Associate Director, U.S. Market Access Contract Development

Job DescriptionPosition SummaryThe Associate Director, Contract Development will lead and manage U.S. Market Access Contract processes by ensuring the seamless execution of pre- and post-deal analytics, negotiation, and administration for Payer, Provider and Trade & Distribution contracts. This role is pivotal in driving strategic contract initiatives that align with Vertex’s business objectives. This person will partner with, among others, Account Management, Finance, Government Pricing & Rebate Operations, GTN, Legal, Marketing and Payer Marketing to ensure appropriate governance and executional pull-through of contracting opportunities. These responsibilities will apply across all Vertex marketed product lines and pipeline products.This role is a hybrid position based out of Boston, MA (3 days onsite, 2 days flexible).Key Duties & ResponsibilitiesContracting Process Leadership & Oversight:Manage the end-to-end contract (Payer, Provider and Trade & Distribution) development process, including quarterbacking of contract evaluations and shepherding business case development with cross-functional partners, including pre-deal analytics, negotiations, as well as the logging, tracking, reporting and facilitation of contract opportunities through the contract governance, negotiation/redlining and legal review processesDraft/redline contract language and maintain contract templates, agreements, and amendmentsDevelop, maintain, and improve strong internal processes and documentation working across the Finance, Legal and Market Access teamsMaintain calendar, matrix of bids/offers, issues log and coordinate timely and regular communication of contract development and execution status to key stakeholdersFacilitate the transition of executed contracts to the appropriate operational team for assessment, implementation, and/or adjudication, including outlining important terms and providing detailed explanations, as necessaryProvide insights to the business that inform GTN forecasting, contracting, and pricing decisions and strategies, and general business planningCollaboration & Partnership:Work effectively with cross-functional teams to identify, evaluate, and optimize contracting opportunities to support Vertex’s market access strategiesStrong stakeholder collaboration and management in support of internal contract processing, review, and reporting responsibilitiesProvide stewardship on strategic and operational issues and requirements related to contract administration including any matters relating to rebate analysis and payments, as well as resolution of disputes on rebate claimsPre- and Post-deal Analytics:Facilitate timely in-depth analysis before and after contract negotiations to support informed decision-making and optimize contract outcomesAssist Account Managers with ad-hoc analysis, business planning, and contract performance reviewUse financial models to perform and verify calculations for business scenarios and presentations to Pricing approval forums, including the North America Pricing Committee and Global Pricing & Reimbursement CommitteesRequired Education and ExperienceBachelor’s Degree in a business discipline required, MBA preferred8 years minimum payer contracting, contract administration and/or analytics experience in the Pharmaceutical, Life Science, or related Industries2 years minimum demonstrated pharmaceutical contract drafting experienceProgressive business experience in finance, accounting, sales, government pricing, contracting, or other related areaDemonstrated knowledge of the contracts and processes related to pharmaceutical pricing government programs and associated regulationsStrong stakeholder management experienceRequired Knowledge/SkillsHighly analytical, accurate and meticulous, with the ability to define problems, research proposed solutions, analyze the short- and long-term implications, propose and present the results to senior leaders and implement solutionsSuperior organizational and project management skills as well as polished written and verbal communication skillsExcellent interpersonal skills and customer service commitment, with the ability to work effectively across the organization and with external subject matter expertsTakes initiative, require minimal supervision and able to pivot between a team lead or team contributor, as per business needAbility to multitask, shift gears when necessary, and be comfortable working to meet key and sometimes tight deadlinesDeep working knowledge of the pharmaceutical and managed care industry including market dynamics and the competitive landscape of formulary coverage, market share and profitabilityAdvanced Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills