Associate Director, Access Contracting Enablement (ACE), Global Market Access

Job Description

Aligned with the core mission of Global Market Access to expand access to medicines and vaccines to people around the world, this is an exciting opportunity to help lead the development of world-class value-based contracting strategies, solutions, process, and infrastructure.  We are seeking a developing leader that is experienced, customer-centric, entrepreneurial, creative, action-oriented, and passionate who thrives in a collaborative team environment. 

Payors around the world continue to experience growing fiscal tests.  Healthcare systems aspire to a more value-based healthcare ecosystem.  Industry continues to innovate, and existing payer value assessment pathways are often challenged to properly value these innovations.  These factors, combined with our company evolving portfolio, have created the need for industry-leading, world-class, value-based contracting strategies and capabilities to help broaden access to the company’s innovations for more people.  This can be achieved through practical innovations in contracting models, and optimalization of the execution thereof, to continue to advance win-win-win-win outcomes with payors for providers, consumers.   

Under the direction of the Access Contracting Enablement (ACE) Group Leader, this important role in Global Market Access will require a customer-centric approach with broad, cross-functional collaboration inside the global and market organizations, as well as with external partners, to achieve the objectives.  The role will be part of the Sustainable Access Solutions Team so will carry specific and measurable KPIs.   

To achieve the objectives, the role will work extensively with various internal groups to understand anticipated market events for select franchises within the Pharma Business Unit, opportunities to be addressed through contract innovation, creation of robust strategies, establishment of world class methodologies, support for implementation, and enablement of scaling of solutions globally.  The person will develop and communicate KPIs, contracting analytics, and strategic insights to relevant stakeholders and key leaders. 

The role will have strategic responsibility for working with our Access, Outcomes Research, Data Analytics, Finance, IT, Legal & Compliance, Marketing, Manufacturing, Trade Channels, Policy, and Research leaders across the company at all geographic levels to lead processes to shape, propose, establish, and support innovative and value-based contracting approaches to help maximize access across the company’s portfolio now and in the future.  Recognizing that access is ultimately local, the role will work to ensure insights from markets are recognized and best-practices are disseminated – creating a true learning culture in contracting across the organization.  

Operating with a continuous improvement mindset, this position will demonstrate a purposeful focus on contracting opportunities to enable/expand/maintain patient access, impact revenue, enhance the customer experience, and increase operational efficiency.  It is expected that the leader would spend some of their time developing their own functional capability and broader leadership skills as well as mentoring and leading non-FTE team members. 

 

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Help lead the development of an anticipated market event schedule and contribute to the annual priority setting aligned with the capacity of the team  

• Support the continued development of world class contracting capabilities to establish the company as a global leader in innovative/value-based contracting solutions to enable/expand patient access 

• Set out strategic opportunities to broaden patient access through novel contracting approaches informed by a deep understanding of therapeutic area priorities, long term access implications & customer challenges 

• Be a key subject matter expert, leader and strategic advisor on targeted contracting solution development and deployment 

• Oversee the development, validation, implementation of access contracting solutions in concert with market teams around the world  

• Responsible for contributions to key contracting KPIs  

• Lead the identification, sourcing, and integration of partners to achieve objectives 

• Strong cross functional collaboration to deepen understanding, drive innovation, and support priorities  

• Contribute to the upskilling of talent in regional and market teams to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to successfully localize, implement, manage, and assess value-based contracts 

• Lead cross functional validation and collaboration with a range of internal stakeholders (Access, CI, Legal & Compliance, Procurement, Pricing, Policy, Finance, Treasury, IT, Marketing, OR, and Medical) 

• Monitor and analyzes contracting trends, competitive contracting strategies, reimbursement policy, regulation, guidelines, and legislative changes  

• Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and company policies 

 

Education: 

• Bachelor's Degree (required) 

• Master’s Degree or higher (preferred) 

 

Required Experience and Skills: 

• Minimum of (5) years in Pharmaceutical Marketing or Sales, Pricing, Reimbursement or Access, or Finance  

• Knowledge and experience of the pharmaceutical and/or vaccine product access process within one or more health systems 

• Prior experience in health insurance industry, healthcare finance, or healthcare consulting in the area of value-based contracting, portfolio contracting, and/or innovative financing 

• Strong Conceptual & Analytical Thinking Skills – needed to identify and develop innovative solutions and to efficiently distill lessons learned from actual experience 

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present compelling arguments to a variety of audiences at all organizational levels, both internal and external 

• Collaboration - must be able to collaborate with country, regional, & global colleagues on both strategic and tactical levels 

• Strong Project Management Skills – proven ability to manage diverse range of projects and competing priorities and effectively manage a cross-functional team 

• Planning and Quality Execution skills – needed to establish and execute planning standards  

• Quantitative Skills - Demonstrated quantitative ability, including facility with Excel and generally high level of financial acumen 

• Contract negotiation experience 

• Self-motivated and entrepreneurial with strong interpersonal and communications skills 

• Ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize business needs, and balance competing interests 

• Aptitude to handle multiple tasks and effectively prioritize to meet organizational goals 

• Must be able to produce high quality, accurate work under time constraints 

• Strong financial, analytical, and writing skills 

• Proficient computer skills 

 

Preferred Experiences and Skills: 

• Strategy setting and leadership – experience of defining and implementing strategic initiatives that have driven tangible impact 

• Customer-facing experience in pharmaceuticals or other healthcare setting 

• Experience in creating and implementing novel contracting solutions to increase patient access from an industry or payer perspective 

• Strong experience & successful track record of working in a global role to shape and implement solutions and deliver tangible results 

• Experience framing complex challenges and driving implementation  

• Cross functional team leadership experience  

• Formal negotiation knowledge, training, skills, and experience 

 

Competencies: 

• Ability to creatively solve complex issues including innovative thinking  

• Experience and interest in contracting, value-based healthcare & novel commercial solutions 

• Ability to develop effective trust-based relationships across the organization and collaborate with external partners to deliver results 

• Ability to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds  

• Proven ability to deliver business impact and tangible commercial results 

• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple projects in a fluid environment 

• Keen insight to understand appropriate guardrails where they exist and work constructively with key stakeholders including Legal, to define those that need additional definition 

Required Skills:

Accountability, Adaptability, Communication, Creativity, Customer Experience Management, Data Analysis, Data Management, Developing Pricing Strategies, Digital Marketing Analytics, Healthcare Policies, Health Economics Research, Interpersonal Relationships, Market Access, Market Research, Outcomes Research, Pharmaceutical Market, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills:

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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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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

$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

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:

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Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

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Job Posting End Date:

04/7/2026

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