Sr. Manager, Trade Relations

Abarca Health

$110K — $130K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Healthcare Administration, or related field
  • 10+ years of relevant experience in PBM, health plan, or pharmaceutical contracting roles
  • 3+ years of leadership experience in high-performing teams
  • Deep expertise in pharmaceutical rebate contracting and formulary strategy
  • Proven track record of complex negotiations with measurable financial outcomes
  • Strong analytical and financial modeling skills
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills

Responsibilities

  • Lead strategic assessment, negotiation, and execution of pharmaceutical manufacturer rebate agreements
  • Drive rebate performance and net cost optimization across Abarca's book of business
  • Serve as key advisor for rebate strategy, collaborating with Clinical, Legal, Finance, and executives
  • Define and optimize Abarca's formulary and coverage strategies
  • Oversee accuracy and strategic alignment of all rebate and formulary financial modeling
  • Establish governance standards for rebate financial models
  • Leverage manufacturer relationships for market intelligence
  • Manage the relationship with Optum for rebate performance governance
  • Partner cross-functionally to translate rebate strategies into client solutions
  • Mentor and develop Trade Relations team members

Benefits

  • Flexible hybrid work model with specific on-site workdays in Puerto Rico
  • Opportunities for mentorship and professional development
  • Engagement in high-impact strategic initiatives
  • Collaboration with cross-functional teams
Full Job Description
What you'll do

As Sr. Manager of Trade Relations, you will define and lead Abarca's pharmaceutical rebate and formulary strategy, serving as key subject matter expert on rebate optimization and manufacturer engagement. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy to prioritize initiatives, inform decision making, and drive rebate and formulary initiatives in alignment with Abarca's business objectives. This role owns the evaluation and negotiation of rebate opportunities, the development of enterprise-wide coverage strategies, and the integrity of all rebate and formulary financial modeling delivered to clients. You will leverage deep manufacturer relationships and market intelligence to inform strategic decisions that optimize cost, clinical value, and competitive positioning across Abarca's book of business.

The fundamentals for the job...
  • Lead the strategic assessment, negotiation, and execution of pharmaceutical manufacturer rebate agreements, ensuring optimal financial and clinical outcomes for clients.
  • Accountable for driving rebate performance, net cost optimization, formulary value, and competitive positioning across Abarca's book of business.
  • Serve as key advisor and decision influencer for rebate strategy, including evaluation of manufacturer offers, contract structures, and value-based arrangements, in partnership with Clinical, Legal, Finance, and executive stakeholders.
  • Lead the definition, governance, and ongoing optimization of Abarca's core formulary and coverage strategies, balancing net cost optimization, clinical value, member impact, and client competitiveness across template and custom formularies.
  • Accountable for all rebate and formulary financial modeling delivered to clients, ensuring accuracy, strategic alignment, and clear articulation of value.
  • Establish governance standards, review processes, and quality controls to ensure rebate and formulary financial models are accurate, consistent, compliant, and strategically aligned.
  • Leverage manufacturer relationships to generate actionable market intelligence and strategic insights that inform pricing, formulary, and drug trend strategies.
  • Serve as the organizational SME on rebate programs, market dynamics, and emerging manufacturer strategies, advising leadership, sales, and client teams.
  • Lead the strategic relationship and performance governance with Abarca's rebate aggregator, Optum, including alignment on rebate guarantees, issue resolution, performance tracking, and execution of joint strategic initiatives.
  • Partner cross-functionally (Clinical, Analytics, Underwriting, Sales, Legal) to translate rebate strategy into client-facing solutions, RFP responses, and growth initiatives.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop Trade Relations team members by setting priorities, strengthening strategic and analytic capabilities, and elevating negotiation effectiveness.


What we expect of you

The bold requirements...
  • Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Healthcare Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 10+ years of relevant experience in PBM, health plan, or pharmaceutical contracting, pricing, or strategy roles.
  • 3+ years of leadership experience, including direct and/or matrixed leadership of high-performing teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Deep expertise in pharmaceutical rebate contracting, formulary strategy, and drug pricing dynamics
  • Proven track record of leading complex negotiations and driving measurable financial outcomes
  • Strong analytical and financial modeling acumen, with experience translating complex analyses into strategic decisions
  • Experience owning and driving enterprise-level strategies or programs with significant financial impact
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • We are proud to offer a flexible hybrid work model which will require certain on-site workdays (Puerto Rico Location Only)

Nice to have...
  • Advanced technical skills (e.g., SQL, data modeling, or analytics platforms) to support strategic decision-making
  • Experience managing large-scale rebate programs
  • Experience defining and executing formulary strategies to drive cost savings

Physical requirements...
  • Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization's facilities.
  • Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing.


The above description is not intended to limit the scope of the job or to exclude other duties not mentioned. It is not a final set of specifications for the position. It's simply meant to give readers an idea of what the role entails.

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