Senior Director, Head of Payer Strategy & Engagement

Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CAPR) is a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing transformative cell and exosome-based therapies for rare diseases. At the forefront of our innovation is Deramiocel (CAP-1002), our lead cell therapy in late-stage development for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We are also harnessing our proprietary StealthX™ exosome platform to unlock new possibilities in targeted delivery and vaccinology. Every program reflects our commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and delivering life-changing treatments to patients and families who need them most.
The Senior Director, Head of Payer Strategy & Engagement will lead the development and execution of U.S. payer strategy and account engagement in support of the anticipated launch of deramiocel, Capricor's lead cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The role is responsible for constructing the payer value platform, shaping coverage and contracting strategy across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid segments, and leading the National Account Director team to deliver timely and appropriate payer access decisions. This leader partners closely with Pricing & Contracting Operations, Market Access Analytics, Trade & Patient Services, Medical Affairs, HEOR, Legal, and Finance, as well as external payer leadership, advocacy organizations, and market access vendors.

Key Responsibilities

Payer Strategy & Value Platform

Develop the U.S. payer strategy across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid segments, aligned with Capricor's launch and access objectives.

Construct the deramiocel payer value platform, including AMCP dossiers, value decks, budget-impact models, and policy response tools.

Identify pricing and reimbursement analogues to support value and access decisions for a high-cost, one-time treatment rare-disease therapy.

Coverage, Coding & Reimbursement

Drive the product-specific HCPCS code application and ICD-10 coding initiatives to support clear reimbursement pathways.

Monitor healthcare legislative and policy trends; assess impact and develop responses to address access barriers.

Partner with Trade & Patient Services on buy-and-bill, specialty pharmacy, and site-of-care strategy for infused cell therapy.

Account Engagement & Contracting

Lead the National Account Director team in account-level engagement with national and regional payers, PBMs, Medicaid plans, and IDNs.

Develop contracting strategy and oversee execution of commercial, Medicaid, and outcomes-based arrangements in partnership with Pricing & Contracting Operations and Legal.

Establish payer account plans, productivity measures, and execution cadence.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Compliance

Align HEOR, real-world evidence, and clinical evidence-generation efforts with payer and HTA expectations.

Partner with Marketing and Field teams to develop payer-focused tools, messaging, and training.

Ensure all payer engagement activities follow Capricor compliance standards and applicable regulations.

Represent Capricor at key industry conferences (e.g., AMCP, PCMA, ISPOR, Asembia).

Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, or related) strongly preferred.

12+ years of biopharmaceutical experience, including 5+ years in U.S. market access and reimbursement leadership.

Rare-disease or specialty or advanced-therapy launch experience required.

Hands-on experience with HTA, U.S. payer engagement, patient and provider access, HEOR, and medical-benefit reimbursement and coding.

Strong analytical capabilities, including working knowledge of government pricing methodologies and supporting regulations.

Demonstrated ability to lead account teams and execute complex multi-stakeholder contracting initiatives.

Outstanding executive presence and the ability to engage payer leadership effectively.

Team Management

Directly leads the National Account Director team supporting the U.S. payer footprint.

Provides coaching, development, and performance management to payer-facing leaders.

Owns workload planning, training, and staffing to support launch readiness and post-launch scale.

This team will expand as the business scales; the Senior Director will lead future hiring and organizational development.

Preferred Qualifications

Cell or gene therapy payer engagement experience.

Global or international market access experience.

Experience leading outcomes-based or milestone-based contracting structures.

Established senior-level relationships across national and regional commercial payers, PBMs, and Medicaid plans.

Core Competencies

Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.

Vendor management and negotiation skills.

Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly scaling environment.

Exceptional attention to detail and documentation discipline.

Ability to influence without authority across cross-functional teams.

Working Conditions

Field-based (remote) position; expected to be in the San Diego, CA office approximately two to three times per quarter, or as required by business need.

Domestic travel approximately 30 to 50% for payer engagement, conferences, and internal meetings.

Extended periods of computer-based work, including video conferencing and collaborative software platforms.

Why Capricor?

Capricor Therapeutics is advancing cell and exosome-based therapies with a focus on serious diseases where patients and families need new treatment options. Our work is grounded in scientific rigor, collaboration, and a shared commitment to moving meaningful therapies forward. Joining Capricor means being part of a mission-driven team working at the intersection of innovation, execution, and patient impact.

Come Work With Us

At Capricor, you’ll join a collaborative environment where employees are encouraged to contribute, grow, and help build the systems, science, and operations needed to support our next stage of growth. We value people who are thoughtful, accountable, hands-on, and motivated by work that can make a real difference.

Recruiting Fraud Notice

Capricor does not use Skype for interviews or recruiting activities. Candidates will only be contacted by someone using an official Capricor email address ending in @capricor.com. Capricor will never ask candidates to send money, deposit a check, purchase equipment, or provide payment for any reason as part of the recruiting or onboarding process.

Notice to Recruiting Agencies

Capricor Therapeutics does not accept candidate submissions or referrals from recruiting agencies, staffing firms, or third-party recruiters without express written approval from Talent Acquisition and a fully executed agreement with Capricor. Agencies that contact hiring managers directly, solicit business, or submit candidates without prior approval will not be considered for engagement. Any unsolicited submissions will become the property of Capricor Therapeutics, and no fees will be paid for candidates hired as a result of such submissions. We appreciate your cooperation and respect for this policy.