Autoimmune Disease, Best Practices, Biotech and Pharmaceutical, Brand Strategy, Clinical Data, Clinical Support, Coaching, Communication Skills, Competitive Analysis/Strategy, Contract Negotiation, Cross-Functional, Customer/Client Research, Disease, Environmental Sciences, Establish Priorities, Field Marketing, Gene Therapy, Government, Government Sales, Hematology, Leadership, Market Entry Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Medical Affairs, Negotiation Skills, Neurology, Oncology, Pricing, Product Pricing, Product/Service Launch, Reimbursement, Rheumatology, Sales Management, Strategic Accounts, Willing to Travel
Location: Hybrid Role – based in Princeton, NJ or Frederick, MD
Reports to: Head of Value, Access, & Trade
About Cartesian Therapeutics:
Cartesian Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing mRNA CAR-T therapies for autoimmune diseases. Our mission is to expand the reach of cell therapy to patients living with serious autoimmune conditions through scientific rigor, collaboration, and innovation.
About the Role:
As we look ahead to the upcoming completion of our Ph3 Generalized Myasthenia Gravis trial, along with the continued progression of our trials in Myositis and Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Cartesian is further building-out our Commercial Organization.
Thus, we are seeking a National Lead Strategic Payer Accounts, which will report to the Head of Value, Access, & Trade, and lead national & regional payer engagement and contracting execution (where appropriate) to secure optimal coverage, reimbursement, and access, while translating enterprise access strategy into high-impact field execution.
Direct reports are anticipated to include the National Account Managers / NAMs, as we approach commercial launch.
Key Responsibilities:
- Payer Engagement & Account Leadership: Build and maintain senior-level relationships across key Payer decision-makers, and lead strategic engagement with national and regional commercial payers and government accounts, to shape coverage, reimbursement, and access
- Negotiation & Contracting Execution: Support and lead payer negotiations and contracting efforts (where appropriate and aligned to strategy), translating enterprise pricing and contracting strategy into actionable, account-specific agreements that optimize access, reimbursement, and long-term value
- Access Strategy Pull-Through: Operationalize market access strategy in the field by aligning payer engagement plans to brand strategy, value proposition, and evidence; ensure consistent execution and feedback loops to inform ongoing strategy refinement
- Pre-Launch Payer Shaping & Insight Generation: Engage payers early (within compliant frameworks) to shape the access environment, test value hypotheses, and generate actionable insights to inform pricing, evidence generation, and go-to-market strategy
- Value Communication & Payer Education: Deliver compelling, compliant payer value narratives supported by clinical, economic, and real-world evidence; partner with internal teams to tailor tools and resources to payer segment needs
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with commercial peers and medical affairs, to ensure aligned payer strategy, coordinated engagement, and seamless execution across stakeholders
- Field Team Build & Leadership: Hire, develop, and lead the National Account Manager (NAM) team over time; establish clear account planning, performance expectations, and best practices to drive consistent, high-impact payer engagement and team performance
- Market Intelligence & Feedback Loop: Continuously capture and synthesize payer insights, including coverage expectations, policy trends, and competitive dynamics; translate insights into actionable recommendations for pricing, contracting, evidence, and access strategy
- Launch Readiness & Execution: Play a critical role in pre-launch planning and execution, including account prioritization, engagement strategy, and readiness for coverage and reimbursement at launch
Qualifications:
- BioPharma Experience: ~10–15 years of progressive biopharma experience with deep expertise in payer account management, market access, and/or field-based payer engagement, including direct responsibility for national and/or regional payer relationships in high-growth launch-stage environments
- Leadership Profile: Purpose-driven leader that values and role-models innovation, collaboration, integrity, and patient-centric thinking. Proven "player-coach" with the agility & humility to operate seamlessly between strategy and execution; known for building and leading high-performing teams and driving impact in resource-constrained, fast-paced, high-science environments
- Payer Expertise: Strong expertise in U.S. payer & reimbursement landscape, including government and commercial payers, contracting frameworks, buy-and-bill dynamics across sites of care, field-based resourcing & deployment, and compliant payer engagement (including PIE)
- Therapeutic Experience: Experience within cell and/or gene therapy, rare disease, neurology, rheumatology, and/or hematology/oncology strongly preferred, including successful launch of novel or first-in-class therapies
- Strategic & Execution Capability: Ability to translate complex clinical and economic data into clear, compelling value narratives and execute against broader access strategy in a dynamic pre-launch environment
- Collaboration & Influence: Strong communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence both external payer stakeholders and internal cross-functional teams
- Education: Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, or equivalent) preferred; relevant work experience will be considered
Travel Expectations: Field-facing leadership role; ~50-75% travel, most significantly during pre-launch and payer-critical periods