MSD

Public Market & Operations Associate Director

BRA - Sao Paulo - Sao Paulo (Torre Z) Full time

Job Description

Public Market & Operations Associate Director – Oncology, Hematology and Transplants (OHT) (Brazil)

(Diretor Associado de Operações de Mercado Público Oncologia, Hematologia e Transplantes)

Role Summary

The Public Market & Operations Associate Director will lead the end‑to‑end execution of Oncology public market operations in Brazil, covering PDP and non‑PDP initiatives (e.g., institutional contracts, and other access models).

Reporting to the AVP of the Oncology Business Unit, this role will:

  • Coordinate and operationalize the Oncology public market strategy across federal, state, municipal and institutional stakeholders.

  • Ensure coordinated, compliant and timely delivery of public market commitments, including PDP implementation where applicable.

  • Act as the central liaison across functions and leadership, providing visibility on progress, risks and mitigation actions.

This is an individual contributor role that operates at the intersection of strategy and execution, orchestrating cross‑functional teams to expand and sustain patient access in the Brazilian public healthcare system.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead end‑to‑end Oncology Public Market operations and execution in Brazil

  • Own the operational execution of the Oncology public market strategy across all relevant mechanisms (PDP, public tenders, institutional contracts, partnerships, etc.).

  • Translate public market priorities into clear operational plans, with milestones, timelines, resource needs and performance indicators.

  • Ensure integrated execution across public channels and programs, in close collaboration with Market Access, Government Affairs, Medical Affairs, Supply Chain Management, Commercial, Alliance & Partnerships, and the Oncology AVP.

  • Monitor performance of public market initiatives and recommend course corrections to optimize access, compliance and business outcomes.

2. Coordinate strategic public initiatives

  • Lead and coordinate strategic initiatives, including PDP implementation, within OHT as part of the broader public market agenda, ensuring regulatory, supply, hospital implementation, contracting are in alignment to business strategy and compliance requirements.

  • Work closely with the Alliances Executive Director (PDP public agent contact) and other internal leaders to define governance, manage milestones and track contractual obligations.

  • Provide regular updates and recommendations to senior leadership and the Brazilian Executive Committee on PDP progress, risks and mitigation.

3. Stakeholder management in the public sector

  • Drive stakeholder engagement, ensuring subject-matter experts and external partners (including government or public agents) are aligned on objectives, timelines, and responsibilities.

  • Establish and maintain trusted relationships with CACON/UNACON leadership and operational teams, ensuring shared understanding of objectives, timelines and responsibilities.

  • Serve as a key internal contact for strategic discussions with public institutions, in close partnership with Market Access and Government Affairs.

  • Lead structured governance forums (e.g., monthly steering committees, weekly/tactical meetings) to review public market and PDP progress, operational requirements, and patient access implications.

4. Cross‑functional leadership, compliance oversight and risk management

  • Build and lead cross‑functional working groups across Public Market Access, Legal & Compliance, Policy & Government Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Divisions , Marketing, and Portfolio Management to ensure alignment of priorities and deliverables.

  • Ensure all public market activities adhere to internal policies, ethical standards and applicable laws, working closely with Legal & Compliance and Government Affairs.

  • Identify and assess regulatory, operational, contractual and reputational risks; develop mitigation plans and manage timely escalation and resolution with relevant stakeholders.

  • Develop and maintain risk registers for critical public initiatives (including PDPs) and ensure transparent communication to senior leadership.

5. Governance, performance management and continuous improvement

  • Design and manage governance structures for public market initiatives, ensuring clarity of roles, decision‑making processes and escalation paths.

  • Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for Oncology public market operations (e.g., milestone adherence, access outcomes, contract performance, implementation timelines, quality/compliance metrics).

  • Synthesize progress, risks and dependencies into clear, action‑oriented updates and presentations for senior stakeholders (Oncology AVP, Brazilian Executive Committee, functional heads).

  • Drive continuous improvement and standardization of public market operations by developing playbooks, processes, templates and tools (including PDP playbooks) that can be scaled and replicated.

  • Act as a change agent, promoting operational excellence and a disciplined, compliant approach to public sector engagements.

Required Qualifications & Experience

  • Significant experience in the Brazilian public healthcare market, ideally in Oncology and/or public access (PDP, SUS access mechanisms, public tenders, institutional contracts).

  • Proven experience managing complex, multi‑stakeholder projects in highly regulated environments, including:

    • Planning and tracking cross‑functional workstreams using project management tools and trackers.

    • Translating strategy into operational plans with clear milestones and KPIs.

  • Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to gain alignment across functions (e.g., Medical, Regulatory, Market Access, Legal & Compliance, Government Affairs, Manufacturing Divisions, Supply Chain, Commercial) without direct authority.

  • Solid experience in facilitation, negotiation, and escalation management, with sound judgment to drive timely decisions and resolve competing priorities.

  • Track record as a change agent, driving process improvements, standardization and cultural adoption of new ways of working; comfortable challenging the status quo and mobilizing diverse teams around common goals.

  • Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, capable of synthesizing complex information into clear recommendations for senior leadership.

  • Fluent in Portuguese and proficient in English, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • Bachelor’s degree mandatory and MBA or master’s degree is preferred

Reporting & Working Relationships

  • Reports to: Associate Vice President, Oncology Business Unit – Brazil

  • Key internal partners:

    • Alliances Executive Director (PDP Public Agent contact)

    • Market Access

    • Government Affairs / Policy

    • Regulatory Affairs

    • Medical Affairs

    • Legal & Compliance

    • Supply Chain

    • Manufacturing Divisions

    • Marketing and Portfolio Management

    • Sales

    • Members of the Brazilian Executive Committee involved in public market strategy and governance

  • External partners:

    • Government agencies and public authorities at federal, state and municipal levels

    • Public agents and PDP partners (e.g., Instituto Butantan)

    • CACON/UNACON and other public oncology centers / hospital networks

    • Implementation partners and other institutions involved in Oncology public access programs

Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Adaptability, Change Management, Communication, Compliance Oversight, Custom Invitations, Data Analysis, Digital Marketing, Direct Marketing, Escalation Management, Event Planning, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Market Research, Market Strategy, Medical Affairs, Operational Excellence, People Leadership, Planning Budgeting And Forecasting (PBF), Pricing Strategies, Product Management, Software Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

03/16/2026

*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.