Director Patient Services Strategy, US Cell & Gene Therapy
AstraZeneca
Summary
The Director, Patient Services Strategy, US Cell & Gene Therapy, will build the patient services strategy for AstraZeneca's portfolio from concept through execution. Reporting to the Senior Director, US Patient Support Strategy and Brand Engagement within Access Strategy, this individual contributor will partner across Brand Marketing, Market Access, Commercial Operations, Medical, Digital, and launch teams to create differentiated support solutions and influence enterprise strategy.
Job description
This high-visibility role offers global exposure and the opportunity to design support models for Cell & Gene Therapy patients, caregivers, referral networks, and treatment centers. The Director will build commitment, turn competing perspectives into clear choices, and protect the standards, decisions, and timelines required for delivery.
The initial mandate is to create the US strategy and advance launch readiness across forthcoming assets. Priorities include defining the future-state model, closing capability gaps, sequencing investments, negotiating trade-offs, and scaling asset-specific solutions across the enterprise.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Accountability
- Leadership: Own the US Patient Support strategy and operating model, defining priorities, capabilities, investments, decision rights, launch readiness, and outcomes.
- Portfolio Investment Strategy: Develop multiyear recommendations, negotiate resource priorities, and present business cases and trade-offs to senior leaders.
- Integrated Support Models: Partner across commercial, access, operations, digital, and IT teams to create support offerings for complex treatment pathways.
- Organizational Capability: Build Cell & Gene Therapy expertise, scalable frameworks, and effective ways of working across US Patient Support.
Launch Readiness & Commercialization
- Program Leadership & Launch Execution: Direct launch workstreams through implementation, integrating roadmaps, dependencies, decisions, readiness, and success measures.
- Governance & Cross-Functional Integration: Establish decision paths and accountability, resolve issues, and embed patient support across launch, access, and field-readiness plans.
Patient Experience & Journey Design
- Journey Mapping: Map patient, provider, caregiver, and treatment-center journeys to identify barriers across referral, access, treatment, monitoring, and follow-up.
- Experience Research: Use customer research to shape services that simplify access and improve engagement.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Strategic Partnership: Build shared ownership across functions while maintaining clear boundaries around scope, governance, accountability, and delivery.
- Executive Advisory: Translate data, customer insights, and business implications into recommendations that shape US and global strategy and investment.
- Matrix Leadership: Earn commitment without hierarchy, resolve tension, negotiate outcomes, and keep teams and partners aligned to milestones.
Insights & Analytics
- Market Intelligence: Track Cell & Gene Therapy support models, customer expectations, and industry benchmarks.
- Performance Measurement: Define success measures and use qualitative and quantitative insights to optimize services.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, market access, patient services, customer experience, marketing, or commercial roles.
- Experience leading cross-functional strategy from concept through implementation, coordinating workstreams, decisions, risks, and milestones.
- Deep understanding of Cell and/or Gene Therapy patient support, reimbursement, access, and healthcare navigation.
- Experience supporting launch planning or commercialization initiatives.
- Experience developing patient journeys and customer experience strategies.
- Ability to earn trust, build followership, influence without authority, challenge constructively, and hold boundaries.
- Ability to convert complexity into an executable strategy and negotiate decisions balancing patient, business, and partner needs.
- Commit to average 3 days per week in office in Gaithersburg.
- Oncology, Rare Disease, Specialty Pharmacy, or Market Access experience.
- Experience working with treatment centers, referral networks, and complex site-of-care models.
- Knowledge of digital health, CRM platforms, patient engagement technologies, and support program operations.
- Experience managing agencies, consultants, technology vendors, or patient support partners.
Benefits
- 401(k) matching
- Paid time off
- Vacation
- Holiday
- Leaves
- Health coverage
- Dental coverage
- Vision coverage
- Short-term incentive bonuses
- Equity-based awards
Company overview
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused pharmaceutical company dedicated to accelerating the delivery of life-changing medicines that create enduring value for patients, society, and shareholders. With a workforce of over 94,300 employees worldwide, the company operates across three core therapy areas: Oncology, BioPharmaceuticals (including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, Respiratory & Immunology), and Rare Disease. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca maintains strategic R&D centers in Cambridge, Gaithersburg (US), Boston (US), Gothenburg (Sweden), Shanghai, and Beijing. The company generated $54.1 billion in total revenue in 2024 and invested $13.6 billion in scientific research and development. AstraZeneca's bold aspiration is to be pioneers in science, lead in disease areas, and transform patient outcomes, with a goal to launch 20 new medicines and achieve $80 billion in total revenue by 2030. The company is recognized for its commitment to sustainability, health equity, and creating an inclusive work environment where diverse perspectives drive innovation.