Therapeutic Area Lead Vaccines & Infectious Diseases

Job Description

An amazing opportunity has arisen for a Therapeutic Area Lead in Poland. This position will be responsible for leading the Medical Advisor team for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, ensuring a clear strategic vision and prioritization of all medical activities within the therapeutic area.

The role reports into the Country Medical Director and will be the key contact for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases in the country. It will also be responsible for developing and executing the local Medical Affairs strategy, building and maintaining a high-performing and compliant Medical Advisor team, and representing Medical Affairs in cross-functional strategic collaborations.

What you will do:  

Bring energy, knowledge, innovation and leadership to carry out the following:

• Lead and develop the Medical Advisors team for General Medicine, proactively recruiting, onboarding, managing, and building a compliant, collaborative, and innovation-focused environment.

• Identify capability gaps and emerging needs, and support the Country Medical Director in reallocating, training, or recruiting staff as needed.

• Develop, execute, and deliver the Country Medical Affairs Plan (cMAP) for Vaccines/ID, ensuring alignment with global strategy, priorities, regulations, policies, and SOPs.

• Drive actionable scientific insight activities and collaborate with internal stakeholders across CORE, Value & Patient Access, Regulatory Affairs, GCD, GCTO, GMSA, and MHH.

• Provide medical expertise and local scientific perspective to support clinical development, regulatory, reimbursement, tender submissions, and commercial product teams.

• Represent Medical Affairs externally by supporting engagement with key stakeholders, scientific leaders, payers, policymakers, and medical institutions to advance the Vaccines/ID portfolio.

What skills you will need:

In order to excel in this role, you will more than likely have:

• MD, PhD, or PharmD.

• At least 5 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience in clinical development and/or medical affairs.

• People management experience is preferred.

• Strong leadership and organizational skills, with the ability to set goals, communicate a vision, and align people.

• Experience in the relevant therapeutic area.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, with strong teamwork, business acumen, and the ability to lead a therapeutic team across a geographical area.

• A thorough understanding of local and regional regulatory agencies, ethical guidelines, laws, regulations, and compliance requirements relevant to the pharmaceutical industry.

• Strong prioritization skills, the ability to work effectively in a changing environment, and the ability to collaborate across functions in a matrix environment.

• Ability to build scientific leader networks, communicate effectively at country management level, and demonstrate an inclusive mindset that supports belonging, equity, and empowerment.

Why Join Us?

As a company, we are committed to  keep the patient at the very heart of all that we do and strive to find solutions and treatments for some of the world’s most challenging healthcare needs. 

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment.

So, if you are ready to make a meaningful impact in Medical Affairs and help shape the future of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, please apply today.

Required Skills:

Advisory Board Development, Clinical Development, Health Economics, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Investigator-Initiated Studies (IIS), Medical Affairs, Medical Marketing Strategy, Medical Research, Multiple Therapeutic Areas, Patient Access, Regulatory Affairs Compliance, Scientific Communications, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

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:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

05/27/2026

*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.