Senior Director, Market Access

Kardigan•Princeton, NJ

1d•$255,000 - $340,000•Onsite

About The Position

Kardigan is a heart health company dedicated to making cardiovascular disease preventable, curable, and no longer the leading cause of death globally. The company aims to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel to bring cures to patients with cardiovascular diseases. Kardigan is led by experienced co-founders who previously led MyoKardia to develop mavacamten. The company possesses a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team focused on improving patient lives. Kardigan operates based on core values: patient-driven commitment, authenticity, eagerness to learn, winning as a team with urgency and excellence, and enabling the impossible by taking risks for scientific advancement. These values underpin their work to make a significant difference daily.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
10+ years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience
At least 6 years in market access, managed care, payer strategy, or a closely related function.
Prior experience with at least one US product launch is required.
Deep knowledge of the US payer landscape including commercial health plans, PBMs, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid, including formulary management, prior authorization, and step therapy protocols.
Demonstrated success in establishing and managing payer relationships and leading payer negotiations or contracting processes.
Experience developing and implementing patient services programs, including hub/SP management, PAP, co-pay card, and field reimbursement support.
Familiarity with HEOR principles and the ability to translate health economic data into payer-relevant messaging and dossiers.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical skills, and executive presence, with the ability to influence cross-functional partners and present to senior leadership.
Comfortable operating in a small, pre-commercial company environment; demonstrated ability to build programs and teams from early-stage through launch.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
Cardiovascular, cardiometabolic or specialty launch experience is strongly preferred.
Rare/orphan disease experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of market access strategies for multiple late-stage cardiovascular assets from pre-launch through commercialization, including coverage and reimbursement planning, payer value proposition, and pricing and contracting frameworks across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid segments.
Build and maintain relationships with national and regional payers, PBMs, and IDNs; lead payer advisory boards and negotiate formulary positioning for launch products.
Partner with Medical Affairs and HEOR to define evidence generation priorities and to develop and communicate the clinical and economic value story that supports favorable coverage decisions and formulary placement.
Design and oversee patient services programs including hub services, prior authorization support, patient assistance programs (PAP), and co-pay support to minimize access barriers and reduce time to therapy.
Develop and execute a channel strategy spanning specialty pharmacy, specialty distributors, and hospital/institutional settings appropriate for a cardiovascular launch.
Develop and lead the government affairs and policy strategy, including monitoring and responding to coverage policies, CMS proposals, and legislative dynamics that could affect product access.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Commercial, Medical, Legal, Finance, and Regulatory to align on launch readiness milestones, pricing strategy, and access timelines.
Build, manage, and mentor a high-performing market access team as the organization grows, including external vendors and agency partners as needed.
Establish metrics, dashboards, and reporting frameworks to monitor payer coverage, patient access, and field reimbursement performance.
Represent market access perspectives in launch planning, LCM activities, and pipeline asset development to ensure early integration of access considerations.