Trade and Channel Consultant

In 2025 we launched our US Practice to complement our existing UK-based expertise. Alongside collaborating with the UK-based services, the US Practice has additional focus across Pricing & Reimbursement, Patient Services and Trade and Channel strategy. We have been growing the team quickly in response to the strong demand we have seen for the service offerings since the US team was established. As a result of this continued growthcapabilities in market access.

What's the role?

You will play a key role in providing strategic and tactical advice to life science clients to help them achieve rapid, broad and sustainable access to their innovative therapies. We are looking for someone who understands the U.S. healthcare systems, market access and various partners to deliver product to patients and has the ability to deliver clear, client-ready outputs under the guidance of senior colleagues.

LCP’s Health team works across the healthcare and life sciences markets, combining health expertise with innovative approaches from our work in other sectors to tackle leading health issues.

Examples of the types of client projects you may undertake as the Consultant for Trade and Channel include:

• Trade and Channel Strategies
• Channel Operations Review
• Contracting Assistance (e.g., implementation, redlines templates and negotiations
• Gross to Net (GTN) impact modelling
• Primary Market Research (e.g., development of interview guides, screeners and conducting interviews)

As a Consultant in the Market Access team in LCP’s Health Department, you will be involved in a diverse range of projects, covering both client and non-client work.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• Conduct targeted secondary research to develop a deep understanding of the U.S. pharmaceutical trade and distribution landscape, including wholesalers, specialty distributors, pharmacies (retail, specialty, hospital), GPOs, PBMs, and alternate channels, as well as competitor channel strategies, contracting approaches, and gross-to-net dynamics
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative trade and channel data to identify risks and opportunities across product launch, in-line brands, and lifecycle management, including channel mix optimization, distribution models, service fees, returns and chargeback policies, inventory management and order-to-cash process and procedures
• Provide channel data analysis and insights, including interpretation of EDI data sets; partner with thirdparty data aggregation vendors to support data onboarding and testing; and define reporting metrics and KPIs to support trade and channel performance
• Lead and contribute to trade and channel-focused primary research (e.g., interviews with wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, distributors, PBMs, and internal stakeholders) to inform channel strategy, contracting design, and operational decision-making.
• Interpret complex trade, distribution, and financial data (e.g., gross-to-net components, 340b, channel margins
• Develop and support U.S. trade and channel strategies, including distribution model design, channel partner selection, contracting structures, specialty pharmacy strategies, and integration with payer and patient access considerations
• Support the development of trade and channel-related materials, including channel strategy decks, distribution and contracting playbooks, internal training materials, and executive-ready summaries aligned to U.S. market requirement.
• Prepare and deliver client-facing presentations and reports that clearly communicate complex trade, channel, and gross-to-net concepts to cross-functional audiences, including market access, finance, supply chain, and commercial leadership
• Lead and contribute to all phases of consulting engagements, including:
  • Proposal development and scoping of trade and channel workstreams
  • Trade, channel, and distribution-focused desk research
  • Stakeholder interviews and advisory boards
  • Project management, including timelines, resourcing, and financial tracking
  • Synthesis of insights and development of final deliverables
• Act as the day-to-day client contact for trade and channel workstreams, building strong client relationships and ensuring high-quality, timely delivery
• Track and manage project budgets and timelines, proactively identifying risks and escalating issues to project leadership as appropriate
• Oversee and review the work of junior team members, providing guidance on trade and channel concepts, analytics, and client delivery, and contributing to:
  • Team training and capability building in U.S. trade and channel topics
  • Development of internal tools, frameworks, and best practices
• Build and demonstrate subject-matter expertise in U.S. pharmaceutical trade and channel strategy by contributing to internal knowledge development and external thought leadership

What experience, skills and qualities are we looking for?

• Demonstrable (likely more than 5 years’) experience in a trade role, with consultancy experience preferable
• An undergraduate degree or better in business administration, or a life science/ health related field, with a Masters degree being preferred
• A thorough understanding of the U.S healthcare system with a strong focus on pharmaceutical trade and distribution, including speciality pharmaceuticals, wholesalers, speciality distributors, pharmacies (retail, specialist, hospital), buy and bill, PBMs, GPOs and alternate channels
• A solid working knowledge of broader market access topics (payer dynamic, pricing, reimbursement, and patient services) is also expected
• In-depth knowledge of how pharmaceutical products move through the U.S. healthcare system from manufacturer to patient, including distribution models, channel economics, contracting structures, and gross-to-net considerations
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret complex qualitative and quantitative trade, channel, and financial data, translating insights into clear, actionable recommendations for clients
• Experience developing high-quality written and slide-based deliverables relevant to trade and channel strategy, such as channel assessments, contracting and distribution playbooks, gross-to-net analyses, and executive-ready strategy decks
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including advanced slide-based presentation capabilities and the ability to visually communicate complex trade and channel concepts through clear storytelling, infographics, and data visualization
• Your report-writing skills—both written prose and presentation-based formats—should be of a consistently high standard and suitable for senior client stakeholders
• A desire to thrive in a growing, dynamic consulting team, comfortable with leading day-to-day trade and channel workstreams within client engagements
• Experience providing informal or formal line management, coaching, or mentoring less experienced colleagues is desirable
• Experience in business development activities, including proposal writing and pitch presentations, is highly desirable
• Initiative, proactively identifying trade and channel risks and opportunities and developing practical, innovative solutions tailored to suit client needs
• A commitment to meeting client deadlines, which may mean extra hours from time to time
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills, highly competent in the use of Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint

LCP operates a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for recruitment agencies which is reviewed annually. We do not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles from agencies who are not part of our current PSL. LCP only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place, and the agency has been instructed by a member of our recruitment team to supply CVs via the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for a legitimate, open vacancy. If this process is not adhered to, LCP reserve the right to contact these candidates directly and have discussions with them without paying any agency fees. We do not pay agency fees when speculative and unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles are submitted to any employee or Partner at LCP.