Director/Senior Director, National Accounts

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Massachusetts.

📋 Description

• Create and implement strategies for pre-launch and launch phases to establish Stoke’s presence with key accounts.

• Act as the strategic leader for key accounts within the region.

• Formulate action plans tailored to specific accounts that expedite the process from FDA approval to a favorable coverage determination.

• Cultivate relationships with payers and enhance Stoke’s credibility with medical benefit policy decision-makers prior to NDA submission, ensuring a smooth transition from approval to patient access.

• Design multi-year access strategies that consider commercial cycles and competitive coverage changes, aligning account-level actions with a national access framework.

• Inform payers about clinical evidence, FDA labeling, treatment guidelines, and health-economic data to facilitate coverage decisions and eliminate obstacles in utilization management (such as step edits, PA criteria, NDC blocks).

• Oversee medical policy language at each account and collaborate with Medical Affairs, HEOR, and Advocacy to respond to and proactively influence policy criteria.

• Engage proactively with payer Medical Directors to secure informal guidance letters or billing instructions that connect the launch phase to permanent J code assignment.

• Influence policy decision-makers for medical benefit products to attain favorable coverage policy outcomes.

• Act as the company’s expert on buy-and-bill reimbursement dynamics for products associated with a miscellaneous J code (J3490/J3590) while awaiting assignment of a permanent, product-specific J code.

• Train payer medical policy teams on accurate claims submission practices, billing unit conventions, and NDC-to-J code crosswalk requirements to reduce claim denials during the unclassified code period.

• Foster collaboration across Stoke’s commercial and field medical teams without direct reporting lines, building internal coalitions among Medical, HEOR, Reimbursement, Government Affairs, Legal, Trade & Distribution, and Patient Services to ensure cohesive execution.

• Maintain effective communication and collaboration between the field reimbursement team and patient services to support a high success rate in approvals and timely patient access.

• Engage sincerely with the Dravet syndrome patient and caregiver community, incorporating their insights into payer interactions in a compelling and compliant manner.

• Conduct all payer engagements in strict adherence to company SOPs, OIG guidelines, PhRMA Code, and relevant federal and state regulations.

• Navigate the complex landscape of a first-in-class disease-modifying ASO therapy with no established coverage precedent, finding innovative and compliant solutions for access.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD) is preferred.

• Over 15 years of experience in pharma/biotech; at least 10 years in payer account management with primary responsibility for one of the three major PBM and National accounts.

• Demonstrated success in achieving positive coverage outcomes for orphan designation or rare disease products under the medical benefit.

• Experience in pre-launch payer strategy, not limited to maintaining established access.

• Practical experience navigating a miscellaneous J code (J3490/J3590) environment, including the transition to a permanent product-specific code.

• Strong understanding of managed care economics, formulary management, utilization management, and coverage policy development processes at national payers.

• Experience in launching products for rare pediatric or neurological diseases; experience with CNS or epilepsy payers is a significant advantage.

• Knowledge of reimbursement pathways for disease-modifying therapies and gene testing as defined by payer policies.

• Background with a company developing its commercial infrastructure for the first time—either in a startup or early commercial-stage biotech setting.

• Exceptional ability to influence across various functions without direct authority.

• A strong passion for patient access and the impact of rare diseases.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Life, long-term and short-term disability insurance

• Paid parental leave

• A 401K plan with company match

• Unlimited vacation time

• Tuition assistance

• Participation in our Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)