Family Support Educator, Appalachia

Role Summary

As a Family Support Educator, you’ll empower families affected by Rett syndrome by providing field-based education and support throughout the treatment journey. You’ll serve as the primary resource for caregivers, answering on-label clinical education questions and delivering clear information about the disease state and therapy options. You will engage with families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to foster understanding and confidence, helping patients start and stay on therapy and connecting with local communities to support those navigating Rett syndrome.

Responsibilities

• Provide disease state, product, and ongoing therapy management education upon request, in consumer-friendly language to the Rett community, including patients, caregivers, and/or other care team members. Caregiver engagement may occur before, during, and after therapy initiation, through in-person, telephonic, and/or virtual formats.
• Determine individual needs of patients and caregivers, and serve as an ongoing resource to provide education and resources throughout the patient journey.
• Collaborate with and support the assigned territory, including cross-functional partners (Marketing, Sales, Patient Access Team, Medical Affairs, Advocacy, and others), and may cover multiple states. Communicate educational opportunities with cross-functional partners as appropriate.
• Provide expert knowledge and insights to internal stakeholders to develop tools and resources addressing educational gaps and therapy management strategies for patient families/caregivers.
• Demonstrate deep knowledge of disease state, product, and Acadia Customer Support Programs (Hub-related and Patient Assistance Programs, ambassador speaker programs, etc.).
• Moderate, lead, and present caregiver speaker programs as needed and attend community events within the assigned territory.
• Provide in-service education to physician offices about the Family Support Educator role, patient support resources, and pre/post enrollment in the program, fostering dialogue between caregivers and healthcare providers.
• Identify opportunities to provide leadership within the Family Support Educator team and with cross-functional partners.
• Mentor and/or develop new Family Support Educator team members and/or cross-functional colleagues interested in Patient Support Services.
• Identify training and development opportunities related to Patient Support Services and the broader organization.
• Ensure all actions on Acadia’s behalf comply with laws, regulations, policies, and Acadia values.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, life sciences preferred; RN, MSN, MBA a plus.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in Pharmaceutical Industry, Patient Access, National Accounts, or Specialty Pharmacy; at least 2 years in Patient Support, Education, or Leadership (Patient Education, Patient Access, or Patient Engagement Leadership).
• For Senior Family Support Educator: 7+ years in Pharmaceutical Industry, Patient Access, National Accounts, or Specialty Pharmacy, with extensive Patient Engagement experience; at least 4 years in Patient Support, Education, or Leadership.
• Rare Disease, Product Launch, Advocacy, Medicaid and Medicare expertise strongly preferred; strong field healthcare environment understanding.
• Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Rare Disease experience strongly preferred
• Experience in patient/caregiver education strongly preferred
• Account Management experience preferred
• Advocacy experience preferred
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and proven ability to lead without authority
• Experience with provider offices, patient assistance programs, or similar pharmaceutical support programs preferred
• Patient-centric mindset with high emotional intelligence and empathy
• Empathetic listening skills and effective communication abilities
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Understanding of HIPAA privacy rules and regulations
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Ability to manage expenses within budgets
• Adaptable to change; fast learner; able to work independently and remotely
• Team-oriented with drive to succeed
• Ability to travel up to 70% depending on territory
• Must comply with local, state, and federal vaccination requirements for in-person field activities

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; emphasis in life sciences preferred. RN, MSN, or MBA a plus.

Additional Requirements

• Physical: Regular standing, walking, sitting; use of hands; may require reaching, climbing, bending, kneeling, and lifting up to 20 pounds. Overnight travel and after-hours work may be required.
• Travel: Up to 70% travel depending on territory.