Senior Director, Market Access

Position Title

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.