Associate Director, Capability Building, Fertility (Commercial)

The businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany•Boston, MA

6d•Remote

About The Position

The Associate Director, Capability Building, Fertility (Commercial) is responsible for the design, development, and implementation of learning solutions that enhance the skills, knowledge, and behaviors of all commercial Fertility customer-facing roles—with the goal of driving highly impactful customer engagements that will have measurable business impact. This role leads the creation of world-class onboarding programs, product launches, live and virtual learning experiences, and continuous skill-building initiatives that elevate field performance. The Associate Director identifies capability gaps, designs scalable learning interventions, and partners cross-functionally to ensure alignment with business priorities. The role requires expertise in adult learning, performance consulting, instructional design, and digital delivery methods, as well as exceptional project management, time management, facilitation and communication skills. The position reports to the Director, Capability Building | Engagements & Events

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with minimum 5 years of commercial experience, or Masters degree with minimum 3 years of commercial experience
Demonstrated experience in commercial training, learning design, or field enablement.
Project Management: Plans, organizes, and executes complex learning initiatives from concept through completion. Leads multiple workstreams and external vendors, ensuring deliverables meet scope, quality, and compliance standards while staying on time and within budget.
Time Management: Prioritizes effectively across strategic and tactical deliverables, balancing competing demands and deadlines.
Communication & Influence: Communicates clearly, confidently, and persuasively across all levels of the organization. Selects the right tools, technology, and medium for each audience—leveraging strong presentation design, storytelling, and PowerPoint expertise to enhance engagement and impact.
Technical Proficiency: Demonstrates expert-level PowerPoint skills and fluency in digital communication tools. Understands how to apply technology, data visualization, and emerging AI solutions—always within company compliance standards—to elevate learning design and operational efficiency.
Launch Readiness Experience: Has experience leading capability-building efforts that ensure the field is fully prepared for new product launches, aligning learning design, communication, and execution to business priorities.
Regulatory & Compliance Leadership: Demonstrates fluency in navigating the Medical, Legal, and Regulatory process to ensure timely approvals and compliant training execution.

Nice To Haves

Experience in large account/strategic account planning skill sets
3+ years of experience in the Fertility or Women’s Health therapeutic area.
2+ years of home-office trainer experience.
Experience leading/managing large strategic account plans.
Experience designing and implementing capability-building programs for commercial field teams.
Product launch and vendor management experience.
Strong facilitation and presentation skills; able to simplify complex scientific content into clear, actionable learning.
Deep understanding of the U.S. specialty or biotech commercial business environment.
Ability to communicate openly and share information to foster trust while encouraging constructive debate, making informed decisions, and ensuring shared commitment to outcomes.
Demonstrated willingness to take risks and stand up for what is right while prioritizing the needs and experiences of customers and patients in all decisions.
Commitment to setting and reaching ambitious goals and setting high standards while acting in the best interest of the company and taking initiative to drive results.
Uphold ethical standards and being honest in all interactions.
Ability to streamlining processes to focus on what matters and creates impact and acting quickly to adapt to changes.
Demonstrated ability to embrace new ideas, challenge the status quo, and seek innovative solutions while valuing diverse perspectives and treating others with respect and dignity.
Executive Presence: Projects confidence, composure, and credibility with senior stakeholders and field leadership.
Collaboration & Inclusion: Builds strong cross-functional partnerships rooted in trust, respect, and shared accountability; values diverse perspectives in solution design.

Responsibilities

Lead New Hire & Onboarding Programs
Design and deliver onboarding curricula across all phases of new hire training.
Facilitate engaging live and virtual sessions with applied learning and certification components.
Provide structured feedback to field managers and Area Field Trainers (AFTs) to reinforce readiness.
Develop and Implement Training Content
Lead design and development of learning materials for Fertility product knowledge, disease education, and customer engagement skills.
Partner with Marketing and other cross-functional teams to translate brand strategy into field training that produces improved performance.
Leads readiness and launch capability initiatives to ensure the field is fully prepared for upcoming Fertility product launches.
Manage logistics and execution for capability sessions at national, divisional, and regional meetings.
Support Continuous Learning and Upskilling
Regularly conducts needs assessments and performance analyses to identify skill and knowledge gaps.
Develop scalable learning interventions that align with strategic business objectives.
Evaluate training effectiveness using data, feedback, and field insights to drive continuous improvement.
Gather field insights through feedback sessions and focus groups to ensure training solutions remain relevant and responsive to market dynamics.
Drive Operational Excellence and Compliance
Lead the Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) review process for all training materials, ensuring timely submissions, cross-functional alignment, and full compliance with company and industry standards.
Ensure all training aligns with compliance, brand, and business requirements.
Track learner participation and maintain accurate training documentation.
Manage assigned Fertility training budgets with Director oversight to ensure optimal allocation of resources across initiatives.
Partner and Influence Across Teams
Collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Patient Access, Market Access, HR, and external vendors.
Anticipate stakeholder needs, manage shifting priorities across multiple initiatives, and influence without authority.
Develop and lead cross-functional project plans and monitor milestones to ensure timely, high-quality deliverables.
Lead and manage external vendors and agency partners who support content design, training delivery, and capability-building initiatives; ensure alignment to timelines, budgets, quality standards, and brand compliance.
Collaborate with global learning partners to adapt global content for U.S. field implementation, ensuring consistency with local compliance and market needs.
Other duties as assigned