Market Access Lead - SSA

Job Description

The Market Access Lead (Sub-Saharan Africa) is a leadership role responsible for shaping and executing the Market Access strategy for our portfolios across South Africa and Sub‑Saharan Africa. This role leads a high‑performing team and serves as a strategic partner to country and regional leadership, driving innovative, sustainable access solutions that expand patient access, protect and grow our business, and support long-term health system value. The mar will have end to end responsibility for market access strategy, including new product planning, pricing and reimbursement, stakeholder engagement, and implementation of differentiated access models in priority SSA markets. Beyond leading the local market access team this individual will also have the direct day-to-day operational oversight for the oncology portfolio.

The Market Access Lead will also play a valuable role in the new product planning project. They will be responsible for shaping and delivering the country access strategy for the NPP project. This includes providing local payer and HTA insights into global and regional planning, informing the Target Product Profile and evidence generation, and defining local pricing and reimbursement strategies. The Local Market Access Lead engages key external stakeholders (e.g., payers, HTA bodies, clinicians), drives access launch readiness, monitors access KPIs, and ensures alignment with global and regional access policies while feeding back real‑world access learnings into ongoing product planning.

This individual will also sit on the local Leadership Team and reports directly to the managing director. As a member of the Leadership Team, this role requires a proven enterprise and patient-centric mindset, strong strategic thinking, and the ability to translate strategy into clear priorities and execution. The leader will role-model high integrity, compliance, and ethical courage, driving performance and accountability while fostering a culture of psychological safety, inclusion, and diversity. Success in this role depends on exceptional people leadership, talent development and succession focus, and the ability to collaborate and influence effectively across a complex, global matrix. The ideal candidate will demonstrate change leadership and learning agility, strong communication and storytelling skills, and a strong external orientation, building partnerships and bringing outside-in insights to shape business decisions.

Key Responsibilities

1.    Strategic Market Access Leadership

• Develop and lead the integrated Market Access strategy for NCDs and key pipeline assets across South Africa and SSA, aligned with business objectives, Africa expansion ambitions, and global/regional guidance.

• Serve as the primary access advisor to the Managing Director and senior leadership team on pricing, reimbursement, and access risks/opportunities.

• Translate environmental, policy, and payer insights into clear strategic choices, access roadmaps, and scenario plans for priority markets and assets.

2.   New Product Planning & Launch Readiness

• Lead market access input into new product planning for SA & SSA, from early pipeline through launch and lifecycle management.

• Define access, pricing and reimbursement strategies for pipeline assets, including:

  • Early value and evidence needs for HTA/payer decision-making

  • Target price corridors and access assumptions

  • Launch sequencing and indication prioritization for key markets

• Chair or actively contribute to cross‑functional launch excellence / launch readiness teams, ensuring access considerations are embedded into brand and launch plans.

3.   Innovative Access Solutions in SSA

• Design, negotiate, and implement innovative pricing and reimbursement models (e.g., risk‑sharing agreements, portfolio approaches, affordability programs, public–private partnerships) across key SSA markets to address affordability and budget impact barriers.

• Lead the development and execution of country‑specific access strategies that account for health system structures, payer archetypes, and policy environments.

• Ensure that innovative models are sustainable, compliant, and measurable, with clear KPIs and impact tracking.

• Share best practices and learnings from SSA with regional and global teams, positioning the cluster as a centre of excellence for innovative access in emerging markets.

4.   Payer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and nurture strategic relationships with key payers and stakeholders across SA & SSA (private funders, ministries of health, regulatory and HTA bodies, professional societies, and other decision makers).

• Lead high‑impact value and reimbursement negotiations that demonstrate the clinical, economic, and societal value of our NCD and pipeline portfolio.

• Partner with Policy, Communications, and Patient Engagement to ensure aligned external engagement strategies that support access objectives.

5.   Pricing Governance & Operational Excellence

• Provide leadership oversight for pricing strategy, governance, and execution in SA & SSA, including:

  • Internal (PARF) and external price approvals

  • Maintenance and integrity of pricing files and systems

  • Management of price erosion, reference pricing, and tender implications

• Ensure robust processes, tools, and analytics are in place for forecasting, scenario modelling, and decision support.

• Drive continuous improvement in ways of working, eliminating duplication, and ensuring efficient, scalable access processes across markets.

6.   Team Leadership & People Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing Market Access team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and learning.

• Define clear roles, goals, and development plans; provide regular feedback and recognition.

• Role‑model our company’s leadership attributes by:

  • Acting with integrity and transparency

  • Focusing on patients and customers in all decisions

  • Driving results while managing risk responsibly

  • Collaborating across functions and geographies

  • Developing talent and building future capability in market access and health economics.

7.   Cross‑Functional & Regional Collaboration

• Act as a senior cross‑functional partner to Oncology, other relevant business units, Medical, Policy, Corporate Affairs, and Finance, co‑creating access‑integrated brand strategies.

• Partner closely with regional and global market access, pricing, and HEOR teams, ensuring local insights inform global strategies and that global tools and frameworks are effectively localised.

• Contribute to business development and licensing evaluations by providing access and pricing insights for SA & SSA.

Qualifications & Experience Required

• Relevant degree in health sciences, economics, pharmacy, public health, business, or related field.

• 8+ years of progressive experience in Market Access, Pricing & Reimbursement, Health Economics, or related access field, including experience in Sub‑Saharan African markets.

• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including managing and developing a team.

• Proven track record in designing and implementing innovative access solutions and pricing/reimbursement models in key SSA markets.

• Significant experience in new product planning and launch from an access perspective (pre‑launch through post‑launch).

• Strong understanding of:

  • Pharmaceutical market dynamics, payer decision‑making and HTA processes

  • Private and public sector funding and reimbursement mechanisms in SA & SSA

  • Vaccines/ NCD/Oncology and/or rare disease access challenges and opportunities

• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data and insights into clear recommendations.

• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation capabilities, with the ability to influence at senior levels internally and externally.

• Excellent communication skills – both verbal and written – with the ability to simplify complexity and tailor messages to different audiences.

• High level of integrity, resilience, and the ability to perform under pressure and in ambiguous environments.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint; strong comfort with data and analytics.

Preferred

• Postgraduate qualification (e.g., Master’s in Public Health, Health Economics, MBA or equivalent).

• Clinical background and/or experience in funder, managed care, medical scheme, CMS or HTA environments.

• Deep understanding of pharmacoeconomic principles, health technology assessment, and real‑world evidence generation.

• Direct experience improving reimbursement through innovative pricing and reimbursement models in South Africa and other SSA markets.

• Demonstrated experience working in or with Ministries of Health, public sector programs, and multi-lateral stakeholders.

• Experience operating in complex, matrixed, multinational organizations, with a proven ability to collaborate across cultures and geographies.

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and openness to diverse perspectives and thinking styles.

Required Skills:

Business Decisions, Business Development, Customer-Focused, Developing Pricing Strategies, Emerging Markets, Health Economics, Interpersonal Relationships, Market Access Strategies, Market Research, People Leadership, Pricing Processes, Public Health, Reimbursement, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills:

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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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

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Job Posting End Date:

04/22/2026

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