About This Role
The Associate Director, Channel Distribution Strategy, Nephrology is accountable for the design, implementation, and evolution of U.S. channel distribution strategies across Biogen’s portfolio, with a significant focus on upcoming nephrology launches and lifecycle optimization. This role leads strategic planning across complex channel models, considering regulatory and policy requirements, program sustainability, strategic partnerships, patient and provider access, data, class of trade, and site‑of‑care dynamics.
This individual plays a critical role in shaping distribution strategies for nephrology products characterized by high‑touch care pathways, medical and pharmacy benefit exposure, and care delivery across hospital, infusion, transplant, and dialysis‑adjacent settings. The role informs distribution service agreement design to enable broad, compliant access while balancing operational efficiency, financial stewardship, and patient experience.
The ideal candidate combines deep pharmaceutical channel distribution expertise with strategic acumen, strong cross‑functional leadership, and the ability to navigate complex trade environments and evolving care models common in nephrology and other rare or specialty disease areas.
What You’ll Do
- Serve as a subject matter expert on evolving U.S. supply chain and distribution‑related laws, channel models, and strategic channel partner capabilities, with particular focus on medical‑benefit products and nephrology‑relevant care settings
- Lead the design and execution of distribution strategies supporting nephrology launches, accounting for site‑of‑care variation (e.g., hospital outpatient departments, infusion centers, transplant centers) and payer mix considerations, including Medicare, Commercial, and Medicaid
- Maintain deep understanding of hospital, specialty, and retail pharmacy channels, including provider capabilities, buy‑and‑bill dynamics, specialty pharmacy services, and competitive market approaches to ensure Biogen maintains an industry‑leading patient access model
- Support strategic recommendations with robust analytics, incorporating channel economics, reimbursement and fund‑flow considerations, active and pending policy (e.g., serialization, importation, federal and state pricing policy), site‑of‑care economics, and patient access dynamics
- Partner closely with Brand, Trade, Data, Market Access, Legal, Compliance, and Operations teams to ensure distribution strategies are compliant, executable, and aligned to enterprise priorities
- Collaborate with pipeline and inline strategy teams to inform nephrology commercialization planning, including forecasting, gross‑to‑net considerations, and operational build requirements for launch and post‑launch evolution
- Proactively identify and lead evolution of existing distribution programs to support new nephrology product launches, mitigate risk, respond to competitive dynamics, and adapt to regulatory or legislative changes impacting specialty and medical‑benefit products
- Exercise sound judgment in all activities to ensure integrity, compliance, and adherence to company policies; model Biogen core values and foster a culture of collaboration, enterprise thinking, and accountability
Who You Are
You are a strategic thinker with a strong command of pharmaceutical distribution channels. Your ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment is complemented by your strong communication skills, enabling you to present strategic recommendations confidently.
Required Skills
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred
- 7+ years of experience in commercial market access, trade, and/or distribution
- Prior experience supporting medical‑benefit and pharmacy‑benefit specialty products, with exposure to hospital or infusion‑based distribution models preferred
- Expert knowledge of pharmaceutical distribution channels, including specialty distribution, specialty pharmacy, retail, and rare, high‑touch, and complex therapy models commonly seen in nephrology
- Strong understanding of medical‑benefit distribution, hospital and infusion economics, and specialty provider workflows
- Proven ability to lead strategic initiatives and cross‑functional projects in highly matrixed environments
- Demonstrated understanding of the U.S. commercial and government healthcare and reimbursement landscape, including Medicare, product and fund flow, patient support programs, and policy drivers impacting nephrology care
- Excellent analytical skills with a strong command of trade and channel data
- Strong communication skills, including experience presenting strategic recommendations to senior leadership and cross‑functional governance forums
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment while maintaining strategic focus and executional rigor
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 30%
