Key Accounts Director (Chicago / Remote)

About Summit:

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical oncology company with a mission focused on improving quality of life, increasing potential duration of life, and resolving serious unmet medical needs. At Summit, we believe in building a team of world class professionals who are passionate about this mission, and it is our people who drive this mission to reality. Summit’s core values include integrity, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, collaboration, and our commitment to people. Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our culture, and they are invaluable in shaping our journey toward excellence.

Summit’s team is inspired to touch and help change lives through Summit’s clinical studies in the field of oncology. Summit has multiple global Phase 3 clinical studies, including:

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

• HARMONi: Phase 3 clinical study which was intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who were previously treated with a 3rd generation EGFR TKI.

• HARMONi-3: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

• HARMONi-7: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

• HARMONi-GI3: Phase 3 clinical study intended to evaluate ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy compared with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy.

Ivonescimab is an investigational therapy not presently approved by any regulatory authority other than China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Summit is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has additional offices in California, New Jersey, the UK, and Ireland.

Location: Chicago, IL Field Based

Overview of Role: 

The Key Account Director (KAD) is responsible for establishing and maintaining strategic relationships that enable optimal market access for Summit Therapeutics’ innovative oncology medicines. This includes engagement across IDNs, Academic Centers, regional health systems, and select parent accounts of community provider networks. These are regionally aligned positions, with each Key Account Director responsible for a defined geography and corresponding accounts. 

The Key Account Director will develop and execute strategic account plans designed to support rapid product adoption through clinical pathway and treatment protocol inclusion, while representing Summit Therapeutics with key executive decision-makers across key oncology accounts (IDNs, Academic Centers, regional health systems, and community network parent organizations). This Market Access role also coordinates cross-functional collaboration across Commercial, Medical Affairs, Legal, and Marketing, to ensure alignment and successful integration of Summit’s therapies within provider-driven pathways. 

Role and Responsibilities: 

• Translate national brand and access strategies into actionable engagement plans across IDNs, Academic Centers, regional health systems, and select parent accounts of community provider networks.  

• Lead account strategy and execution focused on accelerating clinical pathway and treatment protocol inclusion post-launch, in close partnership with Medical Affairs, Legal, Marketing, and Commercial functions. 

• Establish and maintain business-to-business and C-suite relationships with aligned key accounts to support educational programs, market access initiatives, and strategic partnerships.  

• Build and sustain strong multi-level relationships with healthcare decision-makers, including P&T and formulary committee members, executive pharmacy leadership, C-suite executives, and service line leaders, across key oncology accounts (IDNs, Academic Centers, regional health systems, and community network parent organizations)..  

• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Commercial field teams to proactively identify and resolve access or reimbursement barriers.  

• Track and analyze business opportunities and market dynamics to provide strategic and tactical insights that inform access and commercial strategy.  

• Negotiate favorable contracts and agreements aligned with enterprise objectives and market access strategy.  

• Champion the voice of the customer internally by sharing insights with brand teams, field leadership, and market access stakeholders.  

• Manage relationships and identify opportunities with select access stakeholders (e.g., NCODA, COA, Oncare Alliance).  

• Provide ongoing strategic feedback and insights to Commercial leadership regarding market dynamics, pathway decisions, and account priorities.  

• Develop mid- to long-term strategic engagement plans that support multiple product and indication launches, with a focus on building partnerships beyond transactional contracting.  

• Facilitate executive exchanges between Summit Therapeutics leadership and senior executives across IDNs, Academic Centers, regional health systems, and parent accounts of community provider networks.  

• Maintain consistent, compliant engagement with healthcare decision-makers, including P&T and formulary committee members, executive pharmacy leadership, C-suite executives, and service line leaders.  

• Proactively communicate emerging opportunities or risks and mobilize internal resources to address them.  

• Design and lead pull-through initiatives with field commercial teams to support account execution.  

• Conduct quarterly business reviews with key accounts and internal stakeholders to monitor performance and alignment.  

• All other duties as assigned 

 
Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills: 

• Bachelor’s degree required. 

• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic account management, market access, or oncology commercial roles. Oncology experience required. 

• Deep expertise and strong, established relationships across IDNs, Academic Centers, regional health systems, and community oncology accounts.  

• Demonstrated understanding of oncology reimbursement, economic flows, and market dynamics within IDNs, Academic Centers, GPOs, and community oncology environments.  

• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage internal leadership and external executive stakeholders.  

• Proven ability to clearly communicate the value proposition of innovative oncology therapies.  

• Strong negotiation skills with a track record of achieving outcomes aligned with enterprise and P&L objectives.  

• Experience supporting pipeline products and oncology product launches.  

• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively across Medical Affairs, Sales, Marketing, and Field Reimbursement teams.  

• Willingness to travel up to 50% for customer meetings, industry conferences, and internal meetings.  

Preferred Skills 

• Advanced degree (MBA, Master’s, PharmD, or PhD).  

• Deep expertise and understanding of community oncology GPOs and oncology provider networks.  

• Demonstrated success leading strategic partnerships and executive engagement initiatives beyond traditional contracting or rebate arrangements.  

• Oncology product launch experience  within NSCLC.  

• Prior people leadership experience and ability to help scale teams as the organization grows 

This is the pay for this position

Pay Transparency$205,000—$240,000 USD

Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable variable compensation.

Summit does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact Summit’s Talent Acquisition team at [email protected] to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to Summit.

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and takes pride in creating and maintaining diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training or promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.