Senior Director, Head of Patient Services

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Director, Head of Patient Services based in the United States.

This is a strategic leadership opportunity for an experienced patient services professional to build and lead a comprehensive U.S. patient support organization ahead of an anticipated launch of an innovative cell therapy for a rare disease. You will shape a high-touch, patient-centered operating model that helps patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and treatment centers navigate access, affordability, and treatment initiation. The role offers end-to-end ownership of patient services strategy, hub operations, financial assistance programs, and treatment coordination. Working closely with cross-functional teams and external partners, you will establish scalable processes that deliver a seamless and compliant patient experience. You will also oversee vendor performance, operational analytics, and continuous improvement initiatives. This is a hands-on executive position within a growing biotechnology environment, where your leadership will directly contribute to improving access to potentially transformative treatments.

• Patient Services Strategy: Develop and execute the U.S. patient services strategy and launch-readiness roadmap, establishing clear milestones, priorities, governance structures, and operational responsibilities.
• Patient Support Model: Design and implement an integrated patient support program covering enrollment, benefits investigations, prior authorizations, appeals, case management, affordability assistance, treatment coordination, and ongoing patient support.
• Patient Journey Optimization: Map and continuously improve the patient and caregiver experience, identifying barriers and implementing solutions that facilitate timely access and treatment initiation.
• Hub and Affordability Operations: Lead the implementation and oversight of hub services and external vendors, including workflow development, staffing, training, quality controls, financial assistance programs, and operational escalations.
• Market Access Coordination: Collaborate with Market Access and field reimbursement teams to align patient services processes with payer requirements, reimbursement policies, and available access pathways.
• Treatment Center Readiness: Coordinate treatment-center onboarding and operational readiness, ensuring effective collaboration between hubs, specialty pharmacies, distribution partners, healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers.
• Performance Management and Analytics: Establish service-level agreements, key performance indicators, quality measures, and dashboards to monitor patient access, operational effectiveness, patient experience, and emerging risks.
• Vendor and Budget Management: Oversee vendor selection, implementation, contracts, budgets, performance reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives in collaboration with Procurement, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and IT.
• Compliance and Quality: Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, training materials, documentation standards, and operational controls. Ensure all patient services activities meet applicable regulatory, privacy, legal, and quality requirements.
• Team Leadership: Build and lead a high-performing patient services organization, overseeing workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, coaching, training, and performance management as the business scales.
• Executive Collaboration: Serve as the internal subject-matter expert for patient services, providing leadership with strategic recommendations, operational updates, and risk assessments while fostering strong cross-functional relationships.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required; an advanced degree or relevant clinical qualification is an advantage.
• Progressive experience in patient services, hub operations, or related functions within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated success building, launching, or scaling patient support programs for rare diseases, specialty medicines, or other complex therapies.
• Strong knowledge of patient access operations, including benefits investigations, prior authorizations, appeals, case management, affordability programs, and reimbursement processes.
• Proven experience managing external vendors, budgets, contracts, implementation plans, service-level agreements, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Experience developing patient services operating models, workflows, standard operating procedures, and quality controls.
• Strong understanding of regulatory, legal, privacy, and compliance requirements applicable to pharmaceutical and biotechnology patient support programs.
• Excellent cross-functional leadership, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to translate business priorities into practical execution.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and executive communication skills, with strong attention to detail and documentation discipline.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly scaling environment, manage evolving priorities, and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Preferred: MBA, MPH, RN, PharmD, or another relevant advanced degree or clinical qualification.
• Preferred: Experience with cell therapy, gene therapy, infused products, or treatments requiring coordinated treatment-center readiness and high-touch patient support.
• Preferred: Experience establishing patient services capabilities from the ground up in a pre-commercial or early-commercial biotechnology organization.
• Preferred: Familiarity with rare-disease patient communities, caregiver needs, and family-centered support models.
• Preferred: Experience with patient services technology, data integrations, reporting dashboards, privacy controls, and operational analytics.

Benefits:

• Competitive annual base salary ranging from $240,000 to $315,000, depending on qualifications, experience, location, and internal equity.
• Potential eligibility for a discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Potential eligibility for long-term equity incentive awards, depending on role level and company policy.
• Comprehensive employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Company-paid basic life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer matching contributions.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• Additional voluntary benefits and employee wellness programs.
• Fully remote working arrangement within the United States.
• Opportunity to build and lead a strategic patient services function within an innovative, growth-oriented biotechnology environment.
• Meaningful opportunity to contribute to improving treatment access and support for patients and families affected by serious rare diseases.