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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Value Research Consultant

💰 $110,000 - $185,000

ConsultingResearchLife SciencesPharmaceuticalsHealth Economics

🎯 Role Definition

A Value Research Consultant serves as a strategic linchpin within the life sciences ecosystem, bridging the gap between clinical development and commercial success. This role is dedicated to generating, synthesizing, and communicating the evidence needed to demonstrate the holistic value of pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and other health technologies. By meticulously analyzing clinical and economic data, the consultant crafts compelling value narratives that resonate with key stakeholders, including payers, healthcare providers, and health technology assessment (HTA) bodies. Success in this position directly impacts a product's market access, pricing, and reimbursement, making it a critical function for ensuring patients have access to innovative treatments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Health Economics & Outcomes Research (HEOR) Analyst
  • Market Access Analyst or Associate
  • Academic Researcher (Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Economics)
  • Clinical Research Associate with a quantitative focus

Advancement To:

  • Senior or Principal Value Research Consultant
  • Manager/Director of Health Economics & Outcomes Research
  • Director of Market Access or Value & Access
  • Practice Lead or Head of Evidence Generation

Lateral Moves:

  • Market Access Strategy Lead
  • Real-World Evidence (RWE) Strategist
  • Corporate Strategy or Business Development Manager (Life Sciences)
  • Medical Science Liaison (MSL) with a focus on HEOR

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Design and execute robust systematic literature reviews (SLRs) and targeted reviews to build a comprehensive evidence base for a product's clinical, economic, and humanistic value.
  • Lead the development and adaptation of health economic models, including cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and budget impact models, to quantify and articulate the economic value of new therapies to payers.
  • Author, manage, and deliver high-quality global value dossiers (GVDs), AMCP formulary submission dossiers, and other HTA submissions, ensuring content is strategically aligned with local payer requirements.
  • Synthesize complex evidence from multiple sources—including clinical trials, real-world data, and literature—into a cohesive and persuasive value narrative and strategic communication plan.
  • Provide expert strategic counsel to cross-functional partners and clients on global market access, pricing, and reimbursement strategies, considering the evolving payer landscape.
  • Conduct in-depth landscape and competitor assessments, gap analyses, and evidence generation planning to proactively identify and address potential barriers to market access.
  • Analyze real-world evidence (RWE) from claims databases, electronic health records (EHRs), and patient registries to generate insights that support and differentiate a product's value proposition post-launch.
  • Develop and pressure-test value propositions and core value messages with internal stakeholders and external payers to ensure they are compelling, credible, and defensible.
  • Lead the preparation of scientific publications, including abstracts for conferences and manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, to disseminate key value evidence to the wider healthcare community.
  • Serve as the primary client contact and project lead on multiple concurrent projects, managing timelines, budgets, and project teams to ensure the delivery of exceptional work.
  • Critically evaluate clinical trial designs and study protocols to provide strategic input on the inclusion of appropriate health economic, patient-reported outcome (PRO), and real-world endpoints.
  • Conduct advanced quantitative analyses, such as indirect treatment comparisons (ITCs) and network meta-analyses (NMAs), to position a product's efficacy and safety within the current treatment paradigm.
  • Facilitate and moderate advisory board meetings with payers, clinicians, and other key opinion leaders (KOLs) to gather actionable insights and validate evidence strategies.
  • Mentor, train, and oversee the work of junior researchers and analysts, fostering their professional growth and ensuring high standards of methodological rigor and quality.
  • Maintain a deep understanding of global HTA systems, healthcare policies, and methodological guidelines (e.g., NICE, IQWiG, CADTH) to inform and guide evidence generation strategy.
  • Translate complex analytical results and research findings into clear, actionable business recommendations for a non-technical audience.
  • Actively contribute to business development efforts by supporting the creation of proposals, participating in client pitches, and identifying opportunities for new projects.
  • Manage the full lifecycle of a research project, from initial scoping call and proposal writing through to final deliverable presentation and follow-up.
  • Perform rigorous quality control and peer review of project deliverables to ensure they are accurate, strategically sound, and meet client objectives.
  • Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, and Brand Marketing, to ensure a unified and integrated value strategy for the asset.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer urgent internal and client business questions.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and the development of internal methodologies and best practices in value assessment.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements for data platform and tooling enhancements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the broader data and analytics teams.
  • Develop and deliver internal training on HEOR methods, market access trends, and payer expectations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Systematic Literature Review (SLR): Deep expertise in conducting SLRs according to established guidelines (e.g., PRISMA, Cochrane), including protocol development, searching, screening, and data extraction.
  • Health Economic Modeling: Proven ability to develop, adapt, or critically appraise economic models (cost-effectiveness, budget impact) using software like Microsoft Excel with VBA.
  • Statistical Analysis: Proficiency in using statistical software such as R, SAS, or Stata for analyzing clinical trial and real-world data.
  • Evidence Synthesis: Experience with advanced evidence synthesis techniques, including meta-analysis, network meta-analyses (NMAs), and indirect treatment comparisons (ITCs).
  • Dossier Development: Demonstrable experience writing and assembling reimbursement dossiers for major HTA bodies (e.g., AMCP, NICE, CADTH).
  • Real-World Evidence (RWE) Analysis: Familiarity with the design of RWE studies and analysis of large-scale healthcare datasets (e.g., insurance claims, EHRs).
  • Scientific Writing: Exceptional ability to write clearly and concisely for scientific publications, technical reports, and regulatory/HTA submissions.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the big picture, connect disparate pieces of information, and translate complex evidence into a winning commercial and access strategy.
  • Client Management & Communication: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build rapport, manage client expectations, and present complex information persuasively.
  • Project Management: Excellent organizational and time management skills, with a proven track record of leading multiple projects to successful completion on time and within budget.
  • Analytical Problem-Solving: A strong analytical mindset with the ability to deconstruct complex problems, apply rigorous methods, and propose creative, evidence-based solutions.
  • Leadership & Mentorship: Natural ability to guide and develop junior team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
  • Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic consulting environment and can quickly pivot based on new data or changing client needs.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: A team player who can work effectively with individuals from diverse professional backgrounds to achieve a common goal.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Master's degree in a relevant quantitative or scientific discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • PhD, PharmD, or MD with a focus on health economics, epidemiology, public health, health services research, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Health Economics
  • Epidemiology
  • Outcomes Research
  • Statistics / Biostatistics
  • Public Health
  • Pharmacy Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3-7+ years of relevant experience in a consulting firm, pharmaceutical/biotech company, or academic institution, with a specific focus on HEOR, market access, or value demonstration.

Preferred:

  • Experience in a client-facing consulting role is highly desirable.
  • Direct experience with preparing HTA/reimbursement submissions for major global markets.
  • A strong record of peer-reviewed publications is a significant asset.
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