Senior Director- Market Access EU & International

AI overview

Lead the market access strategy for Ascendis Pharma's Growth Disorders franchise across EU and international markets, fostering cross-functional collaboration and delivering innovative therapies to un

Do you thrive in a high-impact strategic role where you shape pricing, access and evidence generation across diverse international markets – and help bring innovative therapies to patients with high unmet need?

Ascendis Pharma is a global, fast-growing biopharmaceutical company driven by our core values: Patients, Science and Passion. Using our innovative TransCon® technology platform, we develop best-in-class therapies addressing unmet needs in rare endocrinology and oncology. With headquarters in Denmark and offices across Europe and the United States, we are committed to making a meaningful difference for patients worldwide.

The Role
In this senior role, you will be responsible for the market access, pricing, reimbursement and evidence strategy for our Growth Disorders franchise across EU and international markets. You will collaborate closely with affiliates and cross-functional partners and serve as the key Market Access representative in core teams, shaping HEOR strategy and guiding partner teams in a dynamic and complex environment.

You will report directly to the VP, Market Access & Pricing EU & International markets and the role can be based at one of our following offices: Denmark, Spain, UK or Germany. Regular travel (approx. 50%) to Copenhagen, partner markets and relevant industry events is expected.

Key Responsibilities

Access Strategy Leadership

  • Develop and execute a 3–5-year market-access roadmap aligned with the franchise and regional strategies.
  • Lead core deliverables for HTA preparations and negotiations, including Global Value Dossiers, objection handlers and economic models.
  • Secure competitive pricing corridors and explore innovative access and funding solutions, supported by payer insights.

Pricing & Reimbursement Execution

  • Partner with affiliates and the Pricing team to achieve target net pricing across EU and international ex-US markets while mitigating IRP impact.
  • Negotiate complex outcome-based and financial risk-sharing agreements within policy frameworks.
  • Support early-access and compassionate-use initiatives to bridge to reimbursement and generate real-world evidence.

Evidence Generation & HEOR

  • Co-lead HEOR strategy, shaping economic models and driving evidence packages for HTA bodies.
  • Represent affiliate needs in the Integrated Evidence Plan (IEP) and oversee delivery of RWE and registry studies required for reassessments.

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with KOLs, patient advocacy groups and payer/decision-maker communities.
  • Lead advisory boards and support publications that reinforce the value narrative.
  • Represent Ascendis in relevant EU payer forums, industry groups and rare-disease policy initiatives.

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

  • Mentor and develop regional market-access teams.
  • Partner with Medical Affairs, HEOR, Regulatory and Commercial to secure integrated launch readiness.
  • Strengthen market-access capability building across the organization.

Qualifications

  • 12–18+ years of pharmaceutical/biotech market access experience.
  • At least 8 years at pan-EU or international level with significant ex-EU market exposure.
  • Proven track record securing reimbursement and competitive pricing for rare or ultra-orphan therapies across ex-US markets.
  • Experience developing and negotiating outcome-based and financial risk-sharing agreements.
  • Solid HEOR experience, including QALY and budget-impact model development and defense.
  • Fluent English; additional languages are an asset.
  • Advanced degree (MSc, MPH, PharmD, PhD) preferred.

Key Competencies

To succeed in this role, you bring a highly strategic mindset and strong commercial acumen that enable you to translate complex clinical, economic and real-world evidence into clear and persuasive value stories for non-clinical stakeholders. You are an exceptional negotiator with the ability to influence at senior levels, including ministries, payers and health-authority bodies across diverse international markets.

You excel at stakeholder management, building trustful and constructive relationships with affiliates, global colleagues and external partners. You work effectively in fast-moving, ambiguous environments and are comfortable making decisions even when information is incomplete. Collaboration comes naturally to you, and you lead through influence, fostering alignment across matrixed and culturally diverse teams. Finally, you demonstrate strong cultural awareness, adaptability and communication skills that allow you to operate successfully across various health systems and policy landscapes.

Apply now

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter highlighting relevant experience and skills.

Applications will be evaluated when received, so please apply as soon as possible.

Founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2007, Ascendis Pharma is a publicly held, biopharmaceutical company committed to addressing unmet medical needs. Ascendis Pharma is applying its innovative platform technology to build a leading, fully integrated biopharma company focused on making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by its core values of patients, science and passion, the company utilizes its TransCon™ technologies to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies. Ascendis Pharma currently has a pipeline of three independent endocrinology rare disease product candidates in clinical development and established advancing oncology as its second therapeutic area of focus. The company continues to expand into additional therapeutic areas to address unmet patient needs. Ascendis is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with offices in Heidelberg, Germany, Princeton, New Jersey, and Palo Alto, California.

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