Trade Account Associate Director

Vertex Inc.

23h•$166,400 - $249,600

About The Position

The Trade Account Associate Director (TAAD) leads strategic account management and executes Vertex’s U.S. trade and distribution strategy across assigned channel partners. The role leads negotiation, implementation, and ongoing management of Specialty Pharmacy and Retail Master Purchase and Service Agreements, Enhanced Service Agreements, and Distribution Purchase and Service Agreements. The TAAD supports effective distribution and availability of Vertex’s commercialized products, as well as tactical execution of new product launches and label expansions. This position is a primary contact for assigned national and regional trade partners, including full-line wholesalers, specialty distributors, specialty pharmacies, retail pharmacy chains, independent community pharmacies, and other channel stakeholders. The successful candidate brings deep practical channel expertise together with independent analytical and strategic capability. They are expected to own complex account questions from problem definition through analysis, recommendation, stakeholder alignment, and execution. The role strengthens data-driven decision-making, addresses complex channel challenges, and advances Market Access priorities through strategic account leadership, contract and performance management, distribution operations, and cross-functional collaboration. The position is field-based and requires travel up to 50% of the time.

Requirements

At least 10 years of commercial experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical distribution or pharmacy, or related industry.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Direct experience working with wholesalers, specialty distributors, specialty pharmacies, retail pharmacy organizations, or other trade and distribution accounts.
Existing relationships with key trade and distribution organizations, including national and regional wholesalers, specialty distributors, specialty pharmacies, retail pharmacy chains, and health-system specialty pharmacies.
Experience managing national and/or regional pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, wholesale, or distribution accounts.
Demonstrated experience negotiating and managing complex commercial agreements, with a record of successful business outcomes.
Deep practical knowledge of pharmaceutical distribution networks, specialty pharmacy models, trade processes, product launches, contracting, and pharmaceutical supply-chain operations.
Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to interpret trade-channel, inventory, contracting, reimbursement, and customer data.
Experience with 340B program considerations, DSCSA requirements, serialized product distribution, and related compliance practices.
Strong understanding of pharmacy reimbursement, medical and pharmacy benefit economics, healthcare policy, and distribution-related business drivers.
Demonstrated ability to independently solve complex, ambiguous business problems by structuring unclear questions, identifying relevant data and stakeholders, performing or directing analysis, and developing well-reasoned recommendations.
Ability to translate complex analysis into concise business narratives, recommendations, and decisions for senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, connecting account-level decisions to broader Market Access, commercial, patient access, operational, and enterprise implications.
Track record of high ownership, intellectual curiosity, and self-directed problem solving, leading work from problem definition through execution.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, organizational, and project-management skills.
Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders, build trusted relationships, and work effectively in a highly matrixed organization.
Working knowledge of applicable FDA regulations governing pharmaceutical promotion and the PhRMA Code relevant to healthcare professional interactions.
Valid driver’s license and ability to travel up to 50% of the time.

Nice To Haves

At least five years working directly with or at any combination of the listed organizations, including McKesson, Cencora, Cardinal, Accredo, CVS, Optum SP, Frontier Therapies, Walgreens, Acaria, Orsini, Panther, Biologics, VytlOne, Morris & Dickson, Anda, Walmart, BioPlus, Onco360, CareMed, or hospital specialty pharmacies (HSSPs).
MBA, PharmD, or other relevant advanced degree.
Experience supporting commercialization of cell and gene therapies, rare or orphan disease products, cystic fibrosis therapies, pain-management products, or other specialty medicines.
Experience developing distribution strategies for products with complex patient access, reimbursement, fulfillment, inventory, or specialty-pharmacy requirements.
Experience creating financial models, account-level business cases, channel analyses, scenario plans, or strategic recommendations for pharmaceutical distribution, specialty pharmacy, market access, or commercial decisions.
Experience presenting and defending data-driven recommendations in executive forums or with senior external account stakeholders.
Experience leading strategic planning, pipeline readiness, distribution-network design, or cross-functional decision-making for new product launches.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic engagement and account management for assigned national and regional wholesalers, distributors, specialty pharmacies, retail pharmacy organizations, and other trade-channel partners.
Develop and maintain long-term strategic relationships with key account decision-makers and healthcare distribution industry stakeholders.
Create and execute strategic account plans aligned with account objectives, channel opportunities, and Vertex business priorities.
Lead regular account business reviews, synthesizing performance, market trends, channel insights, and cross-functional input into priorities, recommendations, and actions.
Provide proactive relationship management, efficient issue resolution, and appropriate deployment of Vertex resources to deliver an above-the-agreement customer experience.
Negotiate, implement, and manage contracts in alignment with Vertex objectives, account needs, and compliance requirements.
Maintain detailed knowledge of contractual obligations, service commitments, and performance measures, and independently act on timebound obligations.
Manage account performance against KPIs and contractual obligations using scorecards, channel reports, and analytics dashboards.
Develop data-driven business cases for compliant enhanced services, account-specific opportunities, and resolution of unique partner scenarios.
Identify potential risks, service gaps, and contractual performance issues, and lead timely, compliant resolution efforts.
Independently frame ambiguous trade, distribution, access, and account-management questions; develop hypotheses, identify relevant data, and produce actionable evidence-based recommendations.
Analyze trade-channel data, inventory reports, purchasing trends, customer behavior, custom data offerings, and market intelligence to identify opportunities, risks, and emerging trends.
Translate complex analysis into clear business narratives, strategic recommendations, and executive-ready communications.
Evaluate strategic options across financial, operational, customer, supply, and compliance implications; articulate trade-offs and recommend a path forward.
Proactively identify issues and opportunities, applying sound business judgment and a solutions-oriented approach.
Partner with analytics, finance, and functional experts while retaining accountability for defining the business question, interpreting results, and recommending action.
Coordinate account readiness for new product launches and label expansions, including operational planning, account education, product availability, and compliant deployment of Vertex resources.
Ensure timely, complete, and accurate receipt of channel data feeds in agreed formats, including 844, 845, 849, 852, and 867 transaction data.
Lead resolution of data and reporting issues involving purchasing trends, class-of-trade integrity, inventory visibility, and days-on-hand reporting.
Monitor product availability, inventory levels, and supply-related trends to support distribution planning and minimize access disruptions.
Support organizational preparedness for Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requirements and other applicable distribution regulations.
Partner with Trade & Distribution and cross-functional stakeholders to inform distribution strategies for pipeline products and new therapeutic areas.
Provide recommendations on distribution network design and composition; channel partner services; approaches to engaging distributors and retail community pharmacies; and class-of-trade capabilities across distributors, pharmacies, group purchasing organizations, and integrated delivery networks.
Identify strategic opportunities across hospitals, retail community pharmacy, group purchasing organizations, and integrated delivery networks with relevant internal Vertex account teams.
Provide compliant education and subject-matter expertise to internal stakeholders on distribution practices, purchasing insights, trade-channel dynamics, and 340B program considerations.
Collaborate with stakeholders across Market Access, Sales and Marketing, Guidance & Patient Support, Global Insights, Analytics & Commercial Operations, Accounting, Legal, Medical, Finance, Data Technology & Engineering, Government Affairs, Patient Advocacy, Regulatory, Quality, and Commercial Manufacturing & Supply Chain.
Exercise sound judgment and uphold Vertex values, policies, and compliance standards; foster collaboration, accountability, and enterprise thinking.

Benefits

Annual bonus eligibility
Annual equity awards
Medical benefits
Dental benefits
Vision benefits
Generous paid time off, including a week-long company shutdown in the summer and winter
Educational assistance programs, including student loan repayment
Commuting subsidy
Matching charitable donations
401(k)