Director, Field Reimbursement Strategy and Operations - Job ID: DSO2025

Ascendis Pharma is a dynamic, fast-growing global biopharmaceutical company with locations in Denmark, Europe, and the United States. Today, we're advancing programs in Endocrinology Rare Disease and Oncology.

Here at Ascendis, we pride ourselves on exceptional science, visionary leadership, and skilled and passionate colleagues.

Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we use our TransCon® drug development platform to fulfill our mission of developing new and potentially best-in-class therapies to address unmet medical needs.

Our culture fosters a place where skilled, adaptable, and highly resourceful professionals can truly make their mark. We offer a dynamic workplace for employees to grow and develop their skills.

Ascendis is seeking a highly motivated and experienced leader with deep field reimbursement strategy and operations experience to join our team. This individual will be responsible for developing and implementing effective field reimbursement strategies aligned to brand and corporate objectives, managing field reimbursement team operations, and facilitating patient access to our products through development of related, effective tactics / tools. This individual will work closely with various internal stakeholders to navigate the complexities of healthcare reimbursement and optimize the patient and provider experience for Ascendis products.

Strategy Development and Support: The Director, Field Reimbursement Strategy and Operations will: Collaborate closely with all Ascendis commercial stakeholders to understand organizational strategic imperatives and develop field reimbursement strategy to complement these imperatives. Analyze reimbursement landscapes and access challenges locally, regionally, and nationally for both Ascendis and competitor products to inform this strategy. Develop tactical resources and materials related to strategic imperatives with appropriate internal and external partners. Facilitate an appropriate feedback loop to support the reimbursement team and other field-based colleagues, including Sales, Market Access, and Leadership with pull-through and evolution of strategic imperatives, objectives, and tactics related to field reimbursement and access to Ascendis products.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including Field Reimbursement Teams and Leadership, Market Access, Sales, Patient Support, Data / Analytics, Legal, and Regulatory to support execution of field reimbursement strategic imperatives.

The Director, Field Reimbursement Strategy and Operations reports to the Head of Patient Support and is a hybrid role; remote, but with presence in Ascendis’ Princeton, NJ office as dictated by the needs of the business.

Key Responsibilities:

●      Develop strategies and tactics for the FRM team and serve as a subject matter expert for the field reimbursement function.

●      Collaborate across the organization to align field reimbursement strategy with overall business objectives and strategy.

●      Conduct thorough analysis of reimbursement landscapes, trends, payer policies, and regulatory changes to identify potential impacts to, and opportunities for the FRM team.

●      Develop tactical materials and resources in support of strategic imperatives and objectives related to product coverage, patient support programs, and patient support offerings for Ascendis products.

●      Ensure FRMs are properly trained on and compliantly using all approved resources, promotional materials and systems; training and support on policies, procedures, and best practices.

●      Establish objectives, tactics, and measurements to evaluate the effectiveness of reimbursement strategies; develop KPI Goals and MBOs for the FRM team, review expectations, and set clear performance objectives.

●      Work with FRM field leadership to identify FRM best practices related to pull-through of strategic imperatives

●      Work cross-functionally to ensure effective pull-through of reimbursement and access strategies supporting new product and/or new indication launches as well as the pull through of new product coverage and reimbursement.

●      Monitor and adjust strategies based on market and regulatory changes.

●      Manage and optimize field operations to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.

●      Design, implement, and manage a comprehensive task management system to streamline workflows and improve team productivity.

●      Prepare and present reports on field reimbursement activities, outcomes, and performance metrics.

●      Ensure the team executes activities in compliance with all laws, regulations, and policies that govern the conduct of Ascendis Pharma leadership

●      Lead by example and continuously demonstrate Ascendis Pharma Values

●      Bachelor's degree.

●      Minimum of 10 years of extensive experience in field reimbursement, market access, or related field.

●      Minimum of 5 years of experience with Specialty Pharmaceuticals / Biologics.

●      Deep understanding and utilization of Specialty Pharmacy and third-party services (Patient Support).

●      Proven track record in designing and implementing field reimbursement strategies with clear objectives, tactics, and performance measurements.

●      Proven track record in cross-functional collaboration across commercial organizations.

●      In-depth knowledge of healthcare reimbursement processes, payer policies, and regulatory requirements.

●      Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

●      Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

●      Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

●      Progressive field leadership experience and demonstrated record of successful account management team leadership

●      In depth knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturer compliance, patient confidentiality, product reimbursement and product access requirements

●      Knowledge of regulations and laws governing the protection of patient identifying information, and relevant laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to access offerings.

Preferred Qualifications:

●      Field reimbursement or other commercial field team management experience.

●      Experience implementing patient assistance programs and support services.

●      FRM Rules of Engagement / Roadmap development and implementation.

●      Experience working through the PRC process to champion resource needs for the FRM team.

●      Experience in designing and managing task management systems.

A note to recruiters:

We do not allow external search party solicitation.  Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma Inc Human Resources team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed.  If this occurs your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Company-offered Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• Company-provided short and long-term disability benefits
• Unique offerings of Pet Insurance and Legal Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discounts
• Professional Development
• Health Saving Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various incentive compensation plans
• Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance  
• Mental Health resources
• Paid leave benefits for new parents