Associate Director, Market Access Training
Ardelyx
Summary
The Associate Director, Market Access Training leads the development and delivery of training programs for new hire onboarding and ongoing capability building across market access and patient services strategies and tactics. With a primary focus on Field Reimbursement teams, this role also supports training for other access-related functions. As a subject matter expert (SME) in reimbursement and patient access, the Associate Director equips field teams to effectively navigate payer requirements and improve patient access to therapy. The role partners cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders to develop high-quality learning solutions, implement a structured training curriculum, and drive continuous learning through innovative programs and expert-led sessions.
Job description
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and deliver comprehensive onboarding programs for new hires, with primary responsibility for the Field Reimbursement team while serving as a technical training expert on access-related concepts for other functions, including field sales
- Create and maintain an ongoing training curriculum to enhance team expertise, capabilities and performance, including monitoring market access trends and update training modules as required
- Serve as the facilitator for live, virtual, and on-demand training sessions using adult learning principles, including elevating expertise of Field Reimbursement teams through advanced training
- Deliver targeted training on payer policies, coverage requirements, prior authorization, and denial management as well as patient services-related topics
- Conduct regular field and virtual visits with Field Reimbursement Managers (FRMs) and Zone Access Managers (ZAMs) to observe real-world interactions with healthcare provider offices
- Gather actionable insights to inform continuous improvement of training programs, ensuring content remains relevant, practical, and aligned with evolving field needs
- Partner with field leadership to translate observations into targeted training enhancements, and capability-building initiatives
- Partner with external vendors and internal stakeholders to design and develop training materials, including eLearning, job aids, and workshops
- Establish and lead quarterly educational opportunities, engaging internal and external experts to present on key topics, including reimbursement trends, policy changes, and best practices
- Continuously assess training effectiveness and implement improvements, including introducing innovative learning approaches (e.g., microlearning, case studies, simulations)
- Maintain deep expertise in Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payer policies, coding system (CPT, ICD-10, HCPCS), PA documentation and submission requirements, and patient support programs including related compliance rules
- Translate complex reimbursement information into practical, actionable training for field teams
Qualifications
- BA or BS degree, advanced degree preferred, with 8 – 10 years of experience in business, preferably within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, or equivalent experience
- Demonstrated experience designing, developing, and facilitating training programs
- Direct experience as a Field Reimbursement Manager (FRM) or Access Reimbursement Manager (ARM), with knowledge of payer policies, patient access, and field reimbursement
- Experience with specialty products, including hub services, pharmacy benefit models, or specialty pharmacies
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex access topics clearly
- Ability to influence without direct authority and collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to align training priorities
- Proven project management, organizational, and operational skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities, budgets, and expenditures
- Ability to travel nationally approximately 40–50% of the time, based on business needs
Requirements
- BA or BS degree, advanced degree preferred
- 8 – 10 years of experience in business, preferably within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, or equivalent experience
- Demonstrated experience designing, developing, and facilitating training programs
- Direct experience as a Field Reimbursement Manager (FRM) or Access Reimbursement Manager (ARM), with knowledge of payer policies, patient access, and field reimbursement
- Experience with specialty products, including hub services, pharmacy benefit models, or specialty pharmacies
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex access topics clearly
- Ability to influence without direct authority and collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to align training priorities
- Proven project management, organizational, and operational skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities, budgets, and expenditures
- Ability to travel nationally approximately 40–50% of the time, based on business needs
Benefits
- 401(k) Matching
- Paid Parental Leave
- Living Organ & Bone Marrow Leave
- Equity Incentive Plans
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Life Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Flexible Time Off
- Winter Holiday Shut Down
- Paid Holidays
Company overview
Ardelyx, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company specializes in discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative, first-in-class medicines that address significant unmet medical needs. Ardelyx has developed a unique platform that enables the discovery of novel biological mechanisms and pathways to create potent and efficacious therapies while minimizing side effects and drug-drug interactions commonly associated with traditional systemically absorbed medicines. The company currently has two FDA-approved commercial products: IBSRELA® (tenapanor) for the treatment of adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), and XPHOZAH® (tenapanor) for reducing serum phosphorus in adults with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. Ardelyx has established strategic partnerships for international commercialization, including agreements with Kyowa Kirin in Japan and Fosun Pharma in China. As a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the symbol ARDX, Ardelyx employs approximately 201-500 professionals and continues to advance its pipeline of gastrointestinal and renal disease therapeutics.