Senior Director, Patient Engagement Operations
About The Position
The Senior Director, Patient Engagement Operations will lead the strategic design and operational build of a scalable, patient-centred engagement model to support anticipated commercialization of a novel therapy in mental health. Reporting to the VP, Patient Engagement, this leader will partner cross functionally to ensure that operational and commercial strategies reduce barriers to care, accelerate patient access, and optimize real-world outcomes. This role will architect and operationalize patient services infrastructure while incorporating the patient voice into launch readiness and go-to-market planning. This includes, but is not limited to hub services, specialty pharmacy, access coordination, affordability solutions, field integration, and digital engagement. The ideal candidate brings compassion and deep expertise in specialty launch, access strategy, vendor governance, and patient services within a highly regulated environment.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD or equivalent) preferred
- 7+ years of leadership experience in patient engagement or operations within the biopharmaceutical or life sciences industry. Experience in mental health or neuroscience is highly preferred
- Patient-centric leader who integrates compassion with operational rigor
- Strategic systems thinker with demonstrated experience supporting launch of specialty or novel therapies, specifically in designing patient support services and/or access programs
- Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets and external partners
- Data-driven decision maker with expertise in KPI development and performance optimization
- Deep empathy, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to navigate sensitive topics with rigour and compassion
- Background in REMS, hub operations, specialty pharmacy, patient services program operations, and compliance governance
- Experience integrating digital engagement tools and real-world data into patient programs
Responsibilities
- Design and implement a patient engagement operating model aligned with commercial, medical, and access strategies
- Lead development of patient support programs (e.g. onboarding, benefits investigation, affordability programs, adherence support)
- Identify and operationalize solutions to reduce barriers to care, reimbursement, and treatment initiation
- Partner with Market Access to align program design with payer strategy, coverage policy, and reimbursement pathways
- Oversee vendor selection, contracting, performance management, and governance for support services
- Establish KPIs, dashboards, and analytics to measure Time-to-therapy, conversion, persistence, and overall patient experience
- Ensure inspection readiness and compliance with FDA guidance, HIPAA, OIG regulation, and applicable REMS requirements
- Collaborate with Brand, Medical Affairs, Compliance, Legal, PV, and IT to ensure integrated and compliant execution
- Lead launch readiness planning for patient engagement capabilities, including SOP development and training
- Develop processes to systematically capture and integrate patient insights into operational and commercial decision-making
- Manage program budgets, forecasting, and financial oversight
- Build and lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of compassion, accountability, and operational excellence
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
