Associate Director, US Market Access – Specialty Pharmacy Strategy

Job Description

The Customer Segment Strategy team within Integrated Account Management (IAM) Strategic Insights is responsible for developing US market access strategies for key customer segments to enable success across our portfolio.  We focus on customer segments that are critical to unlocking patient access now and in the future, including: Specialty Pharmacies, Specialty GPOs, and Payers/PBMs. 

As an Associate Director, US Market Access – Specialty Pharmacy Strategy, you will be responsible for the Specialty Pharmacy (SP) Customer Segment, with strong connectivity to Payer/PBM and Specialty GPO/distributor dynamics as they impact the patient journey and access.  You will serve as a thought leader who advises our organization on the SP landscape, their role in commercial strategy, and evolving external business dynamics.  You will also lead critical initiatives to ensure coordinated launch readiness and best-practice sharing across Integrated Account Management, Payer Marketing, Brand Marketing, Patient Experience, and other cross-functional teams.

If you bring hands-on experience in selecting and managing specialty pharmacy networks for therapies, have launched and commercialized specialty therapies, and understand the evolving US market access environment, this could be the right career opportunity for you.

Key Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

• Serve as the primary strategic lead for the Specialty Pharmacy (SP) customer segment by advancing the organization’s knowledge and understanding of evolving SP capabilities and business models; provide strategic decision support for brands, aligned to patient journey

• Collaborate across Integrated Account Management, Brand Teams, Payer Marketing, and Patient Experience to establish organizational best practices for SP network selection, onboarding, business review management, and partnership governance.

Commercialization & Launch Support

• Advise product launch teams on SP strategy development across therapeutic areas, including Immunology, Ophthalmology, and Oncology; support SP network management initiatives across product lifecycle.

• Partner with cross-functional launch teams and Integrated Account Management in developing SP network strategy aligned to product attributes, commercial strategy, access complexity, and patient needs.

Thought Leadership & Insights

• Regularly monitor evolving market access dynamics (e.g., policy and regulatory shifts, vertical integration) and the SP landscape; provide timely updates on trends, customer point of view, and strategic implications. 

• Direct key strategic analyses and vendor-supported projects to support deep understanding of SP landscape and inform SP network strategies, including management of project timelines, budget, and vendor partnerships

• Collaborate with Integrated Account Management leaders of customer-facing and operational teams to assess capacity and capabilities.

• Drive strategic alignment across IAM and Brand teams; facilitates opportunities for IAM input into Marketing strategies and ensures cohesive execution of strategies by IAM teams.

Qualifications:

Education

• Required: Bachelor’s degree

• Preferred: MBA or advanced degree

Required Experience & Skills

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Market Access, Pharmacy & Distribution, Commercial Strategy, or Patient Access within the pharmaceutical, Specialty Pharmacy, or life sciences consulting industries

• Demonstrated experience developing market access strategies for products dispensed by SPs

• Strong understanding of the role of SP networks in pharmaceutical commercial strategy, access, and patient journey

• Working knowledge of payer and PBM decision-making as it relates to specialty drug access

• Proven ability to partner cross-functionally and influence without authority

• Strong strategic thinking, analytical capability, and executive communication skills

• Ability to work on-site at our North Wales (Upper Gwynedd), Pennsylvania office at least 3 days per week

Preferred:

• Direct experience selecting and managing SP networks

• Experience supporting launches or lifecycle management of specialty therapies in:

  • Immunology

  • Ophthalmology

  • Oncology

• Deep understanding of the drivers, strategy, and business models of key US integrated customers (payer, channel, provider), including financial considerations, reimbursement dollar flow, and/or data environment relating to medicines

• Proven ability to drive innovation and change with stakeholder alignment

Required Skills:

Account Management, Account Management, Account Planning, Adaptability, Brand Marketing, Business Management, Business Reviews, Commercial Account Management, Commercial Strategies, Contract Management, Creativity, Customer Relationship Development, Customer Strategy, Data Analysis, Data Management, Developing Pricing Strategies, Digital Analytics, Digital Marketing Analytics, Foster Innovation, Healthcare Policies, Health Economics Research, Immunoassays, Immunology, Immunotherapy, Interpersonal Relationships {+ 14 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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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.

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

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:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

05/19/2026

*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.