Job Description
Job Title: Director - Commercial Operations, India
The Director, Commercial Operations is responsible for providing strategic direction, leadership, and governance for our company India's Commercial Operations organization. This role serves as a critical business partner to the Human Health Leadership Team and Business Unit Leaders, enabling sustainable business growth through commercial excellence, launch readiness, patient access solutions, operational rigor, and data-driven decision-making.
The role leads a broad portfolio encompassing Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE), Business Practices (BPO), New Product Planning (NPP), FPP (Financial Patients Program), and Commercial Administration & Operations. The incumbent is expected to establish integrated operating models, build future-ready capabilities, and lead a high-performing organization that supports both current business priorities and future growth opportunities.
The Director acts as the enterprise integrator across Commercial, Legal, Finance, our Research & Development Division, Human Resources, Supply Chain, and Regional/Global teams to ensure alignment, execution excellence, and delivery of business objectives.
Primary Responsibilities:
Primary activities include, but are not limited to:
Strategic Commercial Operations Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership for the Commercial Operations organization supporting company India's Human Health business.
- Develop and execute a multi-year Commercial Operations strategy aligned with business growth priorities and enterprise objectives.
- Partner with Business Unit Directors and the Country Leadership Team to strengthen commercial execution, customer engagement, launch excellence, and patient access.
- Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement across commercial processes, systems, and governance frameworks.
- Support FC, annual strategic planning, resource prioritization, business reviews, and performance management processes.
- Act as a key advisor to CLT by translating market insights, performance analytics, and business intelligence into actionable recommendations.
Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE)
- Lead the organization's Sales Force Effectiveness strategy and capabilities.
- Drive and optimize customer segmentation, targeting, territory alignment, and resource deployment strategies.
- Oversee SIP design, field force productivity programs, sales analytics, and performance management frameworks.
- Leverage digital tools, omnichannel capabilities, automation, AI and advanced analytics to enhance customer engagement and field execution.
- Establish meaningful performance metrics and dashboards that support data-driven decision-making.
- Suggest productivity improvements and drive execution excellence across customer-facing teams.
Business Practices (BPO)
- Provide oversight of commercial governance, business practices, and operational compliance. Ensure adherence to company policies, industry regulations, legal requirements, and ethical standards.
- Partner closely with Compliance, Legal, Finance, and other stakeholders (locally, regionally and globally) to strengthen operational controls. Support and lead the HH audit process.
- Process Development: Design, implement, and optimize strategy business processes related to commercial interactions with HCPs to enhance efficiency and effectiveness to ensure all commercial activities comply with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards, including anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
- Strategy execution includes creating the internal control process to ensure the good governance process by conduct regular audits and assessments of commercial interactions with HCPs to identify compliance risks and areas for improvement in collaboration with cross-functional teams, including legal, marketing, and sales, to ensure alignment on compliance matters and business objectives.
- Continuous Improvement: stay updated on industry trends, best practices, and regulatory changes related to HCP interactions and compliance and to identify opportunities for process improvements and implement changes to enhance compliance and operational efficiency.
New Product Planning (NPP)
- Lead the development and execution of new asset launch excellence and pipeline readiness capabilities for India market.
- Partner with global, regional, and local stakeholders to prepare the organization for successful commercialization of new assets and indications including frequent engagement with the medical, clinical operation and regulatory teams.
- Drive launch governance, opportunity assessment, forecasting support, scenario planning, and capability readiness.
- Build integrated launch plans encompassing market access, stakeholder engagement, customer experience, field force readiness, and business performance measurement.
- Ensure launch learnings and best practices are institutionalized across the organization.
FPP (Financial Patients Program)
- Provide strategic leadership for patient access and patient support programs.
- Drive and enhance initiatives that improve patient access, affordability, treatment initiation, and therapy continuity.
- Execute FPP excellently and ensure leveraging platforms across TAs
- Ensure effective governance and operational management of patient support partners and service providers.
- Monitor program effectiveness, patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and compliance standards.
- Collaborate with Legal, Commercial, LRBs and external stakeholders to strengthen patient-centric solutions.
Operations
- Lead administration and operational support functions that enable efficient execution across the Human Health business.
- Oversee sales administration, field operations support, meeting and event governance, vendor management, procurement coordination, and operational planning activities.
- Ensure effective management of commercial systems, business processes, operational policies, and support services.
- Drive service excellence through simplification, standardization, and digitization of operational processes.
- Establish robust business continuity, risk management, and operational resilience practices.
- Ensure seamless execution of commercial processes while maintaining governance, efficiency, and customer focus.
Talent & Enterprise Leadership
- Build and lead a high-performing Commercial Operations organization through strong people leadership and talent development.
- Establish clear organizational priorities, governance, accountabilities, and operating rhythms. Develop succession plans and strengthen leadership pipelines across all functions within Commercial Operations.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, inclusion, accountability, and continuous learning. Coach and develop leaders to maximize organizational effectiveness and employee engagement.
- Serve as a key member of cross-functional leadership forums and contribute to overall business strategy.
- Drive collaboration between Commercial, Legal, Medical, Regulatory, Finance, Human Resources, External Affairs, Policy and Market Access, Supply Chain, and Region/Global teams.
- Support transformation initiatives, capability building programs, and future operating model evolution. Act as a champion of company's culture, values, Ways of working and Leadership Standards.
Compliance & Ethics
- Ensure all business activities are conducted in accordance with company policies, industry regulations, applicable laws, and ethical standards.
- Promote a strong culture of integrity, accountability, and compliance across the Commercial Operations organization.
- Ensure appropriate governance and oversight for all operational, commercial, and patient support activities.
Key Stakeholders:
- Direct team: SFE, FPP, BPO, NPP, Operations
- Indirect (local) team: Country Leadership Team, Legal, Finance, BUs, Medical, Regulatory Affairs, GCTO, PHI, HR, Supply Chain
- Cluster/Global team: Cluster Commercial Operations, Global Launch Excellence teams, Global HH teams
- External team: Agency partners, key customers and industry players, industry groups, OPPI, societies, advocacy groups, policymakers
Skills, knowledge, Experience & Qualifications Required:
- Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
- 12+ years of progressive experience within the pharmaceutical, healthcare, biotechnology, or life sciences industry.
- Demonstrated experience leading Commercial Operations, Sales Excellence, Commercial Excellence, BPO, Operations, Launch Excellence, or related functions preferred.
- Strong understanding of pharmaceutical commercial models, customer engagement strategies, and healthcare market dynamics. Proven track record of driving commercial effectiveness, operational excellence, and business transformation.
- Experience leading large, multi-functional teams and influencing across matrix organizations. Strong analytical, strategic planning, and business acumen capabilities.
- Experience managing complex stakeholder environments and driving alignment without formal authority. Demonstrated success leading capability-building and organizational development initiatives.
- Strong understanding of compliance, governance, and risk management requirements within the pharmaceutical industry. Exceptional communication, executive presence, and influencing skills. Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.
Leadership Standards:
· Shape Strategy
· Focus on customers
· Act with candor and courage
· Make disciplined decisions
· Deliver Impact
· Unlock potential
Who we are
We are global pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and company everywhere else. For more than a century, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.
What we look for
Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.
Required Skills:
Business Analysis, Marketing, Researching, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Supplier Management, User Research, Waterfall Model
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:
Domestic
VISA Sponsorship:
No
Travel Requirements:
No Travel Required
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
n/a
Job Posting End Date:
10/15/2026
*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.