Senior Director, National and Strategic Accounts

Olema Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the standard of care and improving outcomes for patients living with breast cancer and beyond. It’s an exciting time to be part of Team Olema, with our transformation into a fully integrated oncology company well underway, top-line data from our lead program expected later this year, and our first potential commercial launch on the horizon.

Our lead product candidate, palazestrant, is a novel, orally available complete estrogen receptor antagonist (CERAN) and selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) currently in two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials. We expect top-line data from OPERA-01, our ongoing Phase 3 trial of palazestrant as a monotherapy in patients with second- or third-line ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (MBC), in the fall which, if successful, could lead to our first potential approval and commercial launch in 2027. OPERA-02, our Phase 3 trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociblib in patients with frontline ER+/HER2- MBC, is enrolling patients. Together with its mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic properties, and the potential to demonstrate activity in both ESR1 wild-type and mutant tumors, palazestrant has the potential to transform the metastatic breast cancer treatment paradigm and access a $15 billion global market opportunity.

Our follow-on product candidate, OP-3136, is a potent KAT6 inhibitor with the potential to generate further value and meaningfully impact the metastatic breast cancer treatment landscape – particularly in combination with palazestrant. We recently reported encouraging Phase 1 monotherapy data from this program across multiple solid tumor types and are advancing patient enrollment in the ongoing combination arms in MBC.

Aspiring to transform the metastatic treatment paradigm is an ambitious endeavor that requires a resolute approach to developing better therapies and a passionate team dedicated to helping the patients we serve feel better, longer. We possess a deep commitment to our shared purpose, the sustained pursuit of excellence, cultivating the courage required to advance our programs, drive to succeed, and a collective capacity for adaptability through learning, growth, and evolution.  Team Olema is made up of nimble self-starters who bring consistency in their quest for the extraordinary every single day.

If you’re ready to be part of a tenacious, courageous, agile, and growing team, join us in making a profound impact, together – for our patients, for your career, and for what’s beyond.

About the Role >>> Senior Director, National and Strategic Accounts 

 The Senior Director, National and Strategic Accounts will be a key member of the Market Access leadership team and will be responsible for the development of the Market Access Payer strategic plan and vision for business opportunities in various national and regional markets to support the launch of first product, palazestrant, along with future indications and additional therapies.  Reporting to the Vice President of Market Access, the Senior Director will be both a strategic and tactical expert in the areas of Market access, payer coverage, and contracting and possess an intimate knowledge of the business of oncology and of the makeup of the provider accounts and networks. You will work as a functional leader, a strategic thinker, and a team member with the ability to execute a national and regional market access strategy that creates patient access. This individual analyzes the market in terms of coverage and reimbursement, existing and emerging payer policies, formulary listings, competitive landscape, trends, pricing, contracting strategies, potential barriers to provider and patient access.  This leader informs and influences key opinion leaders within our target organizations and accounts, regarding improved outcomes and public policy matters. 
 
This position will be responsible for developing a comprehensive engagement strategy and tactical plan to establish payer formulary coverage and access within key accounts with the objective of removing any reimbursement or access barriers for Olema’s launch products.  

More specifically, the Senior Director, National and Strategic Accounts is a key Market Access leadership role responsible for driving the growth and profitability of the organization by developing and executing strategic plans, initiatives and programs related to strategic / national account management (i.e., Regional and National payers, Large Healthcare Systems).  The leader will be responsible for initially supporting a successful US launch of palazestrant in ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer and future products through payer formulary access and coverage, strategic corporate partnerships, and health system business partnerships. 

Due to the nature of this role and the requirement to meet with customers, this position will be remote and will require up to 50% travel.

Your work will primarily encompass: 

• Leads and inspires a team of national account directors focused on achieving the Market Access objectives established for the brand and the organization. 

• Collaborates with commercial leadership and executive management to develop and refine the company’s payer and organized customer access strategy and provide input on product and service offerings, pricing, and contracting. 

• Informs organization of trends and market insights, risks, opportunities for success etc. 

• Recruit, train, and manage team of Payer/GPO/Organized customer account professionals. 

• Partners with Market Access Payer Marketing, Trade and Channel management, Patient Support Services and Marketing to develop customer pull through strategies and initiatives that support formulary placement and coverage. 

• Leverages existing and/or established relationships at strategic payer and provider accounts, including the C- suite level, to create and communicate the value proposition of launch products. 

• Acts as the key relationship owner for an Olema Oncology account, ensuring that we are well positioned and set up for success and growth. 

• Develops customer roadmaps, segmentation, and account plans for all targeted accounts. 

• Drives contracted customer pull through and contract compliance. 

• Responsible for building and maintaining strong client relationships and driving key initiatives related to our growth and success. 

• Collaborate with field teams (field sales, Field Reimbursement Managers, Medical Affairs) to identify any access barriers and partners with colleagues to mitigate. 

• Effectively engages and leads payer discussions to secure long-term partnership for the brand and Olema Oncology. 

• Budget and vendor management to ensure timely and fiscally responsible project execution. 
• Collaborates with internal Marketing and Payer Marketing colleagues, as well as external partners to create effective tools and content for delivery to payers and other Health Care Decision Maker stakeholders. 
   

Ideal Candidate Profile >>> National Accounts Leader  

A love of challenging, important work. We are a pragmatic team, driven to imagine and develop meaningful therapies for improving lives. All employees within our company play a unique and crucial role in our success, both in accomplishing our mission and building a positive company culture. As such, we are looking for someone with the right combination of knowledge, experience, and attributes for this role. 

 

• 15+ years of bio/pharmaceutical experience required with a key understanding of current US pharmaceutical payer models. 

• 10+ years of direct US Payer and/or Provider Account management experience (NAM, RAM, KAM)). 

• 5+ years of people management experience 

• Previous experience working in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry is required with strong preference in Oncology. 

• Successful product launch experience in the US required, with a preference for Oncology drug launch.  The ideal candidate will also possess a strong knowledge of the oncology oral therapies marketplace and experience in working with key decision makers within Organized accounts and institutions to pull through access with important customers. 

• Seasoned National Accounts leader with Oncology experience preferred.  

• In depth knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturer compliance requirements, patient confidentiality (HIPAA regulations), product reimbursement and product access. 

• Knowledge and experience in Medicare Part A-D, Medicaid, VA/DoD and commercial payer policies, reimbursement process, health policy, areas of coverage and payment. 

• Experience partnering with Payers and IDN’s to establish patient and HCP pull through support programs. 

• Demonstrated experience in process development for coordination with HUB, co-pay, and other patient service providers. 

• Demonstrated skills in business planning and payer strategy development with strong problem-solving skills. 

• Demonstrated negotiation skills and financial acumen required to manage complex customer engagements and contractual agreements. 

• Strong communicator with the ability to influence others. 

• Experience with Commercial Brand Planning process, able to translate brand disease state and business drivers into payer programs. 

• Ability to translate and compile data into comprehensive and functional reports. 

• Strong leadership and teamwork skills with demonstrated skills working cross functionally to gain alignment and improve business performance. 

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, excellent written and oral communication skills. 
   

Education 

• Bachelor's Degree required; degree in health sciences or business/marketing preferred. 

• MBA, Pharm D or other advanced degree is a plus.

COMP RANGE TEXT:

The base pay range for this position is expected to be $250,000 - $275,000 annually, however the base pay offered may vary depending on location, market, job related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience. The total compensation package for this position also includes equity, bonus, and benefits.

Important Information >>>

We provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and believe that great ideas and discoveries come from a mix of expertise, background, and experience. Olema is building a culture where the value of difference is celebrated.

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants.

Please note: Olema doesn’t accept agency resumes and is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. Thank you.

Fraud Alert:  We are aware of employment scams where individuals pose as representatives of Olema Oncology and make false use of our company name to defraud job seekers. To protect yourself, please note that Olema’s official email addresses end in @olema.com. Our official corporate website is olema.com; our careers page is olema.com/careers; our LinkedIn page is linkedin.com/company/olema-oncology. Please visit these links for official information from Olema. Communication from any other variant is fraudulent. Olema does not conduct interviews via text message/messaging platforms, will not ask you to download anything as part of your interview, will never request any form of payment, provide upfront payments of any kind, and does not make job offers without an in-person interview.