Family Support Educator - Michigan

Role Summary

As a Family Support Educator, you’ll play a vital role in empowering families affected by Rett syndrome. You’ll serve as a trusted resource and compassionate guide, providing expert, field-based education and support throughout the treatment journey. Acting as the dedicated point of contact for caregivers, you’ll answer on-label, clinical education questions and deliver clear, meaningful information about the disease state and therapy options. In this role, you’ll engage directly with families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals when appropriate, fostering understanding and confidence every step of the way. Your mission is to help patients start and stay on therapy successfully, ensuring they receive the care and support they deserve.

Location: Detroit, MI; Lansing, MI; Ann Arbor, MI; Grand Rapids, MI; Traverse City, MI. Travel up to 70% depending on territory.

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 via in-person, telephonic, or virtual formats.
• Determine individual needs of patients and caregivers, and serve as an ongoing resource to provide appropriate education and resources throughout the patient journey.
• Collaborates with and provides support for the entire assigned territory, across cross-functional partners, and may require coverage of multiple states. Communicates educational opportunities with cross-functional partners as appropriate.
• Possess expert knowledge and provide insights to internal stakeholders including training leads, marketing partners, advocacy, medical and leadership to develop tools and resources to address educational gaps and therapy management strategies for patient families/caregivers.
• Demonstrate deep knowledge of disease state, product, and Acadia Customer Support Programs, such as Hub-related and Patient Assistance Programs, and ambassador speaker programs, etc.
• May moderate, lead and present caregiver speaker programs as needed, and attend community events within assigned territory.
• Provide in-service to physician offices reactively to educate about the Family Support Educator role, patient support resources for caregivers, pre- and post-enrollment in the program, and foster dialogue between caregivers and healthcare providers.
• Identify and execute opportunities to provide leadership within the Family Support Educator team and with cross-functional partners.
• May provide formal mentorship and/or development opportunities with 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 that all actions, both internally and externally, conducted on behalf of Acadia, are compliant with applicable laws, regulations, policies and reflect Acadia values.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree; emphasis in life sciences preferred. RN, MSN, MBA is a plus.
• Required: 5+ years of relevant experience in Pharmaceutical Industry, Patient Access, National Accounts, or Specialty Pharmacy; at least 2 years of Patient Support, Education or Leadership experience (Patient Education, Patient Access, and/or Patient Engagement Leadership).
• Preferred: Senior Family Support Educator requires 7+ years of relevant experience in Pharmaceutical Industry, Patient Access, National Accounts, Specialty Pharmacy, with extensive experience in Patient Engagement; at least 4 years of Patient Support, Education or Leadership experience (Patient Education, Patient Access, and/or Patient Engagement Leadership).
• Preferred: Rare Disease, Product Launch, Advocacy, Medicaid and Medicare expertise strongly preferred, with strong field environment knowledge in healthcare.
• Preferred: Equivalent combination of relevant education and applicable job experience may be considered.

Skills

• Rare Disease experience strongly preferred
• Experienced in patient/caregiver education
• Account Management experience preferred
• Advocacy experience preferred
• Strong background and understanding of the field environment in healthcare
• Strong history of cross-functional collaboration
• Demonstrated success in leading without authority
• Experience working with provider offices such as physician practices, patient assistance programs, or similar pharmaceutical support programs
• Patient-centric mentality with a high degree of emotional intelligence and empathy
• Empathetic listening skills in order to interact effectively with customers
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills
• Understand HIPAA rules and regulations related to patient privacy
• Strong written and verbal communications as well as presentation skills
• Excellent computer skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office products including Outlook, Excel, Word and Power Point
• Ability to manage expenses within allocated budgets
• Adaptable and open to an environment of change
• Must be a fast learner, flexible, able to work independently, and able adjust
• Strong enthusiasm with a drive to succeed within a team

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; emphasis in life sciences preferred.

Additional Requirements

• Travel up to 70%, depending on territory
• Physical demands: regular standing, walking, sitting, and the use of hands for handling or operating equipment; may include reaching, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching; occasional lifting up to 20 pounds; travel overnight as required by schedule