Director, Patient and Community Educators
Cogent Biosciences
Who We Are:
Cogent Biosciences is a publicly traded biotechnology company focused on developing novel precision therapies to treat a broad range of patients with unmet medical needs. Cogent’s lead program, bezuclastinib, is designed to selectively and potently inhibit exon 17 mutations found within the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase, including KIT D816V. KIT D816V is responsible for driving a rare and serious condition called Systemic Mastocytosis, and exon 17 mutations are also found in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), a type of cancer with strong dependence on oncogenic KIT signaling. Bezuclastinib has exhibited promising initial data across all three trials: APEX in AdvSM, SUMMIT in NonAdvSM and PEAK in GIST, including an encouraging safety profile across 600+ patients in single agent and combination dosing.
The Role:
The Director, Patient and Community Educators is a strategic leader within Cogent’s Patient Advocacy & Engagement organization as we prepare for the commercial launch of bezuclastinib, a next generation selective KIT D816V inhibitor, in Non-Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis (NonAdv SM), Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis (AdvSM), and Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST). This individual will be responsible for leading a field-based Patient Educator Team, shaping and advancing the company’s patient education and engagement strategy across Systemic Mastocytosis (SM) and Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST).
This role goes beyond team oversight, it defines how education becomes a catalyst for patient empowerment, trust, and improved outcomes. The Director will build and continually optimize a Patient Educator organization that delivers compliant, compassionate, and clinically credible patient education across live and virtual channels. This leader will also serve as a critical bridge between patients and cross-functional partners, ensuring patient insights meaningfully inform organizational strategy.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership
- Define and execute a forward-looking patient education and engagement strategy aligned with program, launch, and corporate priorities.
- Build the patient field team operating model: territories, prioritization, coverage, engagement standards, reporting, and metrics.
- Establishes and maintains clear patient field team standards so every patient receives accurate, consistent, and appropriate education.
- Translate clinical data and program strategy into scalable, accessible patient education frameworks.
Team & Field Excellence
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing national team of Patient Educators.
- Set clear performance expectations and MBOs aligned with organizational objectives and monitor progress to goals.
- Conduct field engagement and structured coaching to ensure quality, consistency, and impact.
- Foster a culture grounded in empathy, accountability, compliance, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Partner with Cogent Training Lead to develop and implement a best-in-class onboarding and continuous learning program for the Patient Educators.
Community & Program Execution
- Oversee execution of live and virtual education programs across SM and GIST communities.
- Strengthen relationships within disease-specific and rare disease/oncology networks to enhance visibility and credibility.
- Ensure education delivery is medically accurate, patient-friendly, and meets the highest standards of privacy, regulatory, and compliance requirements.
Cross-Functional Influence
- Compliantly partner with Patient Support Services, Marketing, Sales, Medical, and other key stakeholders to ensure aligned strategy and coordinated execution.
- Capture and synthesize patient insights to inform program strategy, educational programming, and field enablement.
- Contribute meaningfully to launch readiness and ongoing lifecycle management.
Operational & Data Leadership
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- Define performance metrics and leverage analytics to optimize engagement effectiveness.
- Partner with IT, Operations, PV. and Quality to build and manage audit‑ready processes and compliant systems (e.g., CRM, AE reporting); ensure accurate CRM documentation and data integrity across team.
- Continuously assess team execution and educational programming and implement enhancements to maximize impact.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- 8+ years of experience leading patient-facing teams (Nurse Educators, Patient Education Liaisons, Patient Advocacy, or similar), ideally within rare disease or oncology.
- Demonstrated success building and scaling field-based patient education programs.
- Product launch experience strongly preferred.
- Deep ability to interpret clinical data and translate complex information into clear, patient-centered communication.
- Proven track record of leading, coaching, and inspiring high-performing field-based teams.
- Strategic mindset with strong operational discipline.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to navigate sensitive or complex conversations.
- Strong analytical capability; experience using data to drive decisions.
Location & Travel
- U.S. field-based role.
- Willingness to travel up to 50%.
Salary Range:
$240,000 - 280,000 USD
Waltham, MA: Our headquarters is located in the Greater Boston life sciences community, with an open, collaborative office environment designed to support teamwork and connection. Employees benefit from convenient on-site amenities, including free on-site parking and gym facilities in the building.
Boulder, CO: Our Boulder location is home to Cogent’s discovery research organization and a key scientific hub with strong leadership based on site. Situated in the greater Denver-Boulder biopharmaceutical corridor, this office plays a central role in advancing our discovery efforts and pipeline.
Our Offer To You
At Cogent Biosciences, we offer a competitive salary, bonus, and ongoing stock awards, alongside a benefits package that sets us apart. We cover 100% of medical, dental, and vision premiums for you and your family, and help reduce out-of-pocket costs by funding up to 75% of in-network deductibles. Our benefits also include a 401(k) match with immediate vesting, generous paid time off, 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, paid family and medical leave for all employees regardless of location, and company-paid short-term disability coverage for up to 20 weeks. Additional perks like wellness programs, tuition reimbursement, and inclusive family-forming support help you thrive at work and beyond.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our goal is to have a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or disability, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.