Description

The Director of Strategic Pricing and Analytics reports to the Head of Pricing, Contracting, & Distribution (PCD), Market Access and is responsible for the development and execution of product pricing and access strategies, as well as accompanying analytics. He/she will be responsible for developing WAC and Net Channel strategies, account-level planning, establishing contracting guardrails, managing Pricing Committee processes/approvals, forecast and GTN assumptions, RFP evaluations and analytics, and developing ROI models. He/she will be responsible for leading evaluation and execution of contracting strategies across all discount, rebate, and service agreements including, but not limited to, off-invoice discounts, chargeback, rebate, distribution contracts, and fee for service. He/she will be responsible for executing copay and patient services programs including business rule design, contract execution, budget forecasts, and creation of printed materials. He/she will be responsible for working closely with internal stakeholders to include but not limited to contract development, contract operations, brand teams, finance, legal, accounting, operations, payer field team, and payer marketing. He/ she will work closely with his/her contract development & government reporting and contract operations counterparts to successfully execute customer programs that ensure Ascendis Pharma becomes the preferred partner of choice with key targeted Payers.

Develop and execute recommendations of all US price strategies

Define, implement, and maintain product pricing and reimbursement of in-market product

Ensure that pricing and reimbursement strategies are budgeted in annual brand plans and align with corporate and brand profitability

Assess financial return on investment and recommend customer offers that achieve favorable product access at key customers in alignment with price strategies

Conduct meaningful financial analysis and develop insights-driven reporting to drive optimal decision making

Develop and implement targeted Pricing Actions across segments to maximize profitability

Translate high-level strategic goals into pricing strategies. Primary pricing subject matter expert to work with Portfolio and Sourcing on new product and supplier launches. Provide recommendations on List Price and Cost and establishing customer discounts for new and existing product lines

Create new and innovative ways to write pricing structures for customer contracts leveraging Price Guidance

Establish Pricing Committee governing body to review and approve pricing and contract proposals, including cross-functional participation and documentation processes

Direct presentation of all pricing strategies and contract recommendations before Pricing Committee in preparation of requisite financial documentation for implementation of pricing decisions.

Coordinate strategic pricing activities across portfolio and align by sales channel

Develop tools and analytics to support market pricing benchmarks that can be used across the Americas business

Gather market insights and drivers to inform Field and Franchise views on pricing elasticity, competition and broader market factors to help support the pricing strategy

Make recommendations to senior leadership about pricing strategies based on customer profiles and historical usage analysis

Negotiate and Influence internally to encourage adoption and testing of new pricing structures and strategies, including terms of engagement and interaction with counterparts in Finance, Account Management, Brand, Legal and other relevant functions.

Effectively implement and manage committed customer pricing, including the year end pricing process

Assess return on investment for all bid proposals through individual customer financial modeling (Net Cost to Plan, Budget Variance, Price Predictability or Government Impact)

Identify and drive innovative contracting opportunities such as value-based agreements

Develop and proliferate pricing best practices, tools, templates, training, and reference materials

Recruit, train, lead, and develop strategic pricing & analytics team. Organize team to best serve the business; sets priorities; monitors results

Develop and maintain internal controls over the pricing activities to ensure compliance with internal control requirements

Understand and manage contractual commitments

Conduct on-going reporting of key metrics on the impact of our contracting and pricing strategies on contract access, volume, market share, price erosion, price impact and profitability

Inform overall portfolio and individual year over year brand forecasts including account and channel-level gross to net projections, cash flow forecasts, Medicaid Unit forecasts, and government impact of proposed strategy changes (CPI penalities, Medicaid Mandated Rebate, BP).

Inform senior management and internal matrix partners on relevant payer and managed care changes including customer consolidation, legislative proposals, and government policy updates

Develop and implement Distribution strategy with 3PL and Specialty pharmacy distributors

Develop and execute Specialty Pharmacy discount strategy and data services agreements

Develop and implement copay program(s): execution of an RFP, develop budget, create printed materials, ensure all compliance/reporting requirements are met

Builds strong working relationships with Ascendis Home Office personnel and franchise product groups to support collaboration on NAD initiatives

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree required; Master’s/advanced degree preferred
  • Minimum 5 years pharmaceutical/biotech Sales and/or Marketing experience with at least 3 years of direct managed care experience
  • Role model of the company vision, mission and values (patients, science, passion).
  • Hires and develops best in class talent aligned with company vision, mission and values.
  • Successful working in both big pharma as well as small biotech start-up company environments.
  • Develops and sustains highly collaborative and effective cross-functional working relationships with US and European colleagues.
  • Develop key external relationships with payers, KOLs and business partners.
  • Demonstrates high level of professional expertise within the functional discipline.
  • Turns strategy into action; proactively develops own functional area to be prepared for the future to ensure long-term success, including brand life-cycle management.
  • Therapeutic experience in the Endocrine market place preferred
  • Demonstrated knowledge of payer decision-making for formulary processes, coverage, coding, billing, and patient access to drugs, biologicals, medical devices
  • Exceptional communication skills that include verbal, written and presentation abilities
  • Demonstrated problem-solving capabilities
  • Experience negotiating contracts and agreements
  • Understanding of copay reimbursement programs, OIG and pharmacovigilance reporting compliance requirements, and budget forecasting
  • Outstanding consultative and networking capabilities
  • Excellent project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks at one time
  • Ability to skillfully negotiate in tough situations with both internal and external groups.
  • Understanding of organizational behavior, corporate culture and be able to flourish in a complex and rapidly evolving workplace.
  • Possesses broad base and in-depth understanding of reimbursement issues, payer segments, use of specialty pharmacies, the J-Code application process, managed market customers including private and public payers, national and regional health plans, state Medicaid, Medicare Part B and D, VA/DOD, PBM’s, Employers, IDNs, Medical Groups and ACOs.
  • Extensive relationships and contracting experience with payers, health systems and organized customers at the national and regional level.
  • Role Criteria: Requires up to 50% travel
  • New hires based in the US will be required to demonstrate that they have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or qualify for a medical or religious exemption or accommodation to this vaccination requirement, subject to applicable law

    • Benefits

    • Medical insurance
    • Vision insurance
    • Dental insurance
    • 401(k)
    • Paid maternity leave
    • Paid paternity leave
    • Commuter benefits
    • Disability insurance