US Medical Early Asset Director – Market Access

AstraZeneca • Wilmington, DE

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

The US Medical Early Asset Director – Market Access plays a crucial role in leveraging AstraZeneca's scientific capabilities to positively impact patients' lives. This position is responsible for developing ambitious US medical strategies for the early pipeline, influencing across a complex matrix system to ensure US needs are integrated into global development plans. The role focuses on shaping the US access strategy for pipeline assets from late discovery through Phase 2, translating emerging science into payer-relevant value, informing clinical and evidence plans, and ensuring US access needs are embedded in global asset strategy. This involves partnering closely with Global/US Market Access, HEOR, Medical, Clinical Development, Commercial, and Finance to define early payer value propositions, evidence requirements, pricing and contracting hypotheses, and policy risk mitigation to de-risk reimbursement at launch.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred (MPH, MS HEOR, PharmD, MBA, or related).
• 5+ years in pharmaceutical or consultancy with a focus on US market access/HEOR.
• Experience influencing early development (Phase 1–2) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated impact shaping TPPs, clinical design/evidence to meet payer needs, and developing early value propositions and pricing/contracting hypotheses.
• Ability to translate clinical profiles into payer-relevant value and coverage drivers.
• Comfort interpreting economic models, burden of illness, and RWE methodologies; able to brief modeling teams and stress-test assumptions.
• Working knowledge of Medicare/Medicaid, commercial payers, PBMs, 340B, medical vs. pharmacy benefit dynamics, coding/billing, and site-of-care economics.
• Experience designing and synthesizing payer research, advisory boards, and message testing.

Nice To Haves

• Proven ability to lead without authority across Clinical, Medical, HEOR, Commercial, and Finance.
• Clear, concise storyteller able to craft payer narratives and present to governance and senior stakeholders.
• Strong quantitative skills; scenario analysis and sensitivity testing to inform investment decisions.
• Operates in ambiguity, manages multiple assets, and meets fast-paced milestone timelines.

Responsibilities

• Define US payer-relevant elements of the Target Product Profile (clinical endpoints, comparators, subpopulations, line of therapy) and shape differentiation claims that resonate with payers and health systems.
• Provide US access input to clinical and RWE plans (endpoints, PROs, inclusion/exclusion, head-to-heads, external controls) to support label, compendia, guideline inclusion, and payer coverage.
• Lead early value story development (unmet need, clinical and economic value drivers), outline core claims, and define requirements for future AMCP dossier modules and global value dossiers.
• Develop US WAC/NET ranges, reference pricing considerations, budget impact boundaries, and contracting scenarios (e.g., outcomes-based, indication-based) with assumptions and risks.
• Co-create early economic models and RWE plans (burden of illness, treatment patterns, comparative effectiveness, adherence/persistence) to support access and inform trial design.
• Assess policy landscape (Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, IRA/Part D redesign, 340B, state policies), site-of-care and channel dynamics (buy-and-bill, pharmacy benefit, specialty distribution), and implications for design and launch.
• Plan and synthesize early payer/IDN advisory input and rapid tests (concept reviews, value message testing, coverage criteria simulations) to de-risk access hurdles.
• Maintain landscape of class coverage criteria, step/edit rules, utilization management, coding/reimbursement precedents; identify opportunities to differentiate and anticipate barriers.
• Build access assumptions for early forecasts (gross-to-net, access mix, UM intensity, speed-to-coverage) and partner with Finance on rNPV/scenario analyses for governance.
• Represent US access in global/US asset teams and at governance gates (indication sequencing, go/no-go, TPP approval), driving clear, evidence-backed recommendations.
• Operate within US promotional and pre-approval communication standards and company policies; ensure research and external interactions meet compliance requirements.

Benefits

• AstraZeneca is dedicated to being a Great Place to Work.
• Empowerment to push boundaries of science, challenge convention, and unleash entrepreneurial spirit.
• Embrace differences and take bold actions to drive change.
• Commitment to lifelong learning, growth, and development for all.
• An inclusive and equitable environment where people belong.
• Opportunity to transform lives with science.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior