Associate Director, Contract Development & Pricing Strategy

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We’re pioneers in RNA-targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs.  With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.

At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees. 

With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive. 

We’re building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you’re passionate about the opportunity to have meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT & PRICING STRATEGY

SUMMARY:

Ionis Pharmaceuticals is building and scaling its US commercial enterprise organization. The US Market Access team is expanding capabilities to support current and future product launches within the US Pricing & Contracting department.

The Associate Director, Contract Development & Pricing Strategy is a senior individual contributor and subject-matter expert in payer, channel, and government contracting across Ionis product lifecycles. The role applies broad expertise and independent judgment to complex contracting, pricing, and gross-to-net matters; develops analyses and recommendations for authorized decisionmakers; and translates approved pricing and contracting direction into consistent policies, operating standards, and execution. The role leads high-priority cross-functional initiatives and is accountable for results within its assigned scope. Its work may affect Pricing & Contracting and the broader Market Access function and inform commercial decisions.

The Associate Director will exercise sound judgment within established policies, governance, and delegated authority. S/he will recommend options and escalate decisions or exceptions requiring approval.

WORK LOCATION: remote

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop analysis and recommendations to inform pricing policy, contracting approaches, and governance. Translate approved direction into clear operating standards, procedures, and controls that support consistent execution across payer, channel, and government agreements. Assess the financial impact of contract terms on pricing policy and gross-to-net.
• Lead the analysis and operational coordination of pricing updates, including list-price change scenarios and timing recommendations, competitive pricing benchmarks, and assessment of how contractual price-protection and CPI-cap terms affect customer-level net price. Coordinate implementation of approved changes.
• Support customer negotiations by assessing proposed terms against approved pricing positions and guardrails. Explain net-price, strategic, financial, operational, regulatory, patient-access, and broader business implications; recommend options and escalate proposals that require exception or approval.
• Serve as an internal subject-matter expert and advisor to senior leaders and cross-functional partners on complex pricing and reimbursement matters. Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations and influence stakeholders through analysis and communication, while decision authority remains with designated leaders and governance bodies.
• Lead high-priority, cross-functional initiatives, including implementation of an approved roadmap for a rebate management platform that models and tracks the financial impact of pricing policy on net price and rebate liability. Align stakeholders, manage workplans and dependencies, identify and mitigate project risks, track milestones, and report business outcomes.
• Oversee ongoing contract management, maintenance, and data ingestion. Track amendments and renewals, and report contract performance, rebate liability, and net-price trends to inform recommendations and policy refinements.
• Maintain compliant contracting and pricing processes within the role’s scope. Partner with Legal, Compliance, Government Pricing, Finance, and other relevant functions; identify potential issues and escalate questions or exceptions to the appropriate decisionmakers.
• Coordinate the work of external partners and vendors and lead cross-functional project contributors, as applicable. Set expectations, monitor deliverables, and address or escalate performance risks. This is an individual contributor role and does not include formal people-management responsibility.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's Degree in a related area of study (finance, accounting, economics, STEM, pre-law, pre-med) and 12 years of related experience; prefer CPA, MBA, JD or equivalent with 8 years of related experience.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment on complex matters, develop sound recommendations, and explain advanced concepts clearly to varied audiences.
• Strong knowledge of, and experience implementing or administering, systems and reporting mechanisms that support pharmaceutical contract and rebate administration across payer, provider, government, and specialty pharmacy customers such as Model N or Vistex.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing, redlining, and negotiating contracts across commercial and government rebate structures (GPO, PBM, value-based).
• Strong knowledge of government pricing (AMP, ASP, Best Price, and FAMP), and understanding of related contracting implications.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage complex work independently, in multidisciplinary teams, and with external partners and vendors.

Please visit our website, http://www.ionis.com for more information about Ionis and to apply for this position; reference requisition #IONIS004106

Ionis offers an excellent benefits package! Follow this link for more details: Ionis Benefits

Full Benefits Link: https://ionis.com/careers#:~:text=Highly%20competitive%20benefits

The pay scale for this position is $175,000 to $195,000

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. PRINCIPALS ONLY.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and all its subsidiaries are proud to be EEO employers.