Dir/Senior Director, Trade & Patient Access Operations

Are you ready to join a team committed to making a meaningful impact on cancer treatment through the discovery and development of precision medicines? At Kura Oncology, you have an opportunity to be a part of something bigger, with a lasting impact that you can be proud of.

At Kura Oncology, we are working to change the paradigm and improve the science of cancer treatment. As an organization, we strive to cultivate a diverse and talented professional culture driven to develop precision medicine therapeutics.

As we continue to build a leading biotech organization with a strong culture, a patient-focused mindset and a team focused on relentless execution, we are looking for innovative, passionate professionals to join us and make our vision a reality.

To succeed at Kura, you will need to have a demonstrated ability for excellence in drug discovery and development and a roll-up your sleeves attitude. The ideal candidate will possess a values-driven work style where integrity and grit drive all behaviors, decisions, and actions.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

We are seeking a highly skilled and dynamic Operations Manager to oversee the strategic and operational aspects of our Trade and Patient Support functions. This role is crucial to ensuring seamless distribution and patient support operations, collaborating with cross-functional teams, managing vendor relationships, and driving continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, particularly with distribution models, patient support operations, and complex supply chain management.

• Strategy and Tactical Recommendations: Lead the development and execution of distribution strategies with trade partners (e.g., SP, SD, hub, etc.), ensuring optimal alignment with business objectives.
• Budget Management: Oversee and manage budgets for distribution and patient support, ensuring financial discipline and cost-effective solutions.
• Vendor Negotiations and Agreements: Provide input and insights during the negotiation and execution of distribution and patient support vendor agreements, ensuring operational efficiency and compliance.
• Pull-through Support: Collaborate with internal and external partners (SD, SP, hub, etc.) to ensure successful pull-through of distribution agreements, driving operational excellence.
• Onboarding and Implementation: Lead the onboarding and implementation of all distribution and patient support partners, ensuring smooth transitions and effective integration.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Develop, align, and ensure compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across SP and patient support partners, maintaining operational consistency and quality.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams such as Legal, Supply Chain, Commercial Analytics, Market Access, and Finance to resolve distribution-related issues and improve operational processes.
• Day-to-Day Operations Management: Oversee daily operations for distribution and patient support partners, ensuring timely execution of activities across SD, SP, free goods pharmacy, and 3PL.
• Customer Return Policies: Develop and negotiate return policies in collaboration with Legal, Compliance, Commercial, and Finance teams to meet business and regulatory requirements.
• Performance Metrics: Partner with Kura’s data aggregator and commercial analytics teams to establish robust distribution and hub performance metrics to assess business health and operational success.
• Compliance and Inventory Management: Ensure compliance with multiple operational policies across all distribution and patient support vendors, monitoring inventory levels to ensure product availability and adherence to financial and legal parameters.
• Business Reviews and Relationships: Conduct regular business reviews with distribution and patient support partners to evaluate performance and resolve issues, fostering strong, long-term relationships with key partners and stakeholders.
• Supply Chain and Business Issue Management: Proactively identify potential supply constraints or operational issues, working closely with internal and external teams to mitigate risks and resolve challenges.
• Market Research and Service Offerings: Evaluate new service offerings based on market research and real-time feedback to enhance operational effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
• Internal Communication: Share insights on market trends, customer feedback, and best practices with internal stakeholders to support strategy de