Associate Director, Patient Support Services Operations

Cytokinetics•Radnor, PA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Patient Support Services (PSS) Operations is responsible for executing and optimizing patient support programs to deliver a seamless, patient-centric experience throughout the treatment journey. The role oversees day-to-day services covering access, reimbursement, affordability, adherence support, and specialty pharmacy coordination, typically delivered through third-party partners. The Associate Director drives operational excellence so patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers receive high-quality, timely support that enables efficient access to therapy. The position partners cross-functionally to align PSS strategy with business objectives, while maintaining a focus on patient experience, compliance, and performance. It reports to the Head of Treatment Experience. The role manages vendor relationships and program performance, develops and improves the end-to-end patient journey, monitors experience and operational metrics, and uses data to inform decisions and continuous improvement. It also manages assigned operational budgets and supports resource allocation, forecasting, and long-range planning. The position requires up to 30% travel, primarily to vendor locations and between corporate offices in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and South San Francisco, California.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 7 years of experience in biopharma, with significant experience in patient support services, market access, or reimbursement operations.
Strong expertise in access and reimbursement processes, specialty pharmacy, and patient affordability programs.
Experience managing third-party vendors or hub service providers.
Excellent written and oral communication skills to convey complex information effectively to stakeholders.
Up to 30% travel, primarily to vendor locations and between corporate offices in Radnor, PA, and South San Francisco, CA.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree, such as an MBA, MPH, or equivalent.
Experience supporting product launches and/or scaling patient support programs.
Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements related to patient support programs; REMS experience is a plus.
Patient-first mindset focused on experience and outcomes.
Operational excellence and process improvement expertise.
Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive alignment.
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Responsibilities

Lead operational execution of Patient Support Services across access, affordability, and adherence programs.
Oversee outsourced vendors, including hub providers, and establish governance, performance management, and accountability structures.
Ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery aligned with company standards and patient needs, with compliance across services.
Manage escalations from vendors and field teams regarding individual patient cases.
Work with the REMS operations team to support a seamless experience for healthcare providers and patients.
Work with the internal material review process, including submissions and content pull-through.
Design and continuously improve the end-to-end patient journey, from prescription through ongoing therapy.
Identify patient and provider experience pain points and implement solutions to improve satisfaction and outcomes.
Establish and monitor experience metrics, such as time to therapy, case resolution, and patient/provider satisfaction.
Oversee development and maintenance of SOPs, work instructions, and training materials.
Serve as the primary point of contact for external patient support vendors.
Monitor vendor performance against KPIs and SLAs, ensuring compliance and continuous improvement.
Lead regular business reviews, issue resolution, and program enhancements.
Collaborate with Market Access, Commercial, Medical Affairs, Trade & Distribution, Compliance, Legal, and Data & Insights teams.
Align patient support strategy with brand objectives, product lifecycle, and access strategy.
Define and track KPIs for PSS effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Use data and analytics to generate insights and inform decision-making.
Identify trends and proactively implement process improvements and innovations.
Manage the PSS operational budget, including vendor contracts and program costs for assigned vendors.
Optimize resource allocation to maximize program impact and efficiency.
Support forecasting and long-range planning for patient support programs.