Director Contract Strategy, R&I Portfolio

The Director of Portfolio Contract Strategy - R&I will bring forward a marketplace perspective and strategic solutions that are innovative and pragmatic to optimize patient access to AstraZeneca’s R&I medications.  This individual will develop contract and/or channel strategies that align with Brand Team / Therapeutic Area business strategies for key R&I products.  The Director of Contract Strategy will partner with customer facing account teams in direct customer engagement around identified key initiatives as well as build, align, and execute negotiation strategies.  This role will also collaborate with a wide variety of internal stakeholders such as Value Strategy and Evidence, R&I Market Access Strategy, Brand Leadership, Brand and Market Access Finance, Pricing & Analytics, Contract Operations, Compliance and Legal. 

A key deliverable of this role is ensuring all contract strategies and offerings have financial justification and sound business judgment and will also assess the performance of existing contract strategies & offerings.  This individual will be responsible for ensuring the timely and regular re-evaluation of current strategies and to ensure they are fit for purpose within the R&I therapeutic area. 

It is expected that this role works 60% of their time at the Wilmington, DE campus. 

Typical Accountabilities 

• Develop contract and channel strategies that align with AstraZeneca’s business objectives and enable patient access 

• Stay abreast of developing market access trends impacting the R&I franchises, as well as broader environment, to inform current and future strategies 

• Lead Associate Director(s) and help lead Analyst activities in developing the business case supporting contract strategies and bringing the strategies through the approval/governance process 

• Directly partner with R&I Market Access Strategy and customer facing teams around prioritized key initiatives 

• Co-develop and assist in execution of negotiation strategies with account teams 

• Coordinate with team of analysts/specialists in operational activities such as rebates, charge backs, government reporting, contract writing and process approvals 

• Leverage data and insights to monitor for shifts in trends or behaviors, interpret likely impact and recommend appropriate actions around life cycle contracting and pricing considerations 

• Develop deep understanding of competitive market conditions that affect pricing and contracting for individual brands, therapeutic areas, and overall industry 

• Serve as a resource for Licensing and Business Development in assessing price for potential opportunities, where necessary 

• Manage indirect reports and provide leadership within broader team that supports an open and inclusive environment 

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree; preferably in a relevant field (Marketing, Science, Economics or Finance) 
• 5+ years of pharmaceutical or related healthcare business 
• Deep understanding of the US healthcare market access landscape and its diverse segments, with experience in the Respiratory, Bio pharmaceutical, or Specialty space 
• Analytical skills such as problem solving, forecasting, contract development and financial modeling 
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrix environment, and to manage multiple deliverables concurrently while securing cross-functional alignment 
• Demonstrated negotiation and relationship building skills 

Desirable requirements:

• MBA 
• Previous managerial experience 
• Previous experience/engagement with the specialty channel, providers, and/or payers 
• Understanding of Market Access Operations, contract language, rebates, and charge backs 
• Finance and/or analytics background 
• Thorough understanding of AZ business model with specific knowledge of brand team operation, brand planning, brand value proposition development, and sales modeling 
• Contract development and negotiation 
• Clinical Acumen/Health Economics