Nearly 37 million Americans are currently affected by Chronic Kidney Disease. 37 million.

At Akebia we take that number very seriously and every day we come to work, with the purpose of bettering the lives of each person impacted by kidney disease and the renal community that serves them. 
Our tenacious, passionate employees’ challenge the status quo and work to develop unique therapeutics that have the potential to set new standards of care for people living with kidney disease.

This is life-changing work, and we are all in, are you?

Reports To:    Medical Director, Market Access
Location:  Remote – South East (Major Airport Access: TX, FL, GA, TN)

Job Summary

As part of Medical Affairs, the Medical Outcomes Liaison Associate Director (MOL) provides scientific information to assigned payors, PBMs, dialysis centers, nephrology group practices, value-based care organizations, and other large population-based decision-making organized customer groups (PBDM OCGs) in the US.  The MOL’s primary function is field-focused, through scientific exchange that translates Akebia HEOR and clinical information into relevant scientific value-based discussions for PBDM OCGs.  The MOL supports Akebia’s commitment to engage healthcare professionals, patients, payors, PBMs and other large PBDM OCGs.

The MOL strategically supports collaborations with key PBDM OCG external stakeholders as expert in health outcomes research as it relates to Akebia’s chronic kidney disease (CKD) therapeutic area. The MOL serves as a medical account manager, working compliantly with the market access team, to understand and compliantly fulfil unmet medical needs of appropriate functions within these organizations

In partnership with multiple internal stakeholders, the MOL aids in developing short and long-term strategies to integrate and advance the communication and needs of the CKD outcomes research community.  The MOL contributes to development of medical plans, including medical communications and publications, HEOR, and advocacy.  The MOL assists in providing outcomes research leadership and expertise to sales, marketing, public affairs & advocacy, legal and regulatory functions for marketed products and drugs in development.

The individual must have the ability to:

• Develop and maintain reliable engagement with both national and regional payors and PBMs, dialysis centers, nephrology group practices, value-based care organizations as well as GPOs, LTCs, VA/DOD, IDNs, ACOs, employers, and advocacy groups. 
• Translate HEOR and medical information into relevant information for all types of assigned accounts based on MOL deep understanding of the different medical and business needs of various customer segments.
• Support medical affairs with communications, publications and training.
• Closely follow all Akebia compliance policies, demonstrating high integrity and a commitment to ethical behavior.
• Understand medical and business strategy to develop integral medical and outcomes plans that support overall company goals.
• Provide US Medical outcomes leadership with customer insights and correlating business recommendations.
• Provide insights that have significant impact on clinical and RW trial design.
• Develop unique Outcomes Field Medical tactics/concepts for consideration.

All proposed strategies and projects developed must be approved by appropriate review committees before implementation

Essential Functions & Duties

• Serve as medical lead for assigned national/regional accounts and other identified healthcare organizations.  Develop and maintain credible and independent engagements with key medical, pharmacy, quality & health economics/outcomes/analytics opinion leaders within assigned accounts.
• Alignment of product, therapeutic area and disease state strategies with PBDM OCG customer focused on scientific and medical objectives.
• Provide timely clinical, economic and scientific product updates in response to unsolicited requests per standard operating procedure (including Dossier and Portfolio presentations) for Scientific Formulary decision making.
• Develop strategic medical partnerships related to clinical, evidence-based and disease management/health outcome initiatives.
• Facilitate the development and placement of appropriate clinical/ health outcomes and population health management studies with appropriate field, home office support and consistent with all policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Provide innovative input and appropriate support to internal teams that result in creation of tools, resources, approaches and Best Practice Disease/Population and Health Economic Models.
• Develop strategic medical partnership and affiliations with appropriate national/regional medical/payer associations.
• Provide input and support in development/implementation and participation in Akebia scientific advisory boards and symposia. Attend & participate as appropriate in Medical/HO & Managed Market conferences.
• Maintain communication flow with internal and external teams.
• Develop specific medical action plans (MAP) for the assigned accounts per approved policies, procedures and guidelines for medical interface.

Cross Functional Interfaces:

• Work with cross-functional Market Access teams, Medical teams and HEOR to coordinate the appropriate response to the medical and scientific needs of the customer.  Develop appropriate Medical Action plans for assigned healthcare organizations and customers.
• Ensure collaboration and a cross-functional team approach to meet customer medical needs with medical (MSLs, HEOR, Medical Dirs), as appropriate.
• Support the integration of customer insight in shaping medical strategies, tactics, tools, approaches and business intelligence.
• Provide insight, input and support towards development of medical information and health outcomes communication strategy and action planning for various healthcare organizations within the USMM (e.g. National MCOs and PBMs, LTC and other healthcare organizations).
• Provide input and support towards development of appropriate product specific tools and tactics that enhance the dissemination of key medical, scientific and health outcomes information.
• Provide input and support for the development and delivery of appropriate training tools /materials (e.g. product Dossier, slide kits, articles, review summaries etc.).
• Training - Develop mechanisms to disseminate scientific and HEOR data to appropriate stakeholders. Internal training as needed for Market Access and other divisions.

Skills & Experience

• Advanced clinical or medical degree (MD, PharmD, PhD, NP, PA or equivalent)
• 3+ year’s pharmaceutical industry experience required, or equivalent
• 3+ years’ medical/clinical experience within Managed healthcare (i.e., Payor, PBM, Dialysis Organization, Group Practices, Value-Based Care Organizations, PPO, VA/DOD, LTC) preferred.
• Strong understanding of current US Healthcare system including an understanding of Dialysis organizations and payment preferred.
• Understanding of medical outcomes utilized in value-based contracting.
• Strong clinical and pharmaceutical background with CKD/nephrology preferred.
• Strong, comprehensive knowledge of HEOR disciplines, as it pertains to MOL core functions, as well as an in-depth understanding of clinical statistics and evidenced based medicine.
• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent strategic thinking, negotiation abilities, and problem-solving considering all of the potential implications of key decisions.
• Ability to work independently as well as cross functionally.
• Demonstrated ability to independently work under pressure in a compliant and highly regulated environment.

Travel requirements: Up to 70% (with time managed between home office and field).

Compensation:

Targeted Base: $169,875 - 236,468

*Base Compensation for this role will depend on a number of factors including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience, and may fall outside of the range shown. Base pay is only one component of the company’s total rewards package, all regular employees are also eligible for the corporate bonus program or the incentive compensation program (if applicable), as well as equity. Additional benefits include health care, vision, dental, retirement, PTO, etc.

Are you an Akebian?

An Akebian is curious, empathetic, and values making connections to people and ideas. Akebian’s aren’t afraid of diving in and owning a process or a problem, because we all want to deliver a great solution. Akebian’s believe that we are better together because we are all working toward a common purpose – to better the life of each person impacted by kidney disease. Want to learn more about what it means to be an Akebian? Visit our website: www.akebia.com

Akebia is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all job applicants.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.