Director, Medical Affairs Payer

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARWR) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.

Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.

Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI & San Diego, CA, and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Verona, WI. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.

The Position

The Medical Affairs Payer Director serves as the senior scientific leader responsible for national payer engagement across Arrowhead’s cardiometabolic RNAi portfolio. This role leads high-level, compliant scientific exchange with U.S. payers to ensure Arrowhead’s clinical, real-world, and health economic evidence is clearly articulated and aligned with evolving reimbursement expectations. This position plays a critical role in shaping payer perception early in development and supporting optimal access at launch. The Medical Affairs Payer Director partners cross-functionally to integrate payer insights into evidence generation, development strategy, and value communication planning. This role reports directly to the Medical Affairs Strategic Executive Director.

Responsibilities

Strategic Payer Scientific Engagement

• Lead compliant, non-promotional scientific exchange with national commercial payers, PBMs, government payers, and IDNs regarding Arrowhead’s cardiometabolic RNAi assets.

• Present and contextualize Phase II/III data, outcomes data, real-world evidence, and long-term safety and durability findings in a payer-relevant framework.

• Support proactive pre-launch and peri-launch payer engagement strategies to inform coverage policy development.

• Establish Arrowhead as a credible scientific partner in discussions related to lipid management, cardiovascular risk reduction, and metabolic disease.

Evidence Strategy & Value Alignment

• Identify payer-relevant evidence gaps and translate them into actionable recommendations for clinical development and RWE planning.

• Partner with Medical Value Evidence and Outcomes, Medical Affairs to ensure AMCP dossiers, value narratives, and budget impact models reflect the scientific and economic drivers most relevant to cardiometabolic payers.

• Provide medical input into discussions supporting value-based reimbursement models while maintaining clear compliance boundaries.

• Contribute to endpoint and subpopulation strategy discussions to ensure alignment with future reimbursement expectations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the Medical Affairs representative in cardiometabolic payer strategy and launch planning discussions.

• Collaborate with Market Access to ensure scientific consistency in payer-facing materials and engagement strategy.

• Align closely with Medical Value Evidence and Outcomes to incorporate payer insights into trial design and long-term evidence planning.

• Partner with Field Medical leadership to ensure consistent scientific messaging across stakeholder audiences.

Landscape Monitoring & Strategic Insights

• Monitor evolving payer policies, prior authorization trends, step therapy frameworks, and specialty management approaches within cardiometabolic disease.

• Provide regular strategic updates on payer sentiment, competitive positioning, and reimbursement risk considerations.

• Translate payer feedback into clear, prioritized insights for senior Medical Affairs leadership.

Requirements

• 8 years of experience in Medical Affairs, HEOR, or related biopharmaceutical function.

• Demonstrated expertise in cardiometabolic disease, including lipid disorders, cardiovascular risk reduction, or metabolic conditions.

• Strong understanding of U.S. payer decision-making processes, formulary review frameworks, and coverage policy development.

• Experience supporting AMCP dossiers, value narratives, and payer evidence discussions.

• Launch experience in specialty or cardiometabolic therapeutic areas preferred.

• Proven ability to operate cross-functionally, influence without direct authority and with external stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent executive communication skills with strong scientific credibility and compliance judgment.

Preferred

• Direct experience engaging national or regional payer organizations

California pay range
$220,000—$250,000 USD

Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.

All applicants must have authorization to work in the US for a company.

California Applicant Privacy Policy