Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs

Company introduction:

Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS) is a biotechnology company dedicated to unlocking urgently needed new treatment options in mental health care.

The Company is headquartered in London, UK, with a U.S. office in New Jersey. We believe mental health patients deserve the possibility of a better future. Our initial focus is developing COMP360 psilocybin, a proprietary, investigational, synthetic psilocybin treatment under evaluation for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). COMP360 is a potentially first-in-class treatment and has Breakthrough Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) designation in the UK for TRD.

We are leading the world's largest classic psychedelic clinical program in TRD, and building upon that robust foundation, we are executing a late-stage trial evaluating COMP360 for PTSD, another condition with high unmet need. Our goal is to advance treatments that move the field of psychiatry towards treatment options that offer rapid onset and sustained durability with infrequent dosing.- Compass Pathways

Job overview:

The Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs will lead the company's federal Government Affairs strategy to advance policies that improve access to innovative therapies for individuals living with serious mental illness. As the company prepares to commercialize a first-in-class psychedelic medicine, this role will help shape the evolving federal policy landscape surrounding innovative mental health treatments, reimbursement, regulatory policy, and patient access. Reporting to the Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, the Senior Director will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and represent the company before Congress, the Administration, federal agencies, and external stakeholders.

Location: Washington DC area (work from home flexibility).

Reports to: VP, Government Affairs and Public Policy.

Roles and responsibilities

(Include but are not limited to):

Federal Policy Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive federal government affairs strategy aligned with corporate, policy, and commercial objectives
• Monitor and assess legislative, regulatory, and political developments affecting the company's business, pipeline, and growth strategy
• Identify emerging policy opportunities and risks and provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership

Federal Advocacy and External Engagement

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with Members of Congress, congressional staff, federal agency leadership, and key policymakers
• Represent Compass Pathways before federal government stakeholders and effectively communicate company priorities and perspectives
• Serve as a strategic advisor to internal leadership on federal healthcare policy developments

Mental Health and Healthcare Policy Leadership

• Lead the company's federal policy efforts on issues affecting access to innovative treatments for serious mental illness, including:
• Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement
• CMS coding, payment, and coverage policy
• Medicare Part B and Part D reimbursement
• Mental and behavioral health policy
• Drug pricing and healthcare payment policy
• Controlled substances regulation and DEA scheduling
• Develop policy positions and advocacy strategies that support patient access and commercial success

Commercial Launch Readiness

• Partner closely with Market Access, Commercial, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Clinical Development, Legal, and Health Economics & Outcomes Research (HEOR) teams to ensure federal policy and reimbursement strategies support product development, approval, launch, and commercialization
• Help shape policy environments that facilitate adoption and access for future therapies

Coalition Building and Stakeholder Engagement

• In collaboration with Advocacy and External Affairs colleagues, cultivate strategic relationships with patient advocacy organizations, provider societies, veterans' groups, health policy coalitions, and trade associations
• Identify opportunities to build external support for policy priorities and advance shared objectives across the healthcare ecosystem

External Resource Management and Compliance

• Manage external lobbying firms, policy consultants, and trade association engagements as appropriate
• Ensure all lobbying activities, political engagement, and interactions with government officials comply with applicable laws, regulations, company policies, and industry ethical standards

Candidate Profile:

Required

• 12+ years of progressively responsible experience in federal government affairs, healthcare policy, congressional affairs, or related fields

• Significant experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or life sciences sectors

• Deep understanding of:

• Congressional legislative processes

• Federal budget and appropriations processes

• Medicare and Medicaid policy

• CMS reimbursement, coding, and coverage frameworks

• Mental and behavioral health policy

• Drug pricing and healthcare payment policy

• Demonstrated success influencing complex healthcare legislation, federal policy, or regulatory initiatives

• Strong relationships across Congress, HHS, CMS, and other key healthcare policy stakeholders

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills

Preferred

• Experience with controlled substances policy and DEA scheduling
• Experience developing reimbursement and market access strategies for novel or specialty therapies
• Experience managing external lobbying firms, consultants, and trade association relationships
• Experience in mental health, neuroscience, behavioral health, or other innovative therapeutic areas

Leadership Competencies

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic foresight and the ability to anticipate emerging policy trends
• Excellent political judgment and bipartisan relationship-building skills
• The ability to translate complex policy developments into actionable business strategy
• Strong collaboration and leadership within highly matrixed organizations
• Executive presence and credibility with senior government officials and internal stakeholders
• The ability to influence and drive alignment without formal authority
• A commitment to advancing patient access to innovative mental health treatments

Compensation Description (annually):

Our compensation package for permanent hires includes base salary, discretionary bonus, and equity, alongside our comprehensive benefits offering.

Please note that the base salary range is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location.

Base salary per annum:

$250,000 - $300,000 USD

Benefits:

For an overview of our benefits package and compensation information, please visit "Joins us- Our Benefits".

These include flexibility & generous time off, parental & reproductive support, health & medical, mental health & wellbeing and Financial health.

Equal opportunities:

Reasonable accommodation

We are committed to building a workplace where everyone's wellbeing matters. If you need reasonable accommodation during the interview process to be at your best, please let our recruiting team know.

UK applicants

We are proud of our commitment to diversity and equality (pursuant to the Equality Act 2010). We do not discriminate based upon race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability.

US applicants

Compass Pathways is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military service, genetic information, familial or marital status, or any other status, category, or characteristic protected by applicable law.

Sponsorship:

Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor employment visas and can only accept applications if you have employment rights in the country to which you are applying.

Data Privacy:

All data is confidential and protected by all legal and data privacy requirements, please see our recruitment Privacy Notice to learn more about how we process personal data.