Senior Director – Head of Patient Services

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

📋 Description

• Oversee the design, implementation, and continuous management of Capricor's U.S. patient services organization in preparation for the upcoming launch of deramiocel, a cell therapy aimed at treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

• Create and execute the U.S. patient services strategy along with the launch-readiness plan.

• Construct and lead a comprehensive patient support model that includes referral and enrollment, benefits investigation, prior authorization and appeal assistance, case management, affordability, treatment coordination, and sustained patient support.

• Outline, standardize, and enhance the experiences of patients and caregivers.

• Establish governance structures, escalation pathways, business continuity strategies, and service standards.

• Direct the implementation and daily management of hub and patient services vendors.

• Design and oversee financial assistance and affordability initiatives.

• Collaborate with Market Access and field reimbursement teams concerning payer policies, reimbursement requirements, and access pathways.

• Guide the onboarding process and readiness of treatment centers.

• Define transitions among the hub, treatment centers, specialty pharmacy, distribution partners, field teams, patients, and caregivers.

• Develop protocols for addressing access barriers, incomplete referrals, scheduling delays, and capacity constraints at treatment centers.

• Lead vendor implementation, budget oversight, business reviews, service-level agreements, KPIs, quality metrics, and launch-readiness dashboards.

• Specify data needs, integrations, reporting schedules, privacy measures, and issue-resolution protocols.

• Utilize operational insights to identify underlying issues, initiate corrective actions, and enhance program efficiency and scalability.

• Create and uphold standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, training materials, and documentation standards.

• Ensure adherence to regulatory, legal, privacy, quality, and company standards.

• Collaborate with Quality and Compliance for monitoring, auditing, deviations, corrective actions, and vendor oversight.

• Maintain documentation that is ready for inspection and promote patient-centricity, accountability, and disciplined execution.

• Build and lead the patient services organization, adapting roles as business needs change.

• Manage workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and performance evaluations.

• Set objectives and operational norms, cultivate team capabilities, and encourage collaboration.

• Act as the senior internal expert on patient services, providing updates, recommendations, and risk assessments to executive leadership.

• Perform additional duties that align with the scope and seniority of the position.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree is required.

• Progressive experience in patient services, hub operations, or a similar role within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical sectors, including significant leadership responsibilities.

• Proven success in building, launching, or scaling patient support programs for rare diseases, specialty, or other complex therapies.

• Extensive knowledge of benefits investigation, prior authorization and appeals processes, case management, affordability programs, and patient access operations.

• Experience in managing external vendors, budgets, contracts, implementation strategies, service levels, and performance enhancements.

• Strong cross-functional leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

• Capability to translate strategy into detailed execution.

• Proficiency in operating effectively in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment with shifting priorities and a high level of accountability.

• Excellent written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills.

• Exceptional attention to detail and discipline in documentation.

• An advanced degree or clinical credential such as an MBA, MPH, RN, PharmD, or a comparable qualification is preferred.

• Experience with cell therapy, gene therapy, infused products, or other therapies requiring coordinated treatment-center readiness and high-touch patient support is preferred.

• Experience in establishing patient services capabilities from the ground up in a pre-commercial or early-commercial biotechnology company is preferred.

• Familiarity with rare-disease patient communities, caregiver requirements, and family-centered support models is preferred.

• Experience with patient services technology, data integrations, dashboards, privacy mandates, and operational analytics is preferred.

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.

• Skills in vendor management and negotiation.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly scaling environment.

• Capability to influence without formal authority and collaborate effectively across different functions.

🏝️ Benefits

• Eligibility for discretionary annual performance bonuses.

• Long-term equity incentive awards may be available based on role level.

• Employer-sponsored medical coverage.

• Employer-sponsored dental coverage.

• Employer-sponsored vision coverage.

• Company-paid basic life insurance.

• Company-paid accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.

• 401(k) plan with company matching contributions.

• Paid time off.

• Company holidays.

• Paid parental leave.

• Additional voluntary benefits.

• Potential availability of wellness programs.