Director, Family Support Educator

Acadia Pharmaceuticals•San Diego, CA

8d•Remote

About The Position

Acadia is committed to turning scientific promise into meaningful innovation that makes the difference for underserved neurological and rare disease communities around the world. Our commercial portfolio includes the first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome. We are developing the next wave of therapeutic advancements with a robust and diverse pipeline that includes mid- to late-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, along with earlier-stage programs that address other underserved patient needs. At Acadia, we’re here to be their difference. This is a field-based position with flexibility to be located anywhere in the U.S. near a major airport. Position Summary: The Director of Family Support Educator, Rare Disease (DFSE) provides strategic leadership and oversight to Family Support Educator (FSE) Leads and their teams. This role involves direct management of FSE Leads, along with indirect management of Family Support Educators (FSEs), who deliver expert, field-based patient education and support throughout the treatment journey for the Rett community. As a non-promotional role within Acadia, the DFSE reports directly to the Vice President of Patient Support Services, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and the highest standards of patient care.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, with 15 years of relevant experience in Patient Support Services, Access, National Accounts, Specialty Pharmacy, Nursing, or related fields.
A minimum of 5 years in a leadership role within Patient Support Services, Market Access, Patient Education, National Accounts, Sales Management, Clinical Education, or Access Leadership.
In-depth experience in account management and patient/caregiver education
Strong background and understanding of field environment in healthcare industry
Strong background and understanding of Rare Disease space
Proficiency at creating and communicating a clear vision among team members
Track record of increased responsibilities
Strong history of successful cross-functional collaboration and leadership presence
Exemplary interpersonal skills
Must display a patient-centric mentality with a high degree of emotional intelligence and empathy
Exceptional organizational and time management skills
Understand HIPAA rules and regulations related to patient privacy
Strong written and verbal communications, as well as presentation skills
Ability to manage expenses within allocated budgets
Adaptable and open to an environment of change
Must be a fast learner, flexible, and able adjust quickly to Acadia’s rapid pace
Cross-functional leadership: Ability to lead internal teams to achieve common goals; internal teams including sales, case managers, and other commercial functions
Ability to lead external customers to achieve access for patients; external customers include physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals; public and commercial payers; specialty pharmacies
Ability to independently identify access solutions and determine the appropriate plan for resolution
Lead and manage a cross-functional team in the resolution
Accountable for cross-functional communication internally (case manager, RBL, ABM, Access & Reimbursement) and externally among a diverse set of customers (physician, nurse, hub vendor, specialty pharmacy, patient)
Strong background and understanding of field environment in healthcare industry
Ability to travel up to 50%
This role involves regular standing, walking, sitting, and the use of hands for handling or operating equipment.
The employee may also need to reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and maintain visual, verbal, and auditory communication both in a standard office environment and while working independently from remote locations.
Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
This position requires the ability to travel independently overnight and/or work after hours as required by travel schedule or business needs.
Ability to travel by car or airplane independently up to 80% of the time and work after hours if required by travel schedule or business issues.
Required to live within a reasonable distance to a major airport.

Nice To Haves

MBA is a plus.

Responsibilities

Manage and develop the performance of FSE Leads and FSE team members; manage time among the team
Lead execution of strategic and tactical patient education and One Acadia initiatives
Monitor and manage compliance adherence
Drive change/resolution of escalations, complaints, and/or communication issues for internal and external stakeholders
Serve as the primary representative for FSE team with cross functional, collaborative partners, including but not limited to: leaders for Patient Support and Distribution, CIAO, Access and Reimbursement, Marketing, and Sales
Work in collaboration with cross-functional partners to: Review and assist with training and onboarding of new FSE LEAD and FSE team members
Manage the evolution of the FSE team as the business needs and market dynamics evolve
Develop and drive appropriate metrics and MBO plans to measure performance and communicate those metrics to internal stakeholders
Deliver results on key business goals, as set forth each quarter
Provide reporting, analytics, and insights, as appropriate, based on FSE data collection
Ensure exceptional customer experience, internally and externally, through strong collaboration and operational execution of initiatives, services, and processes
Participate in executive meetings, including but not limited to, commercial leadership team, executive leadership team, and/or other meetings, as appropriate, and assist with slide development and storyboarding for these meetings
Plan and prepare for national and regional commercial field meetings
Offer in-field coaching opportunities for FSE Leads and FSEs
Lead by example
Conduct performance reviews and evaluations of FSE Leads, and ensure they are positioned to deliver these to their direct reports
Conduct performance reviews and evaluations of FSEs in Leads absence
Recruit and hire new Lead FSEs and FSEs, as necessary to fill vacancies
Mange the ongoing training, development, engagement, and culture of the entire FSE team