Senior Manager, Patient Access Specialty Partners & Programs

PharmaEssentia U.S.A.•Burlington, MA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Patient Access – Specialty Partners & Programs leads the strategic and operational oversight of contracted Specialty Pharmacy partners, patient access data partners, and PharmaEssentia-sponsored Free Drug and Affordability Programs. This role ensures partnerships deliver against business objectives, contractual commitments, and patient access goals while maintaining a compliant, efficient, and patient-centric experience. Serving as a bridge between external vendors and internal Patient Access leadership, the role uses performance data and operational insight to drive continuous improvement, mitigate risk, and optimize coordination across internal teams, HUB services, Specialty Pharmacies, and copay vendors. This role requires a strategic, hands-on leader with strong operational acumen and a data-driven approach to vendor partnership, plus working knowledge of patient access workflows across prescribers, payers, and distribution channels.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in healthcare, life sciences, business, or related field.
5–10 years’ experience in patient access, case management, specialty pharmacy, or related field (rare disease/oncology and other specialty therapies preferred).
Expertise in manufacturer patient assistance, free drug, and affordability programs.
Knowledge of billing/coding, insurance plan types, medical/pharmacy benefits, and relevant state/federal insurance regulations.
Strong understanding of pharmaceutical industry laws, regulations, and compliance requirements.
Vendor management experience.
Proven people leader; able to coach and develop teams while managing multiple initiatives.
Strong project management and organizational skills; able to prioritize, meet deadlines, and operate effectively under pressure.
Analytical and data-driven; able to translate insights into sound recommendations.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; able to listen, synthesize information, and present to varied audiences.
Sound judgment, adaptability, and initiative in a changing environment.
Professional presence; able to represent Patient Access in internal and external settings.
Willingness to travel up to ~25% (domestic).

Nice To Haves

rare disease/oncology and other specialty therapies preferred

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of contracted Specialty Pharmacy partners, ensuring services are delivered in accordance with Statements of Work (SOWs), business rules, and compliance standards.
Act as the subject matter expert regarding the acquisition and fulfilment of BESREMi via the HUB and Specialty Pharmacy network.
Monitor Specialty Pharmacy performance using defined KPIs, dashboards, audits, and performance reviews; proactively identify risks, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
Serve as the escalation point for complex or systemic Specialty Pharmacy issues impacting patient access, case pull-through, or patient experience.
Ensure vendor-reported data is accurate, timely, and usable by establishing validation standards, reconciliation processes, and quality controls across external partners.
Translate data insights into actionable recommendations for Patient Access leadership to support strategic planning and operational decision-making.
Lead the QBR process for external vendors and internal stakeholders related to patient access partners and programs.
Oversee the operational execution of Free Drug and Copay/Affordability Programs, ensuring adherence to approved business rules, compliance requirements, and appropriate firewalls for government vs. commercial programs.
Act as the subject matter expert for Free Drug & Copay Program processes and issue resolution.
Partner with internal stakeholders to evaluate program utilization, effectiveness, and patient impact.
Ensure consistent documentation, issue resolution pathways, and vendor accountability across affordability initiatives.
Develop and execute program audit protocols to maintain quality and compliance standards across vendor partnerships and specialty programs.
Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for vendor workflows, escalation pathways, data processes, and operational standards.
Support implementation of program enhancements, technology integrations, and process improvements that improve efficiency and patient experience.
Identify emerging trends in reimbursement, distribution, and access that may impact performance or patient experience and share proactively with leadership.
Provide budget oversight for specialty partner and program spend (e.g., vendor fees, program operations), including forecasting, invoice review, accrual support, and variance reporting in partnership with Finance and Patient Access leadership.
Act as a subject matter expert for Specialty Pharmacy, Affordability Programs, and vendor‑driven access operations.
Lead, coach, and develop the specialty pharmacy liaison (SPL) role, responsible for the day-to-day operations with Specialty Pharmacy Partners, ensuring consistent execution and issue resolution.
Collaborate with internal Patient Access teams, HUB services, Commercial Operations, Compliance, and Legal on cross-functional initiatives and special projects, including work that requires patient access data expertise.
Provide strategic vision for current and future state programs that evolve to meet changing internal and external business and patient needs.
Support new and ongoing training initiatives within Patient Access.
Travel to and represent Patient Access as necessary at commercial and other relevant business-related meetings.
Adhere to all compliance requirements and applicable laws and regulations as outlined by the Legal Team and company trainings.