Sr. Director, Field Reimbursement Management

Description

Zydus Therapeutics is a clinical stage, specialty-focused bio-pharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative treatments to transform lives, starting with rare and serious liver diseases. Our purpose is simple, to empower people with the freedom to live healthier and more fulfilling lives, by unlocking new possibilities in life sciences and providing quality healthcare solutions.

Our lead drug candidate, saroglitazar, is a dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha / gamma agonist. Saroglitazar is an investigational treatment which has received Fast Track designation, orphan drug designation and priority review designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Primary Biliary Cholangitis is a rare, chronic autoimmune liver disease primarily affecting middle-aged women, characterized by the progressive destruction of the bile ducts that can lead to irreversible liver damage if left untreated.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Zydus Lifesciences, our pipeline is fueled by 1,300 researchers who are working with cutting-edge technologies to discover new medicines for tomorrow.

The opportunity to empower people with the freedom to live healthier and more fulfilling lives is what makes a career with Zydus Therapeutics so rewarding. Our team is collaborative, innovative and adaptable. We are action-oriented and strive for excellence in all we do, all underpinned by respect, trust and integrity. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and support programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives

If you are passionate about helping bring potential life-changing discoveries to patients, then you share our mission.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Sr. Director of Field Reimbursement Management (FRM) will lead the strategic direction, build-out, and operational execution of the FRM organization in support of saroglitazar and future rare/specialty disease launches. Reporting to the Head of Value & Access, this leader will

be responsible for building a high-performing FRM team from the ground up to support healthcare providers (HCPs) and office staff in navigating patient access and reimbursement processes.

This role will serve as a critical partner across the Commercial and Value & Access functions – especially Sales, Patient Services, Payer Access, and Channel Accounts – to ensure providers have the education and support needed to facilitate patient access to therapy. The individual will contribute to the development and optimization of patient support programs while ensuring the FRM organization is effectively aligned to broader access and organizational objectives. The role will also provide strategic input into the development of field reimbursement educational resources and provider support materials to enhance provider office engagement and patient access.

The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in pharmacy benefit reimbursement, provider office workflows, specialty pharmacy operations, and field team leadership, along with demonstrated success designing and operationalizing field access organizations in emerging biotech environments.

RESPONSIBILITIES

FRM Organization Build & Leadership

· Build and lead a contract FRM organization, including organizational design, hiring strategy, onboarding, training, and field deployment with the selected contract FRM agency

· Develop and implement foundational operating infrastructure for the FRM team, including:

o Incentive compensation plans

o Field metrics and KPIs

o Territory alignment and deployment strategy

o Standard operating procedures (SOPs)

o Ways of working and field engagement expectations

o Escalation pathways and business rules

· Establish a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, accountability, compliance, and patient-centered execution

· Coach and develop FRMs to effectively support provider offices in navigating access and reimbursement challenges

Provider Access & Reimbursement Support

· Lead FRM strategy supporting HCPs and office staff managing patients under the pharmacy benefit

· Oversee compliant education related to:

o Prior authorization requirements

o Appeals and coverage exception processes

o Formulary access and utilization management criteria

o Specialty pharmacy routing and fulfillment processes

o Patient support program navigation

· Ensure FRMs are equipped to support provider office staff in resolving access barriers and facilitating timely therapy initiation

· Develop tools, resources, and field guidance that simplify complex payer and specialty pharmacy processes for provider offices

Patient Services Collaboration

· Serve as a strategic partner in the development, optimization, and ongoing evolution of patient support and patient services programs

· Collaborate cross-functionally with Patient Services leaders, hub vendors, the specialty pharmacy account team, and other internal stakeholders to ensure FRM insights and field realities are incorporated into program design

· Provide field-based feedback regarding provider office needs, operational barriers, and patient access challenges to help improve service offerings and patient experience

· Ensure alignment and coordination between FRM activities and broader patient services operations

Field Tools & Educational Resources

· Identify unmet educational and operational needs within provider offices and collaborate cross-functionally on the development of FRM-facing and provider-facing access and reimbursement resources

· Provide strategic input into reimbursement and access-related messaging to ensure materials appropriately support provider office staff navigating pharmacy benefit processes

· Work with Access Marketing to help develop and optimize field resources, including:

o Prior authorization support materials

o Appeals and denial education tools

o Coverage and access guides

o Specialty pharmacy process overviews

o Patient support program educational resources

· Gather field feedback regarding material effectiveness and identify opportunities to improve provider office engagement and education

Cross-Functional Partnership

· Partner closely with Value & Access leadership to align FRM strategy with broader payer and access objectives

· Collaborate with Patient Services and Hub operations to optimize provider and patient experiences

· Serve as a strategic partner to Specialty Pharmacy, Trade & Distribution, Compliance, Legal, Medical, and Commercial leadership

· Provide field-derived insights regarding payer trends, provider challenges, and operational barriers to inform organizational strategy and decision-making

Launch & Operational Readiness

· Lead FRM-related launch planning and execution activities, including:

o Field force sizing and structure

o Resource and budget planning

o CRM implementation and reporting design

o Training curriculum development

o Vendor coordination and operational integration

· Ensure FRM capabilities and operational processes evolve appropriately with changing payer dynamics and organizational growth

Compliance & Governance

· Ensure all FRM activities are conducted in accordance with company policies, legal guidance, and industry regulations

· Maintain appropriate non-promotional boundaries and compliant field interactions

· Partner with Compliance and Legal to develop and maintain policies, training, and monitoring programs

· Ensure incentive compensation plans and field objectives align with company compliance standards and organizational priorities

Analytics & Performance Management

· Define and monitor key performance indicators, including:

o Time to therapy

o Prior authorization approval rates

o Appeal success rates

o Provider engagement metrics

o Access barrier trends

o FRM field effectiveness measures

· Utilize data and field insights to continuously improve FRM effectiveness, operational execution, and provider experience

· Deliver regular business updates, field insights, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, PharmD, MPH, or equivalent) preferred

· 10+ years of experience in reimbursement, patient access, market access, or related pharmaceutical/biotech functions

· 5+ years of leadership experience managing FRM, reimbursement, or patient access field teams, including experience managing a contract FRM partner

· Strong expertise supporting products covered under the pharmacy benefit

· Deep understanding of:

o Commercial and government payer structures

o Prior authorization and appeals processes

o Specialty pharmacy distribution and operations

o Provider office reimbursement workflows

· Demonstrated success building and scaling field access organizations within biotech or specialty pharmaceutical environments

· Experience developing field operating models, incentive compensation structures, and business processes for field-based teams

· Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills

· Experience in rare disease, specialty, or orphan product environments

· Launch experience in emerging or growth-stage biotech companies

· Experience partnering closely with hub service providers and specialty pharmacies

· Familiarity with CRM platforms, field analytics, and reimbursement technology solutions

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

The position will require significant domestic travel (50-70%).

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position is field based

Zydus Therapeutics provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Zydus Therapeutics is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with Zydus Therapeutics, please contact us and let us know the nature of your request.