Associate Director, Channel Strategy and Patient Affordability

Position Summary:
As Otsuka faces increasing complexity in both in-line brand stewardship and upcoming product launches, the Associate Director, Channel Strategy and Patient Affordability will serve as a key strategic and operational leader within the team. This role is responsible for proactively designing and optimizing cross-functional programs to ensure seamless access, distribution, and affordability—balancing near-term execution with long-term scalability. With increasing external pressures (e.g., 340B, patient leakage) and internal shifts (e.g., LOE management, innovative distribution models), this role will be critical in anticipating challenges, optimizing performance, and building infrastructure for future growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Proactive Program Optimization: Own the end-to-end performance management process for affordability and channel programs across in-line brands and launches. Develop clear metrics and feedback loops that allow the team to identify gaps, propose enhancements, and deliver continuous improvement—before the market demands it.
• Launch and LOE Readiness: Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to build readiness frameworks for new launches and LOE transitions, ensuring business continuity while tailoring strategies for unique brand needs (e.g., future launches – Centa, JNT517, Uli -  may require non-traditional distribution requirements).
• Risk Mitigation & Prioritization: Lead structured prioritization efforts across the portfolio, ensuring limited resources are allocated to the highest-impact opportunities. Prevent execution breakdowns by proactively flagging gaps and designing contingency plans—especially as market complexity increases.
• Strategic Program Design: Architect operational frameworks that scale across multiple products and stages in the lifecycle—from pre-launch to post-LOE. Streamline communication and accountability mechanisms across Channel Ops, Market Access, and Field teams to ensure alignment on business goals.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as a strategic resource across internal market access functions, surfacing upstream needs, driving clarity on interdependencies, and ensuring channel strategies are integrated across core business areas.
• Market Intelligence Integration: Monitor external forces (e.g., 340B, policy changes, competitor access models) and translate implications into tactical and strategic adjustments that maintain patient access and minimize revenue risk.
• People Development & Future Planning: Build team capacity and bench strength to ensure long-term success. This role will directly contribute to succession planning and talent development for critical positions within the Channel Strategy organization.

Qualifications/ Required

Knowledge/ Experience, Skills and Educational Qualifications:

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5-7 years of experience in pharmaceutical or healthcare industries, with experience in payer and/or channel functions required
• Performance tracking and quarterly business review development experience
• Experience working in matrix management structure with project management, coordination and people management in a team environment
• Proven track record in program management and cross-functional team leadership
• Strong analytical skills and experience with data-driven decision making
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, excel and .ppt

Why This Role Now:

As Otsuka shifts from a steady-state brand model to a pipeline-driven growth strategy, this position enables the team to evolve from reactive problem-solving to proactive strategy execution. The added headcount ensures:

• Deeper, sustained focus on performance optimization for existing brands
• Sufficient leadership capacity to support complex product launches and new distribution models

Competencies
Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.
Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.
Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.
Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.
Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships t