Director, Contract Operations - Job ID: 1734

Ascendis Pharma is a dynamic, fast-growing global biopharmaceutical company with locations in Denmark, Europe, and the United States. Today, we're advancing programs in Endocrinology Rare Disease and Oncology.

Here at Ascendis, we pride ourselves on exceptional science, visionary leadership, and skilled and passionate colleagues.

Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we use our TransCon® drug development platform to fulfill our mission of developing new and potentially best-in-class therapies to address unmet medical needs.
Our culture fosters a place where skilled, adaptable, and highly resourceful professionals can truly make their mark. We offer a dynamic workplace for employees to grow and develop their skills.

Ascendis Pharma is looking to hire an experienced Director, Contract Operations to join our team. Responsibilities will include implementing market access pricing & contracting strategies and tactics across all relevant customer segments for products in our Endocrinology Rare Disease portfolio, with a primary focus on supporting the anticipated launch of an investigational treatment for hypoparathyroidism currently under review by the FDA. This role requires the ability to be both strategic and tactical, demonstrating strong leadership, project management, and communication skills.

As the Director, Contract Operations, you will oversee all aspects of contracting operations, including managing and implementing contracts, pricing agreements, and rebate programs with various stakeholders, including healthcare providers, payers, wholesalers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). This role requires expertise in contract management and reimbursement dynamics, coupled with strong leadership and analytical skills. The Director, Contract Operations plays a critical role in driving operational excellence, compliance, and financial performance through effective management of contracting operations.

This is a hybrid role that will be based in Princeton, NJ three (3) days/week and will report directly to the Senior Director, Pricing and Contracting Strategy.

• Performance Tracking and Reporting: Develop and maintain metrics, KPIs, and dashboards to monitor contract performance, pricing trends, and rebate liabilities. Generate regular reports and presentations for senior management, providing insights into contracting operations and financial performance.
• Price Reporting and Registrations: Manage state price transparency requirements, price notifications, compendia communications, and HPMS, and SAM.gov reporting and registration requirements, etc.
• Purchase Order  and Vendor Invoice Tracking and Reporting: Oversee the validation and payment of applicable vendor invoices. Collaborate with Finance to track spending and manage accruals for applicable vendor purchase orders.  Assess and provide input to department’s overall yearly budget.

Key Responsibilities:

Contract Management: Develop, implement, and maintain robust processes and systems for managing contracts throughout their lifecycle, from negotiation and execution to renewal and termination. Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and contractual obligations. Expectations in this role include management and tracking of all contract drafts, redlines, approvals, and ability to negotiate with customers with a keen understanding of Ascendis’ policies around key contract terms.

Implementation and Execution: Lead contract implementation internally with Finance, Legal, IT, and necessary departments and vendors to ensure favorable terms and conditions for product access, reimbursement, and pricing. Ensure alignment with corporate goals, profitability targets, and compliance standards. Works closely with internal teams to ensure pricing strategies/methodology can be operationalized within Ascendis Pharma’s revenue management systems prior to executing agreements.

Rebate Management: Oversee the administration of rebate programs, including government rebates (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare), managed care rebates, and commercial rebates. Ensure accurate calculation, timely payment, and reconciliation of rebate liabilities in compliance with regulatory requirements and contractual obligations. Involves managing dispute resolution, reconciliation of invoices vs. contracted conditions for rebates, evaluating duplicate discount liabilities, and informing leadership of any variances to projected accruals. This individual must possess an in-depth knowledge of claims processing, formulary validation processing, and dispute processes, and be able to communicate clearly and concisely on impact of rebates, disputes, and duplicate discounts both internally and externally.

Stakeholder Collaboration: Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including market access, finance, procurement, legal, and contracting partners. Serve as a trusted advisor on contracting and pricing matters, providing guidance and support as needed. Manage and work closely with external vendors assisting Ascendis’ with contract operations and with an eye towards bringing some of these functions in-house. Assist in customer invoice reconciliations and serve as SME on formulary validations process.

Process Improvement: Identify opportunities for streamlining and optimizing contracting processes, systems, and workflows to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and compliance. Implement best practices, tools, and technologies to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence. Expectations include managing data validation processes with internal team and external vendors, adjudicate rebate and formulary validation processes accurately and before payment deadlines, oversee payments of managed care and government rebates, and manage Market Access payments including purchase requisitions, purchase orders, and ACH funding for copay programs.

Compliance and Risk Management: Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and corporate policies in all contracting operations. Develop and implement controls and procedures to mitigate risks related to pricing, contracting, and rebate administration.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Healthcare Management, or related field. Advanced degree (e.g., MBA) preferred.

• Minimum of 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical contracting, pricing, or market access, with a focus on contract management and operations.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical pricing dynamics, reimbursement models, and contracting strategies across various payer segments (e.g., commercial, Medicare, Medicaid).
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in contract management systems (e.g., Salesforce CPQ, Model N, iCyte), ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, D365), and Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Leadership experience, with the ability to lead and develop a high-performing team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and compliance standards relevant to pharmaceutical contracting, pricing, and rebate programs.

Ascendis Pharma is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

A note to recruiters:

We do not allow external search party solicitation.  Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma Inc Human Resources team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed.  If this occurs your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Company-offered Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• Company-provided short and long-term disability benefits
• Unique offerings of Pet Insurance and Legal Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discounts
• Professional Development
• Health Saving Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various incentive compensation plans
• Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance  
• Mental Health resources
• Paid leave benefits for new parents