Director of Gene, Advanced & Innovative Therapy Programs

University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)•Galveston, TX

About The Position

The Director of Gene, Advanced, & Innovative Therapy (GAIT) Programs leads the design, coordination, and integration of UTMB's enterprise-level GAIT initiatives. The role ensures system readiness for emerging therapies by developing business evaluations, payer alignment pathways, clinical program models, and commercialization frameworks. The Director works closely with Pharmacy Services, Managed Care, Service Lines, Finance, Revenue Cycle, Strategy, Research, and clinical departments to ensure UTMB's clinical, operational, and financial infrastructure is prepared for the rapid expansion of advanced therapeutics. The position partners with clinical leaders to support pathway development, therapy evaluation, program quality, and multidisciplinary readiness.

Requirements

Master's degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, life sciences, pharmacy, or a related field plus five (5) years of progressive experience in healthcare business/program development, pharmacy, managed care, specialty therapeutics, clinical program development, or related enterprise functions.
Knowledge of healthcare delivery systems, hospital and physician reimbursement methodologies and strategic planning processes.
Demonstrated thought leadership and the ability to develop and encourage new ideas to achieve successful results.
Ability to work in a highly matrixed organization and to integrate with and influence operations without having direct management authority of those operations.
Strong relationship-building, collaboration, and communication skills across all levels of the organization.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to present complex information clearly to executives and clinicians.
Demonstrates alignment with UTMB values and the Culture of Trust.

Nice To Haves

MBA, MHA, MS, or related graduate degree.
Experience with gene therapy, cellular therapy, specialty pharmacy, payer strategy, financial modeling, or clinical program development.

Responsibilities

Leads the development of UTMB’s Gene, Advanced & Innovative Therapy (GAIT) programs, including therapy onboarding frameworks, readiness assessments, clinical workflows, and cross-functional integration plans.
Coordinates clinical, operational, financial, and compliance elements required for the implementation of advanced therapies across inpatient, outpatient, infusion, and specialty pharmacy settings.
Develops system-wide guidance documents, decision trees, and governance processes for evaluating and onboarding new therapies.
Collaborates closely with clinical leaders, providers, and physician program directors to support GAIT clinical pathway development, therapy evaluation, multidisciplinary planning, and program readiness.
Prepares business cases, therapy value assessments, financial feasibility models, and reimbursement scenarios for emerging therapies.
Analyzes therapy economics (acquisition cost, reimbursement, payer policies, utilization projections) to support executive decision-making.
Collaborates with Finance, Managed Care, and Revenue Cycle to ensure accurate billing workflows, documentation requirements, coverage policies, and adjudication pathways are established before therapy launch.
Conducts market analyses to identify patient populations, referral sources, service area needs, and competitive dynamics related to gene, advanced, and innovative therapies.
Evaluates UTMB’s current and potential market share for GAIT-related services and identifies opportunities for program expansion, outreach, and partnership development.
Works with clinical leaders and Service Lines to understand disease prevalence, treatment patterns, and regional access barriers that influence program growth.
Develops demand forecasts, market opportunity summaries, and scenario models to inform executive decisions on GAIT program investment and growth strategy.
Supports provider outreach and external engagement strategies aimed at increasing GAIT referrals, improving continuity of care, and strengthening UTMB’s presence in key therapeutic areas.
Partners with Pharmacy Managed Care, Payer Strategy, and Finance to assess coverage policies, contracting requirements, risk arrangements, and reimbursement structures for high-cost therapies.
Develops payer engagement materials, prior authorization standards, and submission workflows to support therapy access and financial sustainability.
Tracks commercial payer activity, market trends, and therapy pipelines to anticipate risks and opportunities.
Provides clinical leaders with payer insights and reimbursement expectations to support therapy planning and patient access.
Works with clinical leaders to establish GAIT program quality metrics, outcomes tracking, utilization dashboards, and therapy-specific performance standards.
Conducts pre-launch readiness reviews and post-launch evaluations to ensure safe, effective, and compliant delivery of emerging therapies.
Supports alignment with UTMB’s quality, safety, regulatory, and compliance structures.
Leads enterprise-level workgroups that include Pharmacy, Service Lines, Nursing, Revenue Cycle, Research, and Strategy to align all elements of program readiness.
Coordinates clinical pathway development, care models, documentation standards, REMS requirements, operational roles, and communication workflows.
Ensures compliance with FDA requirements, accreditation standards, and internal quality expectations.
Serves as a liaison with manufacturers, specialty networks, distributors, trade partners, and academic collaborators to understand therapy timelines, REMS requirements, contracting considerations, and commercialization pathways.
Supports UTMB involvement in national consortia, benchmarking collaboratives, and innovation councils related to advanced therapeutics.
Develops materials for executive presentations, external partnerships, and internal innovation initiatives.
Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
Performs related duties as assigned.