Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs

Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs

The Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs will lead the company's federal Government Affairs strategy to advance policies that improve access to innovative therapies for individuals living with serious mental illness. As the company prepares to commercialize a first-in-class psychedelic medicine, this role will help shape the evolving federal policy landscape surrounding innovative mental health treatments, reimbursement, regulatory policy, and patient access. Reporting to the Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, the Senior Director will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and represent the company before Congress, the Administration, federal agencies, and external stakeholders.
Location: Washington DC area (work from home flexibility).
Reports to: VP, Government Affairs and Public Policy.
Roles and responsibilities (include but are not limited to):
Federal Policy Strategy
Develop and execute a comprehensive federal government affairs strategy aligned with corporate, policy, and commercial objectives
Monitor and assess legislative, regulatory, and political developments affecting the company's business, pipeline, and growth strategy
Identify emerging policy opportunities and risks and provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership
Federal Advocacy and External Engagement
Build and maintain trusted relationships with Members of Congress, congressional staff, federal agency leadership, and key policymakers
Represent Compass Pathways before federal government stakeholders and effectively communicate company priorities and perspectives
Serve as a strategic advisor to internal leadership on federal healthcare policy developments
Mental Health and Healthcare Policy Leadership
Lead the company's federal policy efforts on issues affecting access to innovative treatments for serious mental illness, including:
Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement
CMS coding, payment, and coverage policy
Medicare Part B and Part D reimbursement
Mental and behavioral health policy
Drug pricing and healthcare payment policy
Controlled substances regulation and DEA scheduling
Develop policy positions and advocacy strategies that support patient access and commercial success
Commercial Launch Readiness
Partner closely with Market Access, Commercial, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Clinical Development, Legal, and Health Economics & Outcomes Research (HEOR) teams to ensure federal policy and reimbursement strategies support product development, approval, launch, and commercialization
Help shape policy environments that facilitate adoption and access for future therapies
Coalition Building and Stakeholder Engagement
In collaboration with Advocacy and External Affairs colleagues, cultivate strategic relationships with patient advocacy organizations, provider societies, veterans' groups, health policy coalitions, and trade associations
Identify opportunities to build external support for policy priorities and advance shared objectives across the healthcare ecosystem
External Resource Management and Compliance
Manage external lobbying firms, policy consultants, and trade association engagements as appropriate
Ensure all lobbying activities, political engagement, and interactions with government officials comply with applicable laws, regulations, company policies, and industry ethical standards
Candidate Profile:
Required
12+ years of progressively responsible experience in federal government affairs, healthcare policy, congressional affairs, or related fields
Significant experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or life sciences sectors
Deep understanding of:
Congressional legislative processes
Federal budget and appropriations processes
Medicare and Medicaid policy
CMS reimbursement, coding, and coverage frameworks
Mental and behavioral health policy
Drug pricing and healthcare payment policy
Demonstrated success influencing complex healthcare legislation, federal policy, or regulatory initiatives
Strong relationships across Congress, HHS, CMS, and other key healthcare policy stakeholders
Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills
Preferred
Experience with controlled substances policy and DEA scheduling
Experience developing reimbursement and market access strategies for novel or specialty therapies
Experience managing external lobbying firms, consultants, and trade association relationships
Experience in mental health, neuroscience, behavioral health, or other innovative therapeutic areas
Leadership Competencies
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
Strategic foresight and the ability to anticipate emerging policy trends
Excellent political judgment and bipartisan relationship-building skills
The ability to translate complex policy developments into actionable business strategy
Strong collaboration and leadership within highly matrixed organizations
Executive presence and credibility with senior government officials and internal stakeholders
The ability to influence and drive alignment without formal authority
A commitment to advancing patient access to innovative mental health treatments