Job Description
Responsibilities and Primary Activities
Leadership and Management
- Recruits, hires and develops talent within the Medical Affairs team.
- Creates an empowering, compliant, collaborative, and innovation-focused work environment.
- Builds a culture of quality and compliance through training, oversight and collaboration.
- Develops and executes the Country Medical Affairs Plans (CMAPs) for the TA, ensuring alignment with global strategy and adherence to relevant regulations and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Manages the TA portfolio, balancing global and local priorities.
- Performs observational field visits with Field Medical Advisors to assess scientific and soft-skill acumen
Medical Affairs Management
- Oversees the development and execution of CMAPs, including post-licensure research, publication plans, and investigator-initiated studies.
- Manages the operating administrative and lifecycle-management budget for the TA.
- Supports inspections and audits and provides assistance in answering inquiries by health authorities and internal auditors.
- Ensures Field Medical Advisors/MSLs have assigned geographic territories and/or indications aligned with the Medical Affairs Plan
- Manages the country-developed Protocol Concept Sheets (PCSs) and supports obtaining regional and global approvals for new local data-generation activities.
Collaboration with Internal Stakeholders
- Represents V&I in cross-functional teams, collaborating with Global Clinical Development (GCD), Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO), and other internal stakeholders.
- Provides scientific expertise to commercial product teams, ensuring the scientific and medical value of the company’s products.
- Fosters collaboration among local marketing teams, market access teams, Regional Directors of Medical Affairs (RDMAs), regional marketing, and Medical Managers to support the TA in achieving local and regional goals.
- Ensures correct development of core competencies of Medical Affairs in the team.
Engagement with External Stakeholders
- Serves as the external interface with key TA stakeholders, professional societies, and the broader scientific community.
- Develops and maintains relationships with health-care professionals (HCPs), providers, and academic centers.
- Collaborates with market access, regulatory, and commercial colleagues to engage payers, policymakers, and other decision-makers.
- Liaises with national and international physicians to establish good relationships and model HCP perception about the company's products.
- When needed, engages in scientific exchange to bridge science to clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.
Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Minimum
- MD, PhD or PharmD with a minimum of three to five years of clinical, Medical Affairs, and/or research experience in a relevant disease area.
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally with various business units and senior leaders.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to create and execute complex strategic and operational initiatives.
- Demonstrated organizational skills, including goal setting and priority alignment.
- Deep experience in the company’s therapeutic areas of interest (e.g., Cardiovascular (PAH, Lipids), COPD3, Immunology (IBD, Rheumatology).
- at least 2 years of strong leadership skills with documented people-management experience.
- Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to work in matrix organizations and manage direct reports.
- Experience in the development or field management of interventional/non-interventional studies.
- Saudi National is a priority.
Preferred
- Specialty clinical training (e.g., residency or fellowship).
- Previous Medical Affairs experience.
- Innovative thinker with the ability to identify and develop novel approaches to tackle daily tasks.
- Self-driven and proactive with the ability to deliver as a leader, team member, and individual contributor.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to synthesize data into actionable business plans.
- Experience in project management and leadership potential.
- High level of integrity and adherence to ethical standards.
- Ability to simplify and convey complex concepts and strategies, orally and in writing.
- Strong understanding of the compliance environment in which Medical Affairs functions.
- Ability to inspire and motivate team members.
Additional location(s) Compensation Information:
Required Skills:
Clinical Trials, Corporate Ethics, Data Analysis, Global Coordination, Leadership Management, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Strategies, Scientific Publications, Stakeholder Management, Stakeholder Negotiations, Strategic Planning, Teamwork, Workplace Culture
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:
VISA Sponsorship:
Travel Requirements:
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable
Shift:
Valid Driving License:
Hazardous Material(s):
Job Posting End Date:
11/1/2026
*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.