Executive Director/Vice President of Market Access – Trade, GPOs and Patient Services

Company Overview:

Protara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to advancing transformative therapies for people with cancer and rare diseases. Protara’s portfolio includes its lead candidate, TARA-002, an investigational cell-based therapy in development for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and lymphatic malformations (LMs). The Company is evaluating TARA-002 in an ongoing Phase 2 trial in NMIBC patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS) who are unresponsive or naïve to treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), as well as a Phase 2 trial in pediatric patients with LMs. Additionally, Protara is developing IV Choline Chloride, an investigational phospholipid substrate replacement for patients on parenteral support who are otherwise unable to meet their choline needs via oral or enteral routes.

Protara was named one of the Best Places to Work by BioSpace, a leading industry news and job source. This honor demonstrates the company’s desirability in the recruitment marketplace, looking at various merits with an emphasis on culture, career growth and development opportunities, leadership and innovation.  Attracting and retaining top talent is integral to building a successful company in biotech, and we are committed to ensuring Protara provides our employees with an exceptional experience throughout their careers, even as we continue to grow.

Job Overview: 

The Executive Director/Vice President Trade, GPO and Patient Services will lead the Market Access team focused on US product distribution. They will work cross-functionally to establish and implement the distribution model that best supports access to Protara medicines while ensuring rapid availability of product to approved customers. From relationship initiation with US 3PL to order to cash implementation the ED/VP, Trade and GPO will lead the implementation for the launch of Protara Therapeutic’s products.  They will also manage the development and implementation of the Specialty Distribution and Specialty Pharmacy networks.  This role will also manage the program development and implementation of programs and contracts with group purchasing organizations (GPOs). This role will collaborate closely with members of Managed Access, Accounting, Legal, Finance, Information Systems, and Government pricing, Quality, and Pharmaceutical Operations.

*Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Develop, implement and continual evaluation of the Trade Distribution model to meet the needs of Protara customers and patients. Identify any necessary changes or adjustments to the distribution model based upon new products, risk mitigation, and/or regulatory and legislative changes.
• Own relationships with channel partners; leverage available data to identify trends and opportunities to improve distribution efficiencies, address risks and manage budget.
• Oversee returns, adjusting transactions, new customer set-ups, credit limit requests, Trade notifications, and order reviews.
• In partnership with IT, ensure quality of ex-factory sales data.
• Oversee management of relationships and contracts with US Specialty Distributors.
• Partner with Supply Chain to manage product dating and maintain appropriate inventory at 3PLs.
• Liaise with Protara Legal team to ensure compliance to applicable laws and regulations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert as a member of New Product Launch teams.
• Partner with BD and Marketing to evaluate and recommend distribution strategies for new products.
• Oversee Trade policies and procedures, such as orders, returns, replacements, credit/rebill requests, inventory, and chargeback processing.
• Business travel by air, train, or car is required up to 50%

Supervisory Responsibilities: TBD.

 Education/ Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Oncology/Rare Disease market experience; buy and bill product experience.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
• 5+ years of experience within Channel, Trade & Distribution; biotech/pharma experience.
• Experience managing a distribution network, preferably including specialty distribution and specialty pharmacies.
• In-depth knowledge of managed care and impact on product access.
• Strong team player that has customer service approach and is solution oriented.
• People management experience.
• Attention to detail and ability to work individually, within a multi-disciplinary team, as well as with external partners and vendors.
• Strong oral and written presentation skills and executive presence.
• Strong vendor management skills.
• Understanding and ability to create appropriate, high-quality documentation.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills with an emphasis on Excel and Powerpoint.

 Preferred Experience:

• Experience designing and implementing distribution strategy for first product to market biotech company.
• Experience establishing 3PL for first product to market biotech company.
• Experience with buy and bill products; medical benefit products.
• Contracting experience with GPOs, hospital systems and private practice providers.
• Leadership experience with a proven record of accomplishments, effectively leading cross functional teams.
• Experience with cross-functional teams in developing and executing strategic business plans.
• Demonstrated ability to think and act strategically to achieve team individual and team goals.
• Strong financial analytical skills including the ability to manage expenses and budget.
• Strong analytical thinking, problem solving skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to interact with and influence Senior Management, peers, and other functions.
• Excellent listening, time management, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Outstanding communication skills, including the ability to illustrate potential opportunities for our technologies’ applications.
• Strategic account management, previous experience in developing & implementing attainable account-specific business plans are required, as well as the ability to coach and support others in doing the same.

 Computer Skills:

• Must be proficient in MS Office Suite, with advanced skills in Excel.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: none required

 Other Skills and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal skills, including ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and build strong relationships
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task successfully in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail are essential
• It is essential that this individual demonstrates the ability to work with highly confidential information.
• Ability to manage both day-to-day operations as well as project work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work both independently and in a collaborative team setting.
• Proficiency in data mining/data extraction.
• Demonstrated experience working with and presenting to senior level management.
• Ability to work through uncertainty.

 Physical Demands:

 The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

 This position requires travel; average travel for this position is 40-50% with some variation based upon the demands of the business imperatives.

Work Environment: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

 No specific work demands.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

*Salary Requirements are between $315,000 - $320,000 (Executive Director) and $340,000 - $345,000 (Vice President) based on job-related knowledge, experience, education, and skills demonstrated.  We offer a competitive Compensation & Benefits package including incentive bonus, equity compensation, matching 401(k), medical, dental, vision, commuter, and fertility benefits.

Why You’ll Love Working at Protara 

• Friendly, open, and fun team-oriented culture that values unique & diverse perspectives.
• Company-wide dedication to profoundly impacting patients’ lives.
• Amazing culture whereby our core values and behaviors are shared cross-functionally.
• Flexible working hours/schedule.
• Generous Paid Holidays and Unlimited PTO.

Protara is committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace. Protara is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed in policy and in practice to recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job qualifications without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, sex or gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.