Senior Director, Market Access

About Us Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world. It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve. Led by Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020. We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients. At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries. These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day. Position Title: Senior Director, Market Access Department: Commercial Reports To: VP Marketing. As the organization grows, this role is expect to transition to reporting to Chief Commercial Officer or Head of Market Access. Location: Princeton, NJ or South San Francisco, CA – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs) Job Overview Kardigan is seeking a Senior Director of Market Access to help build the commercial foundation for our late-stage cardiovascular portfolio. This is a rare opportunity to join a pre-launch biotech with strong science, an experienced leadership team, and a clear path toward bringing transformative therapies to patients with serious heart disease. Reporting to the VP Marketing, this individual will be a key architect of Kardigan’s payer strategy, coverage policy, and access infrastructure - shaping how patients and providers can access our medicines from day one. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise across managed care, payer strategy, health economics, and patient services, and thrives in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment where building from the ground up is the norm. Essential Duties and Responsibilities • Lead the development and execution of market access strategies for multiple late-stage cardiovascular assets from pre-launch through commercialization, including coverage and reimbursement planning, payer value proposition, and pricing and contracting frameworks across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid segments. • Build and maintain relationships with national and regional payers, PBMs, and IDNs; lead payer advisory boards and negotiate formulary positioning for launch products. • Partner with Medical Affairs and HEOR to define evidence generation priorities and to develop and communicate the clinical and economic value story that supports favorable coverage decisions and formulary placement. • Design and oversee patient services programs including hub services, prior authorization support, patient assistance programs (PAP), and co-pay support to minimize access barriers and reduce time to therapy. • Develop and execute a channel strategy spanning specialty pharmacy, specialty distributors, and hospital/institutional settings appropriate for a cardiovascular launch. • Develop and lead the government affairs and policy strategy, including monitoring and responding to coverage policies, CMS proposals, and legislative dynamics that could affect product access. • Collaborate cross-functionally with Commercial, Medical, Legal, Finance, and Regulatory to align on launch readiness milestones, pricing strategy, and access timelines. • Build, manage, and mentor a high-performing market access team as the organization grows, including external vendors and agency partners as needed. • Establish metrics, dashboards, and reporting frameworks to monitor payer coverage, patient access, and field reimbursement performance. • Represent market access perspectives in launch planning, LCM activities, and pipeline asset development to ensure early integration of access considerations. Qualifications and Preferred Skills • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, or equivalent) strongly preferred. • 10+ years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience with at least 6 years in market access, managed care, payer strategy, or a closely related function. • Prior experience with at least one US product launch is required; cardiovascular, cardiometabolic or specialty launch experience is strongly preferred. Rare/orphan disease experience preferred but not required. • Deep knowledge of the US payer landscape including commercial health plans, PBMs, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid, including formulary management, prior authorization, and step therapy protocols. • Demonstrated success in establishing and managing payer relationships and leading payer negotiations or contracting processes. • Experience developing and implementing patient services programs, including hub/SP management, PAP, co-pay card, and field reimbursement support. • Familiarity with HEOR principles and the ability to translate health economic data into payer-relevant messaging and dossiers. • Strong strategic thinking, analytical skills, and executive presence, with the ability to influence cross-functional partners and present to senior leadership. • Comfortable operating in a small, pre-commercial company environment; demonstrated ability to build programs and teams from early-stage through launch. • Ability to travel up to 30% as needed to support payer meetings, industry conferences, and internal team collaboration. Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location. Pay range $255,000—$340,000 USD