Director of Healthcare Partnerships Full Time NEW

Job Title: Director of Healthcare Partnerships

Department: Sales

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Travel Time: Up to 50%

Position Type: Full-Time

About Cornbread Hemp:

Cornbread Hemp is the nation’s leading USDA Certified Organic hemp company, dedicated to creating the highest-quality, full-spectrum hemp products on the market. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, we have built our brand on organic integrity, third-party transparency, and Kentucky heritage.

Through our exclusive GPO partnership with Alliant Purchasing, serving 68,000 healthcare provider locations nationwide, Cornbread Hemp has become the first hemp company positioned to supply products into the CMS Innovation Center’s Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI), a landmark Medicare pilot program launched April 1, 2026. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build the healthcare channel for one of the most trusted names in hemp.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Director of Healthcare Partnerships to build and lead Cornbread Hemp’s healthcare sales channel from the ground up. This person will own the end-to-end sales process for selling hemp-derived CBD products into healthcare organizations participating in CMS Innovation Center models, beginning with the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) and ACO REACH, and expanding to the LEAD Model in 2027.

The ideal candidate has institutional or health systems sales experience from a pharmaceutical, medical device, clinical nutrition, or nutraceutical company, with a demonstrated understanding of how GPOs, ACOs, and Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs) make purchasing decisions. This role requires someone who can navigate complex stakeholder environments, engaging C-suite executives, practice administrators, compliance officers, and clinical teams, while operating within a highly regulated, rapidly evolving federal pilot program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Account Acquisition: Identify, prioritize, and pursue EOM participant practices, ACO REACH organizations, and other CMS model participants that have elected or are considering the Substance Access BEI. Develop account-specific strategies for each target organization, including large oncology networks, multi-site practices, and regional ACOs.
• GPO Pull-Through and Activation: Leverage Cornbread Hemp’s exclusive Alliant Purchasing GPO contract to drive product adoption across Alliant’s member network. Educate procurement teams and practice administrators on how to order through the GPO channel and ensure seamless fulfillment.
• Implementation Plan Support: Partner with participating healthcare organizations to develop their CMS-required Implementation Plans for the Substance Access BEI, positioning Cornbread Hemp products as the compliant, clinically credible supplier of choice. Ensure each plan addresses product specifications, dosing, distribution protocols, and compliance safeguards.
• Regulatory Navigation and Compliance: Maintain deep fluency in the Substance Access BEI program requirements, CMS reporting obligations, and the evolving federal and state legal landscape for hemp products. Serve as the trusted regulatory resource for prospective accounts. Monitor the ongoing litigation challenging the program and adjust strategy accordingly.
• Clinical and Value-Based Positioning: Develop and deliver consultative presentations that position Cornbread Hemp’s USDA Organic, full-spectrum CBD products within the context of value-based care, demonstrating how hemp products can support symptom management, patient-reported outcomes, and total cost of care reduction for oncology and chronic disease populations.
• Outcomes Data and Reporting: Work with participating organizations to collect and track patient outcomes data required by CMS for quarterly reporting. Collaborate with internal teams to build case studies and evidence packages that support program expansion and future account acquisition.
• Forecasting and Pipeline Management: Build and maintain a detailed sales pipeline with accurate forecasting. Work with the CEO to set KPIs, revenue targets, and channel-specific budgets. Provide regular reporting on account status, competitive intelligence, and market development.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with marketing to develop healthcare-specific sales collateral, clinical data sheets, and compliance documentation. Work with operations to ensure supply chain readiness for institutional orders. Coordinate with legal counsel on contract terms and regulatory developments.
• Channel Expansion: As the BEI program matures, lead the strategic expansion from EOM and ACO REACH into the LEAD Model (January 2027), additional GPO partnerships, and direct health system relationships beyond the current Alliant network.

Requirements:

• Healthcare Sales Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of institutional or health systems sales experience, ideally within pharmaceutical, medical device, clinical nutrition, or nutraceutical companies. Direct experience selling into GPOs, IDNs, ACOs, or organized health systems is strongly preferred.
• Value-Based Care Fluency: Demonstrated understanding of CMS Innovation Center models, value-based payment structures, and how healthcare organizations make purchasing and formulary decisions. Familiarity with the Enhancing Oncology Model, ACO REACH, or similar CMS programs is a significant advantage.
• Healthcare Relationships: Strong ability to build and maintain relationships with C-suite executives, practice administrators, compliance officers, pharmacy directors, and clinical leadership at healthcare organizations. Existing relationships with oncology practice networks or large ACOs are highly preferred.
• Regulatory Acumen: Comfort operating in a heavily regulated, evolving environment. Understanding of the federal hemp regulatory landscape, CMS program integrity requirements, and healthcare compliance frameworks (Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law awareness as applicable).
• Leadership and Autonomy: Proven ability to build a channel or territory from scratch with minimal supervision. This is a player-coach role, you will be the primary individual contributor initially, with the opportunity to build a team as the channel scales.
• Results-Oriented: You must be a self-starter with a demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets in complex, consultative B2B healthcare sales environments. You are comfortable with long sales cycles and multi-stakeholder decision processes.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional presentation and writing skills. Ability to translate complex regulatory and clinical information into clear, compelling value propositions for diverse healthcare audiences.
• Flexibility and Travel: Ability to work remotely with frequent travel for account visits, healthcare conferences, and industry events. Expect to travel up to 50% of the time, including visits to oncology practices, ACO headquarters, and GPO partner meetings nationwide.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with oncology or specialty care practice operations and procurement workflows.
• Prior experience activating GPO contracts and driving pull-through adoption at the account level.
• Familiarity with USDA Organic certification, third-party testing protocols (COAs), and supplement quality standards.
• Background in or exposure to the hemp, cannabis, or CBD industry.
• Experience supporting healthcare organizations with CMS reporting, quality metrics, or outcomes data collection.

Why Join Cornbread:

This is not an incremental sales role, it is a category-creation opportunity. The CMS Substance Access BEI represents the first time hemp products have been formally integrated into Medicare care models. Cornbread Hemp is the only USDA Certified Organic hemp company with an exclusive GPO contract serving this channel. You will be building the playbook for how hemp enters institutional healthcare in America, with direct access to the CEO and a seat at the strategic table.

Compensation:

This is a channel-creation role with compensation structured to reflect both the strategic importance and the entrepreneurial nature of the opportunity.

• Base Salary: $140,000–$165,000, commensurate with experience.
• Performance-Based Variable Compensation: On-target earnings of $210,000–$245,000 (base + variable). Year-one variable compensation is weighted toward account acquisition milestones and implementation plan development, transitioning to revenue-based commission as the channel matures.
• Equity Participation: Equity grant from the company’s existing option pool, vesting over four years with a one-year cliff. This role offers meaningful ownership upside in a high-growth company building a first-of-its-kind healthcare channel.
• Benefits: Full benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance. Travel and expense budget for account visits, healthcare conferences, and industry events.

What We Offer:

• The opportunity to build a first-of-its-kind healthcare channel within a high-growth, nationally recognized brand.
• Direct reporting line to the CEO with significant strategic autonomy.
• A collaborative, supportive work environment rooted in Kentucky heritage and organic integrity.
• Professional development and career advancement as the healthcare channel scales.
• Flexible and remote working capabilities.

Cornbread Hemp is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.