Director, Payer Engagement

Introduction to role: Are you ready to lead a diverse team and build the future of healthcare access in Canada? As the Director, Payer Engagement, you'll spearhead strategies to secure public reimbursement for AstraZeneca Canada's innovative products across Oncology and Biopharmaceutical Business Units. This pivotal role involves guiding a national team of customer-facing professionals, ensuring our medicines reach patients who need them most. Accountabilities: Develop and execute public payer engagement plans based on access strategies provided by the Access Strategy teams to achieve optimal and timely public listings for AstraZeneca Canada products in line with commercial forecasts and plans. Achieve targets for public listings, including breadth of coverage and time to listing (in line with MTP targets). Ensure customer and healthcare system insights are integrated into access strategy working groups to optimize brand-specific market access approaches. Lead, develop, and manage a team of customer-facing professionals across Canada. Build and maintain relationships with healthcare system stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in drug reimbursement decision-making. Align the team with the Market Access Operating Model and drive ways of working that ensure success. Essential Skills/Experience: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline. 8+ years of pharmaceutical experience in market access, government affairs, marketing, or medical roles, with a proven record of success. Strong understanding of the Canadian healthcare system, including public payer processes. Demonstrated success leading teams in translating strategy to execution in order to deliver customer-facing objectives. Proven people leadership skills, including team development and management. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills. Ability to collaborate with cross-functional partners and communicate at the Senior Leadership level. Resilience and energy to work in ambiguous and complex environments. High initiative and urgency, with the ability to manage multiple priorities. Desirable Skills/Experience: Fluency in French. Extensive network of external payer and key stakeholder contacts. Experience in oncology. When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world. At AstraZeneca, we are committed to making our pipeline accessible to patients through innovative strategies and partnerships. Our research-driven approach means there's always something new to explore, offering opportunities to shape healthcare access sustainably. With a blend of autonomy and collaboration, we thrive on challenging norms and driving change. Our work is recognized for its impact on millions of lives, providing unparalleled opportunities for growth and development. Great People want to Work with us! Find out why: GTAA Top Employer Award for 10 years Top 100 Employers Award Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture Learn more about working with us in Canada View our YouTube channel This is the place to make a meaningful impact – on patients’ lives and your personal growth. It’s both exciting and inspiring, and it’s what keeps us motivated every day. Ready to make a difference? Apply now! We are using AI as part of the recruitment process This advertisement relates to a current vacancy. Date Posted 19-Jan-2026 Closing Date 05-Feb-2026 AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.