Job Description

Required Skills:

Accountability, Budget Management, Business Intelligence (BI) Reporting, Clinical Project Management, Communication, Ethical Standards, Healthcare Education, Life Cycle Support, Management Process, Medical Marketing Strategy, People Performance Management, Professional Networking, Scientific Exchange, Single Point of Contact, Stakeholder Engagement, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Management

Preferred Skills:

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Secondary Language(s) Job Description:

Role Summary

The Cluster Executive Medical Director (CEMD) leads Medical & Scientific Affairs across a geographic cluster, developing and executing value and implementation (V&I) medical strategies for all therapeutic areas. They build and manage a team of directors and associate directors, align local Country Medical Affairs Plans (CMAPs) with global strategy, and ensure scientific communications and activities support product development, regulatory, market access, and commercial objectives.

The CEMD engages internal stakeholders (Product Development, Outcomes Research, Regulatory, Global Clinical Trial Operations, Market Access, Commercial, and Leadership teams) and external key opinion leaders, payers, health authorities, and medical societies to generate local insights, drive evidence generation, and support adoption of innovations. They oversee local data generation, advisory boards, medical information, symposia, and compliance, and represent Medical Affairs on cluster leadership teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develops and executes the MA strategy for the cluster and rollout to the countries.

• Partners with the local Product Development Teams, and V&I Outcomes Research leads to define MA plans and for TAs.

• Provides a solid understanding of how countries’ medical systems and standards of care need to change to accept innovation, how to introduce the new innovation and how to implement and maintain its use

• Leads the team in consolidating actionable medical insights from countries and regions to inform company decisions

• Leads the team in engagement with local and regional scientific leaders and other key stakeholders (therapeutic guideline committees, payers, public groups, government officials, medical societies) about Our Company’s emerging science

• Ensures all scientific exchange for TAs are aligned with a single global scientific communications platform

• Drives regional and key country expert input events (advisory boards and expert input forums) to answer Our Company’s questions about how to develop and implement new medicines or vaccines

• Ensures team contributes as relevant members to the local Product Development sub-teams (Value Evidence, Clinical, Commercial, Publications and Label teams)

• Manages the entire portfolio for our company, allocates resources balancing regional and local priorities

• Represents the research arm of the Company and/or Medical Affairs in the cluster Leadership Team and in cross- functional collaborations with other Research & Development functions, Human Health, and others.

• Communicates accomplishments, opportunities, and needs of the cluster to regional and/or global stakeholders.

• Aligns medical plans and activities with Global Human Health (commercial) leaders.

• Organizes regular management reviews of the team’s activities and progress.

• Drives local and regional symposia and educational meetings.

• Supports real-world evidence data generation and coordinates local data generation studies with V&I Outcomes Research teams.

• Leads talent review process and demonstrates follow-through on Development Plans for Key Talents and teams.

• Creates action plans to ensure healthy succession pools for leadership positions within the teams and in R&D V&I GMSA.

Required Qualifications, Skills, & Experience

• MD or equivalent degree with at least 5 years' experience in a global biopharmaceutical industry in clinical development and/or medical affairs with demonstrated track record of contribution to medical or clinical development strategies.

• Strong prioritization and decision-making skills with the ability to understand how decisions fit into the broader context of corporate strategies.

• Customer expertise, especially of scientific leadership and other key stakeholders (payers, public groups, government officials, medical professional organizations)

• Ability to effectively collaborate with and influence partners across divisions in a matrix environment.

• People-management experience and proven ability to work cross-functionally with various business units and senior leaders with the ability to influence and lead change while building strong alignment and partnerships

• Project management skills with intellectual curiosity and the ability to create a vision as well as execute and lead complex strategic and operational initiatives in matrix structures

• Analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesize data/insights into actionable business plans

• A working knowledge of business processes, including strategic planning and budgeting management

• Demonstrated organizational skills, including ability to set goals and align priorities.

• Deep experience in our company’s therapeutic areas of interest (e.g., oncology, infectious diseases treatment, vaccines, or general and specialty care).

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:

10/20/2025

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