US Medical Affairs Health Systems Oncology, Director, Strategic Medical Implementation Lead

Job Description

Role Summary:

• The USMA Health Systems Oncology (HSO) Director, Strategic Medical Implementation Lead, plays a critical leadership role in advancing the strategic priorities of US Medical Affairs (USMA) across a dynamic and growing portfolio. Reporting to the AVP, Health Systems Oncology, this role is a key member of the USMA Health Systems Field Medical Leadership Team and drives alignment, innovation, and execution across the Health Systems field medical enterprise.
• The USMA HSO Director, Strategic Medical Implementation Lead, holds primary responsibility for integrating cross-functional (e.g., Medical Affairs, Integrated Account Management (IAM), Payer Marketing, Organized Customer Access and Reimbursement (OCAR) strategic direction into medical field execution to optimize impact across Strategic Accounts. In partnership with cross-portfolio stakeholders, the USMA HSO Director, Strategic Medical Implementation Lead, leads strategic planning, communication, and innovation initiatives to ensure coordinated, data-driven, and future-ready engagement with the evolving healthcare ecosystem.

Responsibilities and Primary Activities:

 

Enterprise Strategy Integration

• Advance non-therapeutic area strategic initiatives (i.e., quality, value and implementation) that shape the direction of USMA Health Systems field activities across Oncology portfolio.

• Lead strategic alignment across multiple Regional Medical and Scientific Director (RMSD) teams and the Health Systems (HS) team, including Medical Account Planning, joint initiatives, etc.

• Serve as a critical connector between overall Health Systems strategy and product-level strategies, ensuring collaboration with Integrated Account Management (IAM), Strategic Insights Team, Payer Marketing, Organized Customer Access & Reimbursement (OCAR), and other enterprise partners.

 

Leadership & Strategic Execution

• Influence field medical planning through collaboration with FMADs, PASLs, and SDMAs to ensure coordinated execution and prioritization.

• Support strategic communications, leadership alignment, and executional excellence across all touchpoints between Headquarters and the Field.

• Partner with leadership on culture-shaping initiatives, team development, and performance enablement to ensure a high-performing, innovative, and agile field medical organization.

 

Field Medical Innovation and Enablement

• Drive simplification, innovation, efficiency and effectiveness across field medical health systems, tools, and processes to increase agility and measurable outcomes.

• Lead and evolve strategic frameworks for initiative reporting, Medical Affairs / Commercial meetings, medical leadership reviews, and impact communications.

• Manage and enhance the US Value & Implementation Goal tracking, aligning resources to support major initiatives with robust 30/60/90-day milestone tracking.

 

Performance Measurement & Analytics

• Lead Health Systems Oncology value creation by identifying areas of high impact and translating into messaging that resonates with senior leadership.

• Develop and assess team data and analytics via KPI dashboards, scorecards, and other analytics systems to track performance against team goals and impact metrics.

• Identify and accelerate best practices across HSO MADs and cross-functional partners through data-driven insights.

• Co-lead the development of impact reports in partnership with the Executive Director to highlight progress and strategic contributions.

 

Required Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

Minimum:

• Advanced healthcare/science doctoral degree (e.g., MD, PharmD, PhD)
• 5+ years field medical affairs experience, including: 2 or more years as a HS/Payer Medical Liaison OR equivalent
• Agile mindset, ability to multitask among many competing priorities, and ability to work across a portfolio along the product life-cycle
• Ability to handle a demanding and changing workload and respond efficiently to timelines and changing market events
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, strategic, and tactical planning, project management, communication, and organization skills
• Exceptional ability to effectively communicate information to internal and external stakeholders at all levels (e.g., senior leadership, management and individual contributor) and create presentation concepts and slides that are visually appealing with compelling content
• Commitment to keeping team members, departmental colleagues (as appropriate), and management fully apprised of project/initiative status and issues
• Proven ability to work with cross-functional Matrix teams and collaborate across multiple stakeholder groups (e.g., therapeutic areas)
• Working knowledge of development and application of evidence base, real world analytics, health economics and outcomes research in defining the value proposition of products
• Proven track record of contribution to commercial and medical development strategies within the pharmaceutical industry
• Strategy lead and/or additional experience in a strategy and operations type role preferred (including experience working in managed care /health systems)
• Team lead or management experience preferred but not required

Required Skills:

Clinical Oncology, Immuno-Oncology, Medical Affairs, Medical Knowledge, Performance Measurement, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Professional Networking, Project Management, Strategic Insights, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking

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.

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The salary range for this role is

$210,400.00 - $331,100.00

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

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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:

Remote

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

07/11/2026

*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.