Value & Access Contracting Lead - Commercial PBM, Payer

UCB; United (PA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

UCB is looking for a Value & Market Access Contracting Lead to drive Multi-channel Market Access strategies in the Pennsylvania area. This role requires robust negotiation skills and a proven track record in contract lifecycle management and team leadership. A strong background in Market Access and Pricing within the pharmaceutical industry is essential.

The successful candidate will manage complex contracts, ensuring compliance and operational readiness while overseeing a team of Contracting Partners. This position offers a competitive salary and opportunities for career advancement within UCB.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Market Access/Value & Access Contracting.
• 3+ years of direct people-leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of pricing/contracting governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-channel Market Access & Pricing contracting strategy.
• Manage contract lifecycle for assigned portfolios.
• Develop team capabilities through training and onboarding.

Skills

Market Access Strategy

Contract Negotiation

Leadership

Financial Acumen

Analytical Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Contract Management Systems

Job description

Make your mark for patients

Value & Market Access Contracting Lead – Commercial PBM and Payer

About the Role

The Value and Access Lead is a people leader accountable for leading the multi‑channel Market Access & Pricing contracting language strategy and execution, leading a team of three Contracting Partners to deliver compliant, timely, and commercially optimized agreements for enterprise‑critical books of business.

Who You'll Work With

This role serves as a senior cross‑functional contracting liaison with Account Management, Analytics, Legal, Finance, Pricing Committee, and Operations—leading high‑stakes negotiations and continuously reprioritizing to identify risk, quantify financial impacts, and manage high‑value, high‑complexity agreements with strong controls, documentation discipline, and a focus on scalable execution and compliance.

What You'll Do

• Set multi‑channel value & access contracting language strategy across three channels (GPOs, Trade, and Specialty Pharmacy); translate brand/access objectives into contracting priorities, negotiation stances, and execution roadmaps.
• Own end‑to‑end contract lifecycle accountability for assigned portfolio(s), including providing inputs into the Analytics‑led modeling deal(s) process, term sheets, and conditions to rebate; provide negotiation oversight, approvals routing, execution, amendments, and renewals—ensuring timelines, quality, and audit‑ready documentation.
• Lead and develop a team of three Contracting Partners through clear performance expectations, coaching, training and onboarding, workload prioritization, review of work, and capability building; ensure consistent application of negotiating principles, processes, and contract standards.
• Manage a high‑volume, fast‑paced portfolio by continuously triaging and reprioritizing workstreams across channels; align stakeholders on priorities, timelines, and trade‑offs; and communicate proactive updates/escalations to ensure timely decisions and execution.
• Serve as the senior contracting voice in cross‑functional governance with Account Management, Pricing, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Operations; own the contracting position and recommendation (informed by Analytics‑led modeling and approvals) and align on deal economics, access trade‑offs, and operational feasibility prior to execution.
• Drive contract economics and risk trade‑offs by identifying contractual and operational risks, understanding and communicating financial impact/exposure, evaluating financial terms, developing scenario‑based recommendations, and escalating decisions that impact P&L, exposure, or channel strategy.
• Ensure compliance, controls, and appropriate risk mitigation across all agreements.
• Oversee operational readiness and issue resolution for executed agreements (implementation requirements, eligibility, adjudication, chargeback/rebate implications); lead timely negotiation and resolution of disputes and contract performance exceptions.
• Establish performance management and reporting for the contracting portfolio workflow; communicate clear insights and recommendations to the Head and leadership stakeholders.
• Standardize contracting ways of working by implementing templates, playbooks, clause libraries, and training/enablement materials (e.g., onboarding guides, negotiation toolkits) and driving continuous improvement initiatives that reduce variability, improve speed, and increase negotiation leverage.
• Represent the function with executive‑level presence in internal and external discussions; anticipate channel and payer dynamics, proactively surface risks/opportunities, and influence decisions to protect access, compliance, and enterprise value.

Education and Experience

Bachelor's Degree required.

Required

• 10+ years of experience in Market Access/Value & Access Contracting, Pricing, Reimbursement, Market Access Strategy, Payer/Account Management, or related areas within pharmaceuticals/biotech.
• 3+ years of direct people‑leadership experience or equivalent combination of leadership experience as described in the original posting.

Preferred

• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering training and onboarding for contracting and/or market access teams.
• Expertise negotiating, drafting, redlining, and operationalizing complex agreements (rebates/fees, price protection, admin/service fees, dispute terms).
• Strong knowledge and commitment to pricing/contracting governance and compliance requirements, including approval pathways and peer reviews.
• Advanced financial and analytical acumen to interpret deal models, identify risks, and make clear recommendations.
• Advanced communication and influencing skills with a track record of aligning cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Experience contracting across multiple U.S. market access channels (Trade/Distribution, GPO/IDN, Specialty Pharmacy, 340B).
• Prior ownership of contracting strategy for a brand launch, major indication expansion, or significant access shift.
• Familiarity with advanced contracting constructs such as outcomes‑based arrangements, performance guarantees, and complex dispute/true‑up mechanisms.
• Experience in specialty and/or rare disease market access dynamics strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of contracting operations and financial flows (rebate processing, chargebacks, fees/admin, eligibility, audit/dispute management) and ability to partner with internal operations teams.

This position’s estimated base salary range is $175,000 – $215,000. The actual salary offered will consider related knowledge, skills, experience, and location among other factors and may differ from this range.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCB is an equal‑opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. UCB invites you to voluntarily self‑identify during the application process. Provision of self‑identification information is voluntary and will not affect your application for employment. Any information you provide will be confidential and kept separate from your application and personnel file, and used only in accordance with applicable laws, orders, and regulations.