Director, Scientific Patient Engagement & Advocacy - Oncology

Job Description

Role Summary

• The Director Scientific Patient Engagement Lead is responsible for developing and implementing a global headquarters strategic patient engagement plan aligned with therapeutic objectives ensuring the patients’ perspective remain central to the work of our company.  The Scientific Patient Engagement Lead manages and enables the planning and execution of patient engagement initiatives and manages relationships between patient advocacy organizations (PAOs) and our Company. This position coordinates with both internal and external stakeholders, gathers insights, and includes patient input into clinical research, V&I, commercial, policy, and manufacturing plans.

• The Scientific Patient Engagement Lead will drive/execute the patient engagement and advocacy strategy in alignment with company priorities, work cross-functionally with various internal teams and externally with patients, advocates and PAOs to coordinate and cascade expertise. This Leader is innovative, collaborative, strategic, compassionate, and can lead directly and indirectly through influence.

Responsibilities and Primary Activities

• Develops the headquarters therapeutically aligned strategic plan, executes strategic initiatives and assists in planning of key performance indicators (KPI), goals and tactics that flow from evolving Value and Implementation priorities, and internal and external factors

• Executes and implements patient innovation and engagement activities through incorporation of the patient voice into internal strategy development and decision-making across our company

• Supports efforts to gather and include patients’ and advocates insights and perspectives throughout the product lifecycle

• Develop the headquarters therapeutically aligned strategic patient advocacy and educational plans

• Develop, manage, and support long-term PAO relationships through engagement and communication

• Serve in a liaison function to PAOs and patient arms of professional societies

• Facilitate engagement through active participation at national and regional congresses and successful implementation of meetings with PAO leadership and executive staff

• Ensure compliance with existing company guidelines as they pertain to patient advocacy

• Navigates across internal and external stakeholders ranging from individual patients to highly networked patients and medical organizations

• Collaborates with key internal stakeholders to proactively develop and execute the global Value and Implementation plan

• Participates in external conferences, congresses, and industry consortiums to represent our company’s focus on the patient including speaking, presenting and authoring publications.

• Ensures alignment with regional and country level related activities (patient, scientific, medical)

• Supports any division with needs relating to patient engagement or patient advocacy, including our company's Research Labs, Human Health, our company's Manufacturing Division, IT, and others

• Develops the talent on the team and seeks opportunities to enhance their capabilities

• Tracks associated spend for activities and communicates with TA and Strategy Lead

• Tracks and reports impacts, findings and associated key metrics and measurements related to work

Key Internal Stakeholders:

• Patient Innovation and Engagement Center of Excellence Therapeutic Area Leadership Global Policy and Corporate Communications Teams US Federal Policy & Government Relations State Government Affairs & Policy Research and Development Division, Value & Implementation Human Health, Manufacturing Division, IT Global Medical Proficiency and External Affairs (GMPEA) Global Clinical Development (GCD)

Required Qualifications, Skills, & Experience

Minimum

• Advanced Degree in health sciences -OR- equivalent level of patient engagement work experience [MD, MSN, or PhD strongly desirable]

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in the healthcare industry (clinical/biopharmaceutical/patient advocacy organization, etc)

• Minimum of 3 years' experience managing relationships with external stakeholders.

• Deep academic understanding of the science of patient input and a strong record of achievement obtaining and incorporating patient insights into decision making

• Deep understanding of Patient Engagement, Patient Insights, Patient Advocacy Organizations, as well as knowledge of best practices in those areas

• U.S./Global experience in clinical research, regulatory affairs, scientific and medical affairs, or pharmaceutical policy

• Ability to understand the importance of patient innovation and engagement across our Company

• Record of advocating or advancing patient engagement experience

• Ability to navigate a complex matrixed organization, think creatively, and develop innovative strategies and solutions

• Ability to understand and manage a diverse set of issues and engage with a diverse, complex group of stakeholders

• Ability to manage competing priorities with effective collaboration and program management skills

• High degree of ethics and ability to build effective working relationships, both internally and externally

Other Personal Characteristics

• Scientific and medical credibility to represent the company to patients, patient advocates, patient organizations and medical and scientific organizations

• Ability to work in a complex organization and to effectively operate in a team-oriented structure

• Excellent interpersonal, communication (written as well as oral), results-oriented project management, facilitation, and consultative skills to influence decision making are required

• Compassionate communicator skilled in empathetic listening and navigating sensitive patient conversations

• Experience managing interactions with senior leaders, ability to work well as a team member

• Ability to travel, 15-20% anticipated

Preferred

• Prior experience working with patients and PAOs strongly desired

• Experience in the therapeutic area space strongly desired

• Demonstrated track record of establishing trusted and meaningful relationships with patient organizations and with professional society or public health organizations and their leaders strongly preferred

Required Skills:

Client Advocacy, Clinical Research, KOL Engagement, Medical Affairs, Oncology, Patient Advocacy, Patient Insights, Pharmaceutical Industry, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Relationship Management, US Regulatory Affairs

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

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

$187,000.00 - $294,400.00

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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

12/4/2025

*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.