Associate Director, Payer Marketing

Job Description

Our marketing teams are passionate about bringing our medicines and vaccines to the world. Through digital listening and patient analytics, we are able to understand our customers’ needs and strive to provide solutions to meet them.

The Associate Director, US Pharma Payer Marketing, Atherosclerosis, will play a critical role in supporting the successful launch of Lipfendra and will be responsible for developing, refining, and executing market access strategies and solutions to support the launch. The individual will collaborate across functions including Brand Marketing, Integrated Account Management, Outcomes Research, Medical, Global Market Access (GMAx), DHH, and Policy to focus on ensuring strong payer access, clear value communication and alignment across teams. In this role, the Associate Director will also monitor access performance and refine access strategy to ensure we are able to achieve appropriate patient access objectives and patient reach.

The role will be joining the team responsible for Payer Marketing for Atherosclerosis, and more specifically, focus on the launch of Lipfendra, the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor. The role may support other assets and projects within the US Pharma Business Unit aligned with business priorities.

*Please note: This role is hybrid and requires access to one of the noted our company's sites in PA or NJ

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Identify opportunities and support appropriate pull-through activities and payer related solutions for field sales and account management teams. Monitor payer feedback and market dynamics to inform tactical adjustments to strategy

• Work extensively with customer and account facing teams to support the execution of the access strategy and ensure access objectives

• Leverage market and customer insights to shape market access strategies

• Develop payer customer segment strategies and promotional campaigns

• Provide US payer input into Brand Marketing, Global Market Access Teams, new product planning, Integrated Account Management, Legal, Compliance, and Finance

• Active participation in the development of value evidence strategies; strong coordination with Outcomes Research / V&I (Value & Implementation Team)

• Support US Finance in development of segment level forecasts in support of brand forecast

• The role may also focus on pipeline products and require development of pricing, contracting, and access strategies as well as informing value and implementation plans, forecasts, and the US perspective in cross functional settings

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required

• MBA, MPH, Pharm D or other advanced degree preferred

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 6 years combined payer marketing, pricing/market access strategy, marketing/sales leadership, or account management, in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry; OR 7-8 years of experience in consulting in the healthcare industry with direct payer marketing and pricing strategy experience for supporting a product launch and seeing it through

• Strong ability to establish relationships and navigate a complex matrixed organization with efficiency

• Demonstrated understanding of the mechanics and economics of the healthcare Ecosystem, including influences across various payer segments

• Demonstrated understanding of US healthcare trends and policy issues and their potential impact upon our company's business opportunities

• Strong knowledge of marketing principles and activating market research insights

• Ability to translate market trends and customer needs into customer resources or tactics

• Ability to learn quickly and to assess a variety of scenarios, strategically and operationally

• Demonstrated strategic thinking, problem solving, analytical critical thinking

• Excellent leadership and communication skills

• Demonstrated success in establishing, developing and maintaining business relationships

• Strong collaboration, project management and organizational skills; ability to prioritize activities and manage multiple tasks within deadlines

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience developing market access and pricing / contracting strategies for pipeline products

• Demonstrated experience launching a biopharma product

• Demonstrated experience navigating promotional review committees or processes

• Consulting/Stakeholder Management experience in cross-functional capacity

• Driving for results while establishing relationships and navigating matrixed organizations

Required Skills:
Account Management, Account Management, Adaptability, Agile Principles, Brand Marketing, Business Relationship Building, Commercial Account Management, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Customer Insights, Financial Analysis, Market Access, Market Research, Patient Access, Payer Marketing, Performance Monitoring, Pharmaceuticals Marketing, Pricing Strategies, Principles of Marketing, Product Management, Product Planning, Promotions Management, Sales Support, Stakeholder Influence, Stakeholder Management

Required Skills:

Account Management, Account Management, Adaptability, Agile Principles, Brand Marketing, Competency Management, Creativity, Customer Engagement, Customer Insights, Financial Analysis, Industry Trend Analysis, Market Access, Market Analysis, Market Dynamics, Market Entry, Market Entry Strategy, Market Penetration, Market Research, Market Trend Analysis, Matrix Management, Pipeline Management, Pipeline Planning, Pricing Strategies, Product Management, Product Rollouts {+ 9 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The salary range for this role is

$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

09/11/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.