National Lead Strategic Payer Accounts; Commercial

Location:

Hybrid Role – based in Princeton, NJ or Frederick, MD

Reports to:

Head of Value, Access, & Trade About Cartesian Therapeutics:

Cartesian Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing mRNA CAR-T therapies for autoimmune diseases. Our mission is to expand the reach of cell therapy to patients living with serious autoimmune conditions through scientific rigor, collaboration, and innovation.

As we look ahead to the upcoming completion of our Ph3 Generalized Myasthenia Gravis trial, along with the continued progression of our trials in Myositis and Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Cartesian is further building-out our Commercial Organization.

Thus, we are seeking a National Lead Strategic Payer Accounts
, which will report to the Head of Value, Access, & Trade, and lead national & regional payer engagement and contracting execution (where appropriate) to secure optimal coverage, reimbursement, and access, while translating enterprise access strategy into high-impact field execution.

Direct reports are anticipated to include the National Account Managers / NAMs, as we approach commercial launch.

• Payer Engagement & Account Leadership: Build and maintain senior-level relationships across key Payer decision-makers, and lead strategic engagement with national and regional commercial payers and government accounts, to shape coverage, reimbursement, and access
• Negotiation & Contracting Execution: Support and lead payer negotiations and contracting efforts (where appropriate and aligned to strategy), translating enterprise pricing and contracting strategy into actionable, account-specific agreements that optimize access, reimbursement, and long-term value
• Access Strategy Pull-Through: Operationalize market access strategy in the field by aligning payer engagement plans to brand strategy, value proposition, and evidence; ensure consistent execution and feedback loops to inform ongoing strategy refinement
• Pre-Launch Payer Shaping & Insight Generation: Engage payers early (within compliant frameworks) to shape the access environment, test value hypotheses, and generate actionable insights to inform pricing, evidence generation, and go-to-market strategy
• Value Communication & Payer
  
  Education:
  
  Deliver compelling, compliant payer value narratives supported by clinical, economic, and real-world evidence; partner with internal teams to tailor tools and resources to payer segment needs
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with commercial peers and medical affairs, to ensure aligned payer strategy, coordinated engagement, and seamless execution across stakeholders
• Field Team Build & Leadership: Hire, develop, and lead the National Account Manager (NAM) team over time; establish clear account planning, performance expectations, and best practices to drive consistent, high-impact payer engagement and team performance
• Market Intelligence & Feedback Loop: Continuously capture and synthesize payer insights, including coverage expectations, policy trends, and competitive dynamics; translate insights into actionable recommendations for pricing, contracting, evidence, and access strategy
• Launch Readiness & Execution: Play a critical role in pre-launch planning and execution, including account prioritization, engagement strategy, and readiness for coverage and reimbursement at launch

• Bio Pharma
  
  Experience:
  
  ~10–15 years of progressive biopharma experience with deep expertise in payer account management, market access, and/or field-based payer engagement, including direct responsibility for national and/or regional payer relationships in high-growth launch-stage environments
• Leadership Profile :
  Purpose-driven leader that values and role-models innovation, collaboration, integrity, and patient-centric thinking. Proven "player-coach" with the agility & humility to operate seamlessly between strategy and execution; known for building and leading high-performing teams and driving impact in resource-constrained, fast-paced, high-science environments
• Payer Expertise :
  Strong expertise in U.S. payer & reimbursement landscape, including government and commercial payers,…