Director, US Market Access Payer Contracting

Job Description

This position sits within the National Contract Operations and Supply Chain Team (NCOSC), which delivers best-in-class, end-to-end services aimed at providing affordable patient access, insightful customer experiences, and enriching employee experiences for IAM Contract Management, Service Agreement, Account Management, and Channel Strategy lifecycles. The Integrated Account Management (IAM) Team manages direct account and contract responsibility across the entire US health care system.

The Director, US Market Access Payer Contracting reports to the Executive Director, US Market Access Contracting within the NCOSC Team. The Director will lead a team of Customer Managers to achieve profitable product access for all discounted/rebated customers across our company’s portfolio. This position oversees the contracts, contract systems, contracting process, and internal and external (vendor and customer) interactions associated with our contracts and contract proposals. The Director will help establish and implement the contract strategies for the following customer types:

• National and regional health plans (HP) and pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) in the Commercial, Managed Medicaid, and Medicare Part D segments

• Fee for Service Medicaid

The US Market Access Payer Contracting Team acts as a unique and critical connection point in a dynamic environment to bridge field and internal stakeholders for the purpose of reaching mutually beneficial customer contracts. In close partnership with IAM Field Teams, Payer Marketing, and other key stakeholders, this role relies on deep customer knowledge, close collaboration with internal stakeholders, and analytical acumen to serve as the internal-facing customer advocate with fiduciary accountability. The team manages the end-to-end contract lifecycle from the development through implementation in coordination with field personnel for complex, integrated customers, including HP/PBM accounts who have a large national impact important to our company's portfolio of products. Incumbents in this role must have advanced proficiency in both cross-functional (e.g., communication, project management) and domain-specific (e.g., access strategy, financial acumen) competencies. 

Core Responsibilities include, but may not be limited to:

• Set objectives and manage a team of Customer Managers who complete financial analyses, develop proposals, negotiate terms, and implement contracts with assigned customers to achieve profitable product access.

• Staff the team and all other responsibilities of people management and leadership including professional and career development.

• Establish and maintain meaningful relationships with contract decision makers inclusive of internal and external stakeholders.

• Effectively build trust with the customer and internal personnel to drive timely business decisions.

• Ensure contract strategies are implemented effectively and in compliance with required obligations (e.g., legal, financial).

• Responsible for compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

• Work closely with the IAM Field Team leaders to ensure contracts are achieving their objectives.

• Interpret legal language and understand its implications including identifying business-related areas of risk and exposure, in partnership with commercial attorneys or other internal counsel.

• Drive collaboration among company stakeholders (e.g., CCE, Finance, Payer Marketing, GMAX, Legal) to work toward agreements that are mutually beneficial to the customer and our company.

• Work closely with leaders in Payer Brand Marketing to provide input into product access contract strategy development or evolution over the product life cycle of our portfolio.

• Oversee account performance and forecasting to meet contract forecast objectives.

• Engage with senior leaders to provide business reviews and/or communicate financial contract scenarios.

• Monitor marketplace trends and regulatory changes that could influence contracts.

• Demonstrate awareness of and sensitivity by creating experiences for all customers and coworkers.

• Utilize strengths and acceptance of team members, customers, or other individual stakeholders (e.g., in background or experience) to improve own performance and that of the team.

Position Qualifications: 

Minimum Requirements:

• BA/BS degree or equivalent   

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry engaged with marketing or account management 

• 5+ years direct account management, customer contracting and financial analysis, customer marketing, and/or pharmaceutical supply chain experience

• Deep working knowledge of PBMs and payers

• Demonstrated ability to build strong external customer and internal relationships

• Demonstrated ability to deliver on key initiatives and meet deadlines 

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment 

• Demonstrated ability to negotiate, execute, and implement contracts  

• Demonstrated ability in strategic, relational, business-minded, analytical, and operational capabilities 

• Prior headquarters experience

• Experience leading teams

• Based in Upper Gwynedd, but able and willing to travel nationally and internationally, approximately 25%

Preferred: 

• Advanced degree in a related discipline (e.g., MBA, Finance, Health Administration)

• Field sales experience 

Required Skills:

340b Drug Pricing Program, 340b Drug Pricing Program, Account Management, Brand Marketing, Business Risk Management, Channel Partner Marketing, Collaborative Development, Commercial Account Management, Contracting Strategies, Contract Management, Customer-Focused, Customer Marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Data Analysis, Fast-Paced Environments, Financial Acumen, Financial Analysis, Interpersonal Relationships, Legal Interpretation, Marketing, Medicare Part D, Oncology Marketing, Payer Marketing, People Management, Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) {+ 1 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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

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

$210,400.00 - $331,100.00

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:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

05/14/2026

*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.