Director, Patient Access

PharmaEssentia U.S.A.•Burlington, MA

1d•$184,620 - $239,700•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Patient Access will serve as the strategic and operational leader for PharmaEssentia’s Patient Access function, with accountability for access strategy, patient support operations, vendor governance, program performance, and continuous improvement across Patient Access Programs. This leader will set the vision and priorities for the function, translate business objectives into actionable strategies, and ensure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), service-level expectations, and compliance standards are consistently met or exceeded. The Director will provide leadership and oversight to the Patient Support Specialist (PSS) team and key external partners, including hub, specialty pharmacy, and patient services vendors. This role will drive strategic planning, Quarterly Business Reviews, technology and process enhancements, training strategy, and cross-functional alignment to support patient access, affordability, and a positive patient and provider experience. This is a highly visible, enterprise-facing leadership role requiring strong business acumen, people leadership, executive presence, collaboration, and a solutions-oriented mindset. A successful candidate will demonstrate deep expertise in the patient, prescriber, payer, and channel/distribution flow and its connection to the business model and competitor products, while proactively identifying opportunities to optimize access and scale the function for future growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, life sciences, business, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 10–12 years of experience in patient access, reimbursement, patient services, case management, specialty pharmacy, market access, or related pharmaceutical/biotechnology functions.
Demonstrated experience leading patient access programs and managing hub, specialty pharmacy, affordability, free goods, co-pay, charitable access, and other patient support solutions.
Proven people leadership experience, including leading, coaching, developing, and performance managing teams in a dynamic and highly matrixed environment.
Experience managing external vendors and service providers, including governance, performance management, issue escalation, business reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Strong understanding of payer coverage, benefits verification, prior authorization, appeals, reimbursement support, medical and pharmacy benefits, billing/coding, insurance plan types, and specialty distribution models.
Experience with rare disease, oncology, hematology, and/or other specialty therapies preferred.
Strong strategic thinking and analytical capabilities, with ability to assess trends, identify business risks and opportunities, and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
Excellent executive communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with ability to represent Patient Access in internal and external forums.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners, drive alignment, and lead initiatives from strategy through execution.
Solid understanding of healthcare laws, regulations, and compliance requirements in the pharmaceutical industry.
High level of initiative, sound judgment, adaptability, problem-solving skills, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Willingness to travel up to 25% domestically.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the overall strategy, governance, and operational performance of Patient Access Programs, including hub, specialty pharmacy partnerships, affordability programs, and related patient support services.
Establish and manage Patient Access goals, KPIs, service-level expectations, and performance dashboards to monitor effectiveness, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement.
Serve as the internal subject matter expert and strategic lead for patient access operations, reimbursement support, benefits verification, prior authorization, financial assistance, and specialty pharmacy coordination.
Partner cross-functionally with Market Access, Commercial, Medical, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Data/Analytics, and other stakeholders to align Patient Access strategy with broader business objectives.
Provide leadership, coaching, and development for the Patient Support Specialist (PSS) team, ensuring strong performance, engagement, accountability, and readiness to support business growth.
Define team structure, training strategy, performance expectations, and resource needs to ensure the Patient Access function is scalable, efficient, and aligned with organizational priorities.
Lead vendor governance, business reviews, issue escalation, and performance management with hub, specialty pharmacy, and other patient services partners.
Oversee the development, maintenance, and communication of SOPs, business rules, work instructions, and operational processes to ensure consistency, compliance, and high-quality execution.
Identify and implement technology, data, and process enhancements that improve patient and provider experience, operational efficiency, data integrity, and business insights.
Lead strategic planning and execution of Quarterly Business Reviews and other key stakeholder forums, ensuring clear visibility to results, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions.
Manage manufacturer free goods and co-pay programs and ensure they are administered in accordance with approved business rules, compliance requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
Monitor the evolving access, reimbursement, payer, and specialty pharmacy landscape and proactively communicate implications, recommendations, and mitigation plans to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
Ensure data integrity through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and optimize the utilization of patient access data to inform decisions and improve program performance.
Represent Patient Access at commercial, leadership, vendor, and other relevant business meetings, including travel as necessary.