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Senior Director, Market Access

Commercial

VP Marketing (as organization grows, may transition to Chief Commercial Officer or Head of Market Access)

Princeton, NJ or South San Francisco, CA – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)

Kardigan is seeking a Senior Director of Market Access to build the commercial foundation for our late-stage cardiovascular portfolio. The role is a key architect of payer strategy, coverage policy, and access infrastructure. The ideal candidate has deep expertise across managed care, payer strategy, health economics, and patient services, and thrives in a fast‑paced, high‑accountability environment.

• 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 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.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience with at least 6 years in market access, managed care, payer strategy, or a closely related function.
• Prior experience with at least one U.S. product launch is required; cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, or specialty launch experience strongly preferred. Rare/orphan disease experience preferred but not required.
• Deep knowledge of the U.S. 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 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.
• Ability to travel up to 30% as needed to support payer meetings, industry conferences, and internal team collaboration.

Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range: $255,000 - $340,000 USD

As set forth in Kardigan’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.