Vaccine Key Customer Leader - Central CA

Job Description

Under the guidance of the Director, Commercial Operations-Vaccines, the Vaccine Key Customer Leader (VKCL) is the primary Vaccine point of contact for our company with assigned large private and public sector customers within their designated market. The VKCL engages with C-/ D-suite customers in assigned accounts and collaborates with the extended company field team to ensure implementation and pull-through at the individual clinic/hospital/provider level.

Responsibilities include and are not limited to the following:

• The VKCL will be accountable for the Vaccines business performance, business relationship and customer experience with assigned customers, coordinating appropriate company resources and personnel to meet the needs of the customer.

• Actively develops, enhances and applies a deep understanding of assigned customers, the local market healthcare /vaccination ecosystem, and ensuing interplay and translates into potential business opportunities.

• Demonstrates and applies in-depth knowledge of the vaccination landscape including: vaccination schedule, quality measures, reimbursement processes, key factors affecting uptake, local immunization registries, coalitions, school requirements.

• Responsible for demonstrating strong collaboration and coordination with all company customer-facing roles. With all assigned accounts, the VKCL will be responsible for building a Vaccines account strategy focused on increasing appropriate use of our company's Vaccines and coordinating the account team execution consistent with the strategy and customer needs.

• Identifies key vaccine decision-makers and influencers, understands their concerns and priorities, builds trusting relationships that differentiate our company.

• Collaborates with internal and customer stakeholders to formulate approach and select/deploy solutions to meet customer needs.

• Identifies strategic customers within region/geography that afford our company differentiated business opportunities and prioritizes their importance.

• Stays abreast of competitor approaches and our company's customer contracting strategy; engages appropriate account team members (field and HQ) to capitalize on opportunities to grow/defend the Vaccine business.

Education Requirements:

• Required:  BA/BS

• Preferred:  MA/MS/MBA in Business, Marketing, Science, Healthcare or Public Health  

Required Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years experience in Sales leadership, Key Account Management / Client Service Management, Marketing, and/or Strategy preferably in the Healthcare industry

• Minimum of two (2) years experience working in Sales leadership or Strategic Account Management with key thought leaders or high influence customers in Public Health, Large Group Practices, Hospitals/Systems, or Managed Care Organizations

• Ability to build and develop customer relationships, including the ability to influence senior levels of management and key thought leaders

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with ability to interact with individuals from a variety of cultures, and disciplines

• Strong peer leadership and ability to collaborate with and coordinate activity among individuals in different reporting structures within the organization

• Self-motivated with the ability to perform with a high level of independence

• Innovative thinking and exceptional business acumen, analytical and problem-solving skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook

• Valid Driver's License

• Travel (25%) varies based on candidate’s location within the geography.

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of two (2) years experience working in/with Vaccines; strong understanding of Vaccination (products, processes, marketplace)

• Recent Local Market and Customer Knowledge

• Experience in a strategic or management role in Public Health or Health System/Medical Group

• Strong understanding of compliance-related concepts including the laws and regulations that govern Pharmaceutical/Vaccine Marketing and Sales activities

Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Account Management, Business Opportunities, Client Management, Commercial Account Management, Consumer Relations, Contract Management, Customer Experience Management, Customer Management, Customer Needs Analysis, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Data Analytics, Executive Management, Financial Acumen, Healthcare Trends, Identifying Sales Opportunities, Independent Thinking, Interpersonal Relationships, Key Account Planning, Lateral Leadership, Leadership, Managed Care Marketing, Market Research, Profit Planning {+ 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:

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

$169,700.00 - $267,200.00

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:

No

Travel Requirements:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

01/12/2026

*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.