Senior Medical Scientific Liaison

Job Description

Role Summary

The Senior Medical Scientific Liaison (MSL) is a therapeutic and disease expert who engages in scientific exchange with leaders in the external medical and scientific community. The role provides scientific leaders (SLs) balanced, factual, scientific information about non-product areas of interest to the Company and replies to scientific questions from SLs, including questions about Company products. This work is aligned to these four core pillars: Scientific Exchange, Research, Scientific Congress Support, and Scientific Insights.

The Sr. MSL liaises between the scientific community and the Company to enhance the comprehension of scientific foundations and goals for approved, in-development, and active Company-sponsored trials and/or investigator-sponsored research studies. The Sr. MSL serves as a role model for other field medical team members in ways that include on-boarding and/or sharing of therapeutic expertise.

Responsibilities and Primary Activities

• Is product and disease state expert engaging in non-promotional scientific exchange with SLs or key decision makers (KDMs)

• Executes Field Medical Engagement Plans within the scope of local and global policies, local rules, and regulations and aligned with the Field Medical standard operating procedure (SOP)

• Is fully versed in the therapeutic area and updated on: all major studies, both ongoing and completed; product information on company and other companies’ relevant therapies; clinical data and relevant pipeline data to provide the most accurate data to SLs, KDMS, and the healthcare community, in a balanced way, to improve patient care

• Engages in non-promotional peer-to-peer communication with medical/scientific information to SLs and KDMs on their roster, based on scientific exchange and services oriented toward the stakeholder’s professional interests and needs

• May have the chance to cover multiple countries based on company franchise strategies by:

• Defining and maintaining a roster of SLs and KDMs in their therapeutic area

• Interacting with identified SLs and KDMs by exchanging balanced medical/scientific information and by appropriately communicating these exchanges with internal colleagues

• Utilizing scientific and medical expertise to communicate scientific information in individual and group presentations

• Responds to unsolicited requests for medical, scientific, pipeline, organization product information from SLs or KDMs utilizing appropriate approved scientific materials and appropriately documenting the use of these resources

• Provides insights internally on scientific gaps, ideas, and other topics gathered from scientific exchange to inform areas of interest, clinical trial programs, development programs, and company TA strategy

• Alerts investigators to our company’s investigator-initiated study proposals (MISP) and to the process for submitting investigator-designed proposals for review and approval; encourages and facilitates research publication of MISP studies supported by our company, in strict compliance with global/local guidance regarding MISPs

• Works with GMSA/Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO) to identify potential investigators for Phase I, II, and III clinical trials

• Ensures that various engagement metrics (both quantitative and qualitative) are achieved

• Provides on-label medical insights and training to internal colleagues, including the organization and competitor products and disease state with their therapeutic knowledge

• Attends/participates in scientific congresses/meetings in local country and internationally to understand the role of emerging data on patient treatment within the TA covered, when requested, allowing for more balanced scientific exchange

• Supports the preparation of non-promotional medical education programs

• Performs all company business in accordance with company policies and procedures and country regulations

 

Cost Centre Management

• Obtains manager approval for all travel and extraneous expenditures

• Manages cost of local/international travel within the company travel policy

 

Required Qualifications, Skills, & Experience

 

Minimum

• PhD in health or life sciences, PharmD, MD, or a pharmacy degree

• If pharmacy degree, 2+ years of pharmaceutical industry experience, an in-field customer facing role

• Clear and concise communication skills (verbal, written, presentations) and interpersonal skills with the ability to work in cross-functional teams

• Demonstrated analytical skills and a solid understanding of research methodology

• Ability to learn and convey medical/scientific information to healthcare professionals and decision makers

• Knowledge of local pharmaceutical industry guidelines/code, regulatory/reimbursement framework, and clinical research guidelines International Conference on Harmonization – Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP), Declaration of Helsinki)

• Ability to travel extensively (up to 70% of the working week)

Who we are

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

 

What we look for

Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Clinical Trials, Communication, Data Analysis, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Healthcare Education, Medical Affairs, Medical Communications, Medical Knowledge, Medical Review, Medical Teaching, Medical Writing, Pharmaceutical Guidelines, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Pharmacy Practice, Product Information, Professional Integrity, Project Management, Promotional Review, Research Methodologies, Research Proposals, Scientific Literature, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking

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:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

12/2/2025

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