Senior Director of Market Access

Our client, a rare disease-focused biopharmaceutical company, is seeking a Sr Director of Market Access. As the company continues to scale, market access plays a critical role in ensuring that innovation translates into real-world patient access. The Senior Director of U.S. Market Access will:Shape and elevate U.S. market access strategy to drive optimal coverage, pricing, and patient access across the existing portfolio and future assets.Lead critical access decisions end-to-end—owning pricing strategy, payer positioning, and execution with a high degree of autonomy.Challenge the status quo by introducing differentiated, insight-driven approaches rooted in real-world payer dynamics and behavior.This role is highly cross-functional and enterprise-facing, partnering across Commercial, Medical, Patient Services (HUB), Government Pricing, Legal/Compliance, and Supply Chain to shape and deliver meaningful access strategies. The ideal candidate blends strategic vision with operational experience, bringing deep payer expertise and a passion for rare disease patients.DUTIES/EXPECTATIONS OF THIS ROLELead the development of market access strategies that drive coverage expansion, policy optimization, and quality of access (QOA) improvements across commercial and government payers for inline and pipeline assetsIdentify key differentiators critical to payers for rare disease products in competitive environments and translate into actionable strategyAnticipate and shape payer dynamics in rare disease to craft clear, differentiated value narratives that resonate in competitive rare disease markets (UM criteria, specialty pharmacy distribution, generics/biosimilar pressure) for both in-line and pipeline assetsTranslate clinical and economic evidence into practical, payer-ready tools that influence coverage and reimbursement decisionsLead pre-launch payer engagement, value evidence planning, and access readiness to ensure optimal coverage pathways, especially in competitive marketsPartner cross-functionally with medical and marketing to ensure evidence generation is targeted, efficient, and directly aligned to access impact.Engage directly with payer stakeholders to uncover actionable insights and convert them into strategic access decisionsAlign with the US Head of Payer Accounts on strategic account planning and escalation for high-impact access challengesAct as the enterprise voice of access, influencing key decisions across brand strategy, pricing, and commercialization planning workstreamsCollaborate with Government Pricing on policy implications (e.g., Medicaid best price, 340B, IRA/GUARD considerations)Ensure compliance with all regulatory and legal requirementsMUST HAVES – QUALIFICATION SUMMARYBachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred10+ years of experience in market access, payer marketing, or reimbursement, with rare disease experience strongly preferredProven success in launching and optimizing access for specialty/rare disease therapies, including pricing strategyDeep understanding of:Commercial and government payer dynamicsPrior authorization, appeals, and reimbursement pathwaysSuccessful experience in leading and developing a team within the market access functionDemonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior leadership in small biotech/rare disease companies with agile working environments a plusStrong analytical, strategic, and communication skillsResilient and adaptable and proven experience in navigating complex payer dynamics with confidenceTRAVEL & LOCATIONHybrid - Bay Area, CaliforniaCOMPENSATIONThe salary range for this position is $280,000 to $315,000 USD. Compensation will be determined based on several factors including but not limited to; skill set, years of experience, and the employee's geographic location. Please note that the required compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits unless otherwise provided.W2 rate disclaimer:"Skills, experience, and other compensable factors will be taken into account when determining pay rate. The pay range provided in this posting is a reflection of a W2 hourly rate; other employment options may be available that may result in pay outside of the provided range."General description benefits offerings disclaimer:"W2 employees of Eliassen Group who are regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week are eligible for the following benefits: medical (choice of 3 plans), dental, vision, pre-tax accounts, other voluntary benefits including life and disability insurance, 401(k) with match, and sick 􀆟me if required by law in the worked-in state/locality."