priorities.

Operating within a dynamic and evolving healthcare landscape, the Strategic Account Director serves as the primary point of contact for assigned regional accounts and sales support across all Business Units, ensuring strategic alignment, operational excellence, and measurable impact on patient access and brand performance.

This role will have responsibility for the Midwest region.

WHAT - Main Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic account plans for assigned regional payers and PBMs.
• Lead contract negotiations and manage ongoing payer relationships within assigned accounts to mitigate barriers, ensure favorable formulary positioning and access, and establish Ipsen as a partner of choice across the organization’s therapeutic areas.
• Build and maintain deep, trusted relationships with key payer decision-makers and leadership (e.g. CEO, CFO, Industry Relations, Medical Directors, etc)
• Monitor and analyze regional market trends, coverage and policy changes, and competitive dynamics to inform internal stakeholders, product strategy, and anticipate shifts.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Medical Affairs, HEOR, and Brand Teams to ensure alignment and execution.
• Serve as the single accountable point of contact for assigned accounts, ensuring timely resolution of issues and proactive communication.
• Leverage data and insights to support value-based discussions and demonstrate product differentiation.
• Maintain deep knowledge of regional healthcare systems, reimbursement models, and payer operations.
• Work collaboratively across the Payer Account and Sales teams on education and pull-through execution.

HOW - Knowledge & Experience

Knowledge & Experience (essential):

• Minimum 10 years of industry experience with at least 5 years in payer account management.
• Proven experience in payer account management within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Strong understanding of U.S. payer landscape, including commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, and integrated delivery networks.
• Demonstrated success in contract negotiation, formulary access, contract performance analysis, and strategic account planning.
• Exceptional business and clinical acumen.
• Strong presentation skills: ability to clearly convey his/her ideas to key internal organizational stakeholders as well as specific decision makers in assigned accounts.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and managing complex stakeholder relationships.
• Ability to interpret healthcare data and apply insights to inform strategy.
• Ability to travel up to 60%, including conference attendance and overnights when necessary

Knowledge & Experience (preferred)

• Experience in rare disease, oncology, or specialty pharmaceuticals.
• Familiarity with value-based contracting and innovative access models
• Established relationships with payer accounts within defined geography.

Education / Certifications (essential)

• BA/BS in business, Life Sciences, Health Economics, or related field.

Education / Certifications (preferred)

• Advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD) is a plus.

Language(s) (essential)

• English (fluent)

The annual base salary range for this position is $188,100 to $230,000

This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentives program. The pay range displayed above is the range of base pay compensation within which Ipsen expects to pay for this role at the time of this posting. Individual compensation within this range depends on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, prior education and experience, job-related knowledge and demonstrated skills.

At Ipsen we are proud to offer a comprehensive employee benefits package, including 401(k) with company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, as well as flexible spending accounts. Ipsen also provides parental leave, paid time off, a discretionary winter shutdown, well-being allowance, commuter benefits, and much more.