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Sr Director, Head of US Payer, Value, and Access Strategy

Kite Pharma


Job Location:

Santa Monica, CA - USA

Yearly Salary: USD 237575 - 307450
Posted: 29 September 2026 (Yesterday)
Application Deadline: 27 December 2026
Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Were here for one reason and one reason only to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. Weve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But were not finished yet.

Join Kite as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies and help shape where our business and medical science goes next.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Kite and help create more tomorrows.


Job Description

The Sr Director Head of US Payer Value and Access Strategy reports to the Head of US Market Access and is responsible for leading a newly formed strategic vertical within Kites US Market Access organization. This leader will oversee the integrated portfolio-level strategy across payer and value marketing new product and launch planning policy shaping in partnership with internal colleagues and ecosystem strategy and market development for Kites US cell therapy portfolio. This role is accountable for ensuring US Market Access has a clear integrated and future-focused strategy across key access stakeholders including payers employers advocacy organizations government and policy partners treatment centers accreditation bodies and other external stakeholders critical to enabling appropriate patient access to CAR T and future cell therapies. The individual in this role will lead a team of Directors and be responsible for translating complex market dynamics into actionable strategies resources and organizational priorities that support in-line brands launch assets and long-range portfolio growth.

The Head of US Payer Value and Access Strategy will serve as a key member of the US Market Access Leadership Team and will partner closely with Provider Access Trade Pricing & Contracting Customer Experience & Patient Services Field Market Access Brand Marketing Medical Affairs HEOR Government Affairs Public Affairs Advocacy Legal Regulatory Compliance Global Market Access and other stakeholders to ensure clear strategic alignment and coordinated execution across the enterprise. This is a hybrid position with three days per week in one of our four main offices: Thousand Oaks CA; El Segundo CA Foster City CA or Parsippany NJ.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

  • Lead the US Payer Value and Access Strategy organization including Payer & Value Marketing New Product & Launch Planning and Ecosystem Strategy & Market Development

  • Partner with the Head of US Market Access and US Market Access Leadership Team to define and execute the overall US Market Access strategy and annual tactical priorities

  • Ensure Kite has a clear portfolio-level strategy for payer and employer engagement evidence translation launch readiness stakeholder education and external market shaping

  • Serve as a strategic advisor to US Market Access and executive leadership on emerging access risks stakeholder dynamics launch readiness payer barriers policy considerations and long-range market development opportunities

  • Ensure that portfolio-level strategies are translated into high-quality compliant customer-relevant tactics and resources by the appropriate teams

Organizational Leadership and Team Development

  • Lead coach and develop a high-performing team of Directors and functional experts across payer provider launch and ecosystem strategy disciplines

  • Build a culture of strategic thinking accountability collaboration enterprise partnership and disciplined execution

  • Ensure clear roles responsibilities decision rights and operating models across the new vertical and with adjacent Market Access functions

  • Provide leadership guidance and mentorship to direct reports while supporting strong succession planning and talent development across the broader US Market Access organization

  • Represent the US Payer Value and Access Strategy team with credibility executive presence and strong partnership across internal and external settings

Payer and Value Strategy Integration

  • Oversee the development of integrated payer and external stakeholder value strategies for Kites portfolio

  • Ensure consistency across provider-facing and payer-facing market access narratives tools resources and strategic priorities in partnership with the Sr Director Provider Access

  • Partner with HEOR Medical Affairs Brand Legal Regulatory and Compliance to ensure appropriate evidence translation and value communication across stakeholder audiences

  • Ensure that payer employer and access stakeholder insights inform portfolio strategy launch planning evidence priorities and lifecycle planning

  • Partner with Field Market Access and Strategic Account Management teams to support strong pull-through of national strategies and customer-facing resources

Launch & Portfolio Readiness

  • Oversee US Market Access new product and launch planning activities for current and future pipeline assets

  • Ensure US payer employer reimbursement policy and access considerations are incorporated early into global development launch planning evidence generation and commercialization discussions

  • Partner with Global Market Access Global Commercial US Brand HEOR Pricing & Contracting Trade Patient Services Medical Affairs and other functions to ensure integrated launch readiness

  • Provide senior leadership oversight of access launch readiness plans milestone tracking and executive updates

  • Ensure the organization anticipates and mitigates launch-related access risks before approval and during early launch execution

Ecosystem Strategy & Market Development

  • Oversee long-range market development strategies designed to improve patient access to CAR T and future cell therapies

  • Ensure Kite has a clear and coordinated strategy across employers advocacy public affairs government affairs FACT accreditation-related considerations treatment ecosystem readiness and external access stakeholders

  • Partner with Government Affairs and Public Affairs to ensure Market Access perspectives inform policy priorities external engagement and market shaping efforts

  • Ensure external stakeholder strategies are aligned with Kites broader commercial medical policy advocacy and corporate objectives

  • Identify structural barriers to CAR T access and prioritize initiatives that can improve long-term ecosystem readiness and patient access

Cross-functional Collaboration & Governance

  • Establish operating routines governance processes and decision-making forums to ensure strategic alignment across the new vertical and adjacent teams

  • Partner with Portfolio & Strategic Planning to ensure Payer Value and Access Strategy priorities are integrated into broader US Market Access planning

  • Collaborate with CIAO analytics and insights partners to ensure robust market insights inform strategy tactics KPIs and performance measurement

  • Oversee agency vendor and budget management across the function ensuring resources are deployed appropriately and efficiently

  • Ensure all work is conducted in accordance with Kite and Gilead legal regulatory compliance and promotional review standards

Leadership & Representation

  • Be a key member of the US Market Access Leadership Team and represent the team with dignity class and outstanding partnership in all settings both inside and outside of Kite

Basic Qualifications

  • Advanced scientific degree (i.e. MD PharmD PhD) and 10 years of experience OR

  • Masters Degree and 12 years of experience OR

  • Bachelors Degree and 14 years of experience OR

Preferred Qualifications

  • 12 years of relevant pharmaceutical or biotechnology experience across market access marketing payer strategy provider strategy launch planning policy pricing reimbursement HEOR or related commercial roles

  • Demonstrated ability to lead large complex cross-functional strategies across multiple stakeholders products and time horizons

  • Deep understanding of the US market access environment including payers providers employers reimbursement hospital economics buy-and-bill dynamics site-of-care economics and specialty therapy access barriers

  • Strong knowledge of hematology/oncology and cell therapy preferred including familiarity with CAR T reimbursement single case agreements network dynamics provider economics and treatment center requirements

  • Experience leading teams developing talent coaching senior professionals and building strong organizational culture

  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally and influence decision making strategy and execution across senior leaders and enterprise partners

  • Strong executive presence with the ability to translate complex access topics into clear decision-oriented recommendations

  • Demonstrated high levels of emotional intelligence situational awareness and ability to build trust across teams

  • Experience developing market access strategies stakeholder engagement strategies launch plans value platforms and/or evidence translation approaches

  • Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity prioritize across competing opportunities and drive disciplined execution

  • Advanced PowerPoint and Excel skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills


The salary range for this position is:

Other US Locations: $237575.00 - $307450.00.


Bay Area: $261375.00 - $338250.00.


Kite considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation including experience qualifications and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role) paid time off and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical dental vision and life insurance plans*.

For additional benefits information visit:

Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.


Kite is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune systems ability to recognize and kill tumors. Kite is based in Santa Monica CA. For more information on Kite please visit . Sign up to follow @KitePharma on Twitter at jobs in the United States:

Kite Pharma is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives backgrounds and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race color religion national origin sex age sexual orientation physical or mental disabilitygenetic information or characteristic gender identity and expression veteran status or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal state and local order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974 and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact for assistance.


For more information about equal employment opportunity protections please view theKnow Your Rights poster.

NOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT


Kite Pharma will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about discussed or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge (b) in furtherance of an investigation proceeding hearing or action including an investigation conducted by the employer (c) consistent with the legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.

Our environment respects individual differences and recognizes each employee as an integral member of our company. Our workforce reflects these values and celebrates the individuals who make up our growing team.


Kite Pharma provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Kite Pharma Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.


Required Experience:

Exec


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Kite is dedicated to curing cancer. Learn about the science of cell therapy, our cancer research, and our cancer treatments in the pipeline.

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