Associate Director, Health Equity & Partnership (L&MICs)

Job Description

Role purpose: 

Inspired by our company’s purpose to save and improve lives, the Health Equity & Partnerships (HE&P) team within Intercontinental region is focused on expanding sustainable access to medicines and vaccines in low‑ and middle‑income countries (L&MICs) through commercially viable models and partnerships. 

The Associate Director, Health Equity & Partnerships drives commercially viable, partnership‑enabled solutions that expand the reach and performance of prioritized assets in L&MICs, while ensuring pipeline planning translates into access‑ready strategies that support long‑term growth across both established and new products. 

This role is designed for a strategic executor — someone who can move fluently between analysis, cross‑functional coordination, and external engagement, while maintaining a strong focus on commercial viability, scalability, and launch readiness. 

Key Responsibilities:

1. Commercial solutions & partnerships 

• Design and advance commercially viable, partnership‑based solutions for prioritized assets in L&MICs, where affordability, delivery, or system constraints limit market reach. 

• Drive Oncology initiatives, working with franchises and partners to unlock scalable, revenue‑relevant patient pathways. 

• Contribute to structuring partnerships that strengthen market entry, uptake, and sustainability. 

2. Pipeline & Lifecycle Planning 

• Bring L&MIC market realities into pipeline and pre‑launch commercial planning, contributing analysis on opportunity size, access barriers, launch feasibility, and readiness. 

• Translate insights into actionable recommendations that strengthen commercialization strategies across the lifecycle. 

3. Business development & execution support 

• Support development of commercial business cases for partnership initiatives, including value creation, risks, and sustainability. 

• Coordinate cross‑functional execution across global, regional, and market commercial teams. 

• Track progress and outcomes to ensure initiatives deliver measurable business and patient reach impact. 

4. Cross‑Functional & External Engagement 

• Support the identification, structuring, and day‑to‑day management of partnerships (e.g., private providers, financing partners) 

• Work effectively across commercial, market access, regulatory, and medical teams in a matrixed environment. 

• Contribute to repeatable ways of working that strengthen HE&P’s impact. 

Profile & Capabilities 

• Experience in commercial strategy, partnerships, market access, or global health, with clear exposure to LMIC business environments. 

• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to turn insight into decision‑ready recommendations. 

• Demonstrated commercial mindset, including comfort with trade‑offs, ROI, and prioritization. 

• Proven ability to operate in ambiguity and deliver hands‑on execution in a matrixed commercial environment. 

Qualifications 

• Direct working experience in L&MICs is required, including engagement with local, regional, or global stakeholders 

• 7+ years' experience in the healthcare industry is required, with demonstrated prior experience in healthcare market access, commercial strategy, or global health roles 

• Experience supporting early pipeline prioritization, pre-launch planning, and partnership enabled access models 

Required Skills:

Asia Pacific Markets, Customer Experience Optimization, Dairy Science, Direct Marketing, Driving Sales, Market Development, Marketing Program Management, Market Research, Omnichannel Strategy, Pricing Strategies, Product Launch Support, Product Management, 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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

05/17/2026

*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.