About Shields Advanced Therapies
Launched in 2025, Shields Advanced Therapies is a new platform launched by Shields Health Innovations, the organization led by Jack Shields which has been responsible for the creation and leadership of multiple national leading healthcare enterprises including Shields Health Solutions ($4.25B exit to Walgreens) and Shields Health (largest provider of MRI, PET/CT, and surgical services in New England). Cumulatively, Shields companies have created $10B+ in equity value and $25B+ in net new profit for hospital partners.
Shields Advanced Therapies is a commercial, operational, and financial solutions provider to health systems focused on the acceleration of cell and gene therapies. The business is led by a seasoned leadership team and true to Shields' unwavering focus on culture, hospital partnerships, and scaling better care for patients at the lowest cost possible. For the right candidate, this opportunity balances the growth potential of becoming an early leader at a rapidly growing startup with the risk mitigation of a proven team, the backing of Shields, and commercial traction including partnerships with five of the top 20 US academic medical centers and dozens in the pipeline.
Role Overview
The Director, Strategic Finance will oversee the development of our financial infrastructure (inclusive of strategic planning and financial operations) as well as our payer-related solutions (inclusive of medical benefit network access, reimbursement strategy, financial clearance, and revenue cycle management). As the first financial leader within Shields Advanced Therapies, this is a high visibility role reporting directly to the executive team. While this posting is listed in New York or Boston, candidates may be based anywhere within New England.
Core Responsibilities
Strategic Finance
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Establish and lead the FP&A function for Shields Advanced Therapies, building scalable financial infrastructure to support rapid growth.
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Serve as a strategic partner to Shields' regional operations leadership teams, contributing to business plans, value creation lever identification & continuous performance improvement.
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Spearhead cross-company annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long‑range financial planning processes.
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Partner with health system clients to develop program‑level forecasts, business plans, and analyses that drive data‑driven decision‑making.
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Underwrite new partnerships, product launches, and program expansion initiatives to support intelligent and sustainable growth.
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Track financial and operational performance through structured weekly and monthly business reviews.
Payer Operations
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Lead the development and execution of a national payer operations function, covering network access, reimbursement strategy, financial clearance, and revenue cycle management.
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Spearhead single case agreements, center‑of‑excellence network initiatives, and other payer contracting efforts in partnership with health system managed care leaders.
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Develop streamlined, network‑level pathways for access and reimbursement on behalf of Shields partners.
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Partner with regional operators to oversee the national financial clearance function, including benefits investigation, prior authorization, and financial assistance management for advanced therapy encounters.
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Direct revenue cycle management efforts to mitigate delays and denials in partnership with health system clients.
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Partner with operations and technology teams to enhance visibility into patient journey metrics such as time to therapy, authorization status, adherence, and reimbursement outcomes.
Financial Operations
- Partner with accounting leadership to manage financial statements, monthly close, consolidated reporting, and GAAP compliance.
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Oversee monthly invoicing with health system partners, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to contractual requirements.
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Manage accounts payable and accounts receivable workflows in coordination with the accounting team.
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Support corporate audits, tax filings, and internal controls to ensure compliance with audit and reporting standards.
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Drive continuous improvement of financial systems and processes, leveraging best practices and emerging technologies where appropriate.
The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of relevant healthcare and financial leadership experience in a high growth setting. Prior experience in healthcare services and fast-paced business environments such as consulting, investment banking, or institutional investing is strongly preferred.
Compensation
The base salary range for this role is $160,000–$200,000, commensurate with experience and level. This role is eligible for an annual performance bonus in addition to base salary, based on achievement of role objectives and key performance metrics.
