Director, Market Access Payer Accounts - Northeast

Location: Remote - Field based. Candidates should be based in one of the following states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, New York or Pennsylvania. 

Overview of Role:

The Director of Market Access Payer Account at Summit Therapeutics reports directly to the Executive Director, Payer Strategic Accounts, and will be responsible for leadership and management of select national and sub-national payers and other assigned accounts. This is a critical customer-facing role helping to ensure broad access, reimbursement, and patient affordability. These accounts include, National/Regional Health Plans, PBMs, Medicare, state Medicaid, VA/DoD, among others.

The Director will be responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with decision makers within the accounts, including medical and pharmacy departments. This role involves executing strategies and tactics within each account, while also providing support to the regional field matrix teams when necessary. A strong understanding of managed markets, reimbursement, and payer account management is essential.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Establish, broaden, and deepen relationships with target entities (e.g., health insurers, PBM's, other payers, etc.) and key decision makers and influencers (medical and pharmacy directors, etc.) that affect coverage and reimbursement decisions.
• Accounts covered will include: Evernorth/Cigna, Highmark, UPMC, Horizon, CareFirst, BCBS MI, BCBS MA, MACs, FFS Medicaid
• Positively influence decision makers, policies, guidelines, and contracts to facilitate timely and appropriate coverage, access and reimbursement for our drug candidates and approved products.
• Implement Brand access strategies and develop account specific plans and assist in the resolution of access/reimbursement issues.
• Work closely with the Medical Affairs field team to support the communication and understanding of our drug candidates and approved products with payers.
• Work closely with the Patient Services team to support the patient journey and resolve coverage issues.
• Assist Regional Sales teams with pull- or sell-through strategies based on payer coverage.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key decision-makers, including Formulary, P&T, and Pathway leaders, Medical & Pharmacy Directors and other population-based stakeholders to secure appropriate access and optimal product positioning.
• Co-create account-level strategies, tools, and tactics to communicate the product value proposition effectively. Collaborate on pricing and contracting strategies, HEOR evidence generation plans, patient support programs, payer marketing initiatives, and account management approaches.
• Lead discussions with internal and external partners to ensure alignment on access, coverage, and reimbursement strategies.
• Foster a high-performance culture within the field team by promoting accountability, urgency, ethical behavior, and professional development.
• Stay informed on healthcare industry trends, payer policies, reimbursement processes, and competitive activity. Provide strategic insights to inform decision-making, access strategies, and product launches.
• Ensure all Market Access initiatives are developed and executed in compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical standards.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, balancing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines.
• All other duties as assigned

Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, healthcare, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years biotech/pharmaceutical experience
• Minimum of 5+ years of focused account management experience in the oncology access marketplace
• Demonstrated success in engaging with US payers, MACs, PBMs, and IDNs
• Strong understanding of the US healthcare payer/access landscape and regulatory environment
• Excellent strategic thinking, leadership, negotiation, and relationship management skills
• Ability to work on cross-functional teams and drive complex projects to completion
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills
• Successful record of achieving and maintaining compliance with all applicable regulatory, legal, and operational rules
• Travel: Ability to travel to support business priorities as needed