Director, Direct-to-Patient Operations – MariTide

Amgen • Thousand Oaks, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Amgen is preparing to enter the obesity market with its lead candidate, MariTide, currently in Phase 3 development. To support the U.S. launch of MariTide, Amgen is establishing a dedicated organization and a Direct-to-Patient (DTP) channel that will operate alongside traditional access pathways. This integrated channel will combine digital intake, telehealth-enabled care, and end-to-end fulfillment. The Director, DTP Operations will be responsible for the day-to-day operational infrastructure of this channel, ensuring its smooth operation at launch and at scale. This role focuses on the practical execution of the channel, including intake flows, telehealth and fulfillment integration, billing and payment, patient support programs, and the underlying systems and processes. The Director will lead a team of three Sr. Managers overseeing cash and coupon programs, copay support, and intake/benefits/prior authorization programs, with potential for future team expansion. This is a high-visibility, fast-paced launch environment where patient-facing reliability is critical, requiring expertise in process design and improvement, systems integration, people leadership, and performance management.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree & 4 years of commercial, digital health, operations, or marketing experience OR Master’s degree & 7 years of commercial, digital health, operations, or marketing experience AND Bachelor's degree & 9 years of commercial, digital health, operations, or marketing experience

Nice To Haves

• Experience in pharma/biotech commercialization, digital health, telehealth, or consumer health operations with direct accountability for operational model design and execution.
• Experience building or operating direct-to-patient or direct-to-consumer channel infrastructure, including intake, telehealth, fulfillment, payment processing, and patient support programs.
• Deep understanding of prior authorization workflows, benefits verification, and hub services in a specialty or high-cost therapy context.
• Familiarity with cash-pay program mechanics, coupon and copay program administration, and Gross-to-Net implications.
• Experience managing operational partners and vendors against SLAs, including escalation management and performance improvement.
• Track record standing up new operational capabilities under compressed timelines, with clear Go/No-Go readiness frameworks.
• Strong systems fluency, with demonstrated ability to translate operational requirements into workflow specifications and work effectively with technology and integration teams.
• Experience building and leading high-performing operational teams, including hiring, developing, and retaining direct reports.
• Data-driven approach to operational management, with demonstrated ownership of SLA performance, conversion, adherence, and patient experience metrics.
• Comfort operating under ambiguity and competitive pressure in a high-visibility launch environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the operational infrastructure of the DTP channel, including core workflows, intake routing, fulfillment execution, billing, and patient support systems.
• Translate the DTP channel architecture and system design into operational processes, SOPs, and team-level execution plans.
• Ensure channel design decisions are operationally viable and launch-ready.
• Ensure operational readiness across all systems and processes ahead of launch, including end-to-end testing and contingency planning.
• Drive continuous improvement post-launch, identifying operational friction and leading structured problem-solving to resolution.
• Oversee the design, build, and operational management of cash-pay, coupon, and copay support programs within the DTP channel.
• Ensure payment workflows are accurately implemented, tested, and reconciled across cash-pay and reimbursed pathways.
• Partner with Value & Access and Contracts & Pricing on program economics, eligibility logic, and Gross-to-Net implications.
• Lead the Sr. Managers for Cash/Coupon Programs and Copay Support in delivering operationally sound, patient-friendly payment experiences.
• Own the operational design and execution of intake workflows, benefits verification, and prior authorization processes within the DTP channel.
• Ensure intake routing logic correctly identifies patient coverage and directs patients to the appropriate pathway with minimal friction.
• Partner with payer, hub, and/or fulfillment partners on prior auth workflows, approval rates, and appeal processes.
• Lead the Sr. Manager, Intake/Benefits/Prior Auth Programs in managing day-to-day intake operations and continuous improvement.
• Define and own operational KPIs across the DTP channel, including intake completion rates, fulfillment SLAs, prior auth approval rates, copay utilization, and patient drop-off.
• Partner with Commercial Data & Analytics (CD&A) to build dashboards and reporting that give leadership real-time visibility into operational health.
• Establish governance cadences across the operations team and with operational partners, ensuring issues are surfaced and resolved quickly.
• Drive accountability to SLAs across internal teams and external partners; escalate material gaps with clear resolution plans.
• Partner closely with the Director, DTP Channel Strategy and Partnerships to ensure seamless handoffs between channel strategy and operational execution.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Value & Access, Medical, Regulatory, Legal, and Compliance on operational policies, patient communications, and program design.
• Work with the Sr. Program Manager to ensure operational workstreams are reflected in the integrated launch plan and tracked to readiness.
• Lead, develop, and retain a team of three Sr. Managers across cash/coupon programs, copay support, and intake/benefits/prior auth, with potential for additional team members down the road.
• Set clear priorities, operational standards, and development plans for each direct report.
• Build a culture of accountability, operational rigor, and continuous improvement within the team.

Benefits

• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts
• A discretionary annual bonus program
• Stock-based long-term incentives
• Award-winning time-off plans
• Flexible work models where possible

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree