Executive Director, Market Access, Ophthalmology

Job Description

Our Global Market Access (GMAx) organization is dedicated to delivering breakthrough innovations that extend and improve the lives of individuals worldwide. Our focus is on innovation and launch execution excellence, translating scientific advancements into impactful medicines that help people globally.

This role presents an exciting opportunity to advance patient access and has a significant impact on fulfilling the company's vision and maximizing the value of its Ophthalmology portfolio. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Global Market Access, Global Pharma, the Executive Director, Global Market Access, Ophthalmology will be a member of the GMAx Pharma leadership team and will lead a team for the Ophthalmology portfolio.

The Executive Director, Global Market Access, Ophthalmology will play a leadership role in developing an integrated global market access, pricing and reimbursement strategy for an exciting portfolio of Ophthalmology assets. In this role, the Executive Director will work collaboratively across the enterprise and lead the team in development and execution of global market access strategy and objectives, payer value proposition, pricing strategy, and payer stakeholder communication tools in collaboration with cross-functional teams from Commercial, R&D, Outcomes Research, Medical Affairs, Policy, Communications, and with regional and local market teams.

In addition, the role will plan, align and execute with other GMAx teams like Global Pricing and Sustainable Access Solutions. The role requires outstanding leadership to support timely, broad, and sustainable access to our Ophthalmology portfolio and deliver value to our customers.

Primary Responsibilities:

• As an integral part of the Global Pharma leadership team, be actively involved in setting the tone, vision and ambition for the organization and setting an example for what great looks like.

• As the Lead of the Ophthalmology team, inspire and coach the team to develop the global payer value proposition, access and pricing strategy for our Ophthalmology portfolio, ensuring access considerations are integrated into global access plans and taking informed positions related to price, value and affordability challenges at the appropriate time of product development and launch.  

• As a visionary, inform current and future access strategy by synthesizing and communicating payer customer insights, including having oversight of payer market research and analysis of payer landscape and competition.

• As a collaborator, ensuring patient access objectives and strategy are linked to clinical development, commercial and value evidence plans by championing the market access vision for the Ophthalmology portfolio in close partnership with cross functional teams including: Marketing and Product Development Teams (PDTs), R&D (ex. clinical, OR and medical affairs), and regional and country access teams.

• As a guide for the asset-leads who will lead the Global Access Team (GAT), a strategic platform that facilitates cross-functional collaboration around Access priorities across global teams, key markets and regions.

• As the owner of the Access strategy, to bring alignment along with co-leads from OR by providing strategic guidance for the 4th hurdle framework assessments that inform access strategy and evidence generation plans for LCM and pipeline.

• As a key resource for regional and country access teams, to prepare for external competitive and environmental pressures with proactive access and negotiation strategies to differentiate and strengthen leadership, including innovative access solutions and contracting.

• As a key resource for Business Development, by providing access assumptions for business development assessments on an ad-hoc basis.

• As a key resource for Policy, to collaborate in the development of action plans that shape value frameworks and other policies impacting value assessment.

• As a Team lead, to build a strong high performing team and coach and develop team members.

 

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Required: BA/BS

• Preferred: Master’s degree in business administration, health policy, or health economics

Required Experience and Skills:

• At least 10 years of experience in one or more of these areas: market access, pricing/reimbursement, health policy and/or health economics, sales and marketing (or equivalent roles), market research

• Strong understanding of healthcare systems, reimbursement methods, and policy issues, including health technology assessments of major countries

• Demonstrated strategic thinking and problem-solving skills

• Experience successfully leading cross functional matrix teams

• Demonstrated innovative mindset and high level of comfort working in a white space environment that is necessary for innovation

• Demonstrated ability to understand, develop and communicate scientific based strategies and messages

• Excellent interpersonal skills; strong influencing, negotiating, conflict resolution skills

• Comfort and confidence in working with diverse teams and backgrounds; routinely demonstrates inclusive behaviors; actively seeks out diverse perspectives and experiences

• Strong commercial orientation and business acumen

• Strong verbal and written communications skills

• Strong project management and operational skills

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Knowledge and experience in ophthalmology

• Prior experience developing global business strategy

• Knowledgeable about health economic tools and techniques

• People management experience

 

Travel: Yes, 25% of the time

Work Location: Rahway, NJ or Upper Gwynedd, PA (Hybrid)

Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Business Development, Clinical Development, Communication, Communication Tools, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Decision Making, Developing Pricing Strategies, Direct Marketing, Extensive Traveling, Health Economics, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Interpersonal Relationships, Latin American Markets, Leadership, Market Access, Market Research, Medical Affairs, Ophthalmology, Patient Assistance Programs, People Leadership, Pricing Processes, Product Development, Product Management {+ 5 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

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

$250,800.00 - $394,800.00

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:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

12/19/2025

*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.