Medical Advisor Cardiology

Job Description

The Medical Advisor holds primary responsibility within the country for developing and executing Medical Affairs strategic plans and is expected to spend up to 50% of time in external engagements. With a primary focus on cardiovascular diseases, the role drives cross-functional strategy collaboration and execution, builds trust with the medical and scientific community, facilitates peer-to-peer medical and scientific exchange, and provides asset issue resolution support across the cardiovascular portfolio.

Responsibilities and Primary Activities:

Strategic and Tactical Leadership

• Consolidates actionable medical insights from external experts, real-world practice, and internal data to inform company strategies.
• Translates Global Medical Goals and Strategies into locally relevant tactics and solutions that support optimal scientific exchange, improve patient outcomes, and enhance access across cardiovascular indications (e.g., heart failure, atherosclerotic CVD, arrhythmias, thrombosis, hypertension).
• Supports execution of tactical plans and rapidly adapts to local market dynamics, care pathways, and evolving clinical guidelines.
• Follows up on Investigator-Initiated Study (IIS) proposals aligned with Our Company ISS Program areas of interest; supports scientific review, feasibility, and compliance throughout the IIS lifecycle.
• Collaborates with research laboratories and Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO) to identify potential investigators and high-quality sites for clinical development; provides local feasibility intelligence and start-up support.
• In collaboration with colleagues, facilitates delivery of data generation activities (phases I–IV), including prospective and retrospective studies, registries, real-world evidence (RWE), outcomes research, and innovative digital/remote methodologies relevant to cardiovascular care.
• Provides non-promotional, balanced, and reliable scientific information in accordance with company standards, medical governance, and local regulations.

Medical and Scientific Leadership

• Brings the local cardiovascular scientific and healthcare environment perspective to Regional Medical Affairs, including epidemiology, guideline changes, quality indicators, integrated care models, and access barriers.
• Communicates scientific and business needs appropriately and effectively across internal and external stakeholders, ensuring clear, compliant medical narratives.
• Builds trust with the external scientific community via peer-to-peer scientific exchange, research and educational collaborations, and engagement with cardiac societies, vascular societies, stroke organizations, hypertension and lipids associations, and multidisciplinary care groups.
• Provides therapeutic/functional training to field medical, commercial, and affiliate functions; serves as subject-matter expert in cardiovascular diseases and comorbidity management.
• Develops and executes high-quality country medical educational programs and symposia (e.g., guideline updates, case-based learning, multidisciplinary boards), ensuring scientific rigor and compliance.
• Leads country advisory boards and expert input forums; defines objectives, participant selection, agendas, and action plans to generate meaningful, actionable insights.
• Participates in and contributes to professional organizations and academic/regulatory working teams; responsibly represents the company’s medical perspective.

Regulatory and Market Access Support

• Collaborates across Medical, Regulatory, Pharmacovigilance, Legal, Compliance, and Communications to lead resolution of regulatory, public relations, compliance, and other asset issues.
• Supports resolution of asset safety or quality issues by contributing scientific content and strategy for regulatory responses and interactions, and by supporting risk management planning and implementation in cardiovascular indications.
• Provides medical support for access-related activities, including HTA submissions, value dossiers, pre-license patient access programs, and payer/reimbursement engagements; aligns evidence to local clinical guidelines and outcomes of interest (e.g., MACE reduction, hospitalization, QALYs).

Inclusive Mindset and Behavior

• Demonstrates eagerness to contribute to an environment of belonging, inclusion, equity, and empowerment.
• Leads by example and serves as a role model for creating, leading, and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce; fosters respectful, open dialogue and psychological safety.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Experience:

• MD, PhD, or PharmD.
• A minimum of 2–3 years of clinical and/or research experience in a relevant cardiovascular disease area.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, networking, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in local language and English (spoken and written).
• Experience with local pharmaceutical industry guidelines, regulatory/reimbursement frameworks, and clinical research guidelines (e.g., ICH-GCP).
• Strong prioritization skills and ability to understand how decisions fit into the broader context of corporate strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain a network of scientific leaders and other key stakeholders (e.g., public groups, government officials, medical professional organizations).
• Proven ability to effectively communicate information at country management level.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across functions in a matrix environment and influence without formal authority.
• Prior Medical Affairs experience in cardiovascular medicine (e.g., heart failure, ischemic heart disease, thrombosis, arrhythmias, hypertension, dyslipidemia) within pharma/biotech.
• Experience with evidence generation approaches such as RWE, registries, outcomes research, and digital health tools relevant to cardiology.
• Familiarity with local cardiovascular guidelines, care pathways, and HTA processes.
• Experience leading advisory boards, scientific symposia, and IIS processes.
• Understanding of pharmacovigilance requirements and risk management planning for cardiovascular therapies.

Competencies:

• Scientific Excellence and Clinical Insight in Cardiovascular Medicine
• Strategic Thinking and Operational Execution
• Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Building
• Communication and Influence
• Compliance and Ethics
• Collaboration and Matrix Leadership
• Adaptability and Resilience

What We Offer:

• Meaningful impact: Advance cardiovascular care by translating robust evidence into better patient outcomes at scale.
• Visibility and voice: Direct engagement with country leadership and regional/global medical teams—your insights shape strategy and evidence plans.
• Growth and development: Tailored learning paths, congress participation, leadership and TA training, publication opportunities, and cross-country projects.
• Flexible, modern work: Hybrid setup with autonomy to plan external engagements; flexibility around core hours to support work–life balance.
• Collaborative culture: Inclusive, mission-driven teams where medical integrity and respectful debate are core.
• Recognition and rewards: Competitive compensation, annual bonus eligibility, comprehensive benefits, and support for professional memberships and certifications.
• Tools to thrive: Best-in-class medical resources, compliant engagement platforms, field enablement technology, and administrative support to maximize time with stakeholders.

Required Skills:

Market Access, Medical Affairs, Medical Knowledge, Medical Marketing Strategy, Multiple Therapeutic Areas, Scientific Communications, Scientific Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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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:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

02/1/2026

*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.