Associate Director, Capability Building for Commercial Oncology

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

35d•$146,100 - $219,100•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for the design, development, and implementation of learning solutions to enhance the skills, knowledge, and behaviors of commercial Oncology customer-facing roles. The goal is to drive impactful customer engagements with measurable business impact. The role involves creating world-class onboarding programs, live and virtual learning experiences, product launch training, and continuous skill-building initiatives. The Associate Director will identify capability gaps, design scalable learning interventions, and collaborate cross-functionally to align with business priorities. Expertise in adult learning, performance consulting, instructional design, digital delivery methods, project management, time management, facilitation, communication, and collaboration is required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with minimum 5 years of commercial experience, or master’s degree with minimum 3 years of commercial experience
Minimum 2 years of experience designing and implementing capability-building programs for commercial field teams, preferably in a home-office based role.
Expert-level PowerPoint skills and fluency in digital communication tools.
Fluency in navigating the Medical, Legal, and Regulatory process to ensure timely approvals and compliant training execution.
Ability to analyze internal processes and dynamics to develop actionable plans that align with organizational goals.
Ability to think critically, anticipate challenges within cross-functional teams, and identify opportunities for improvement.
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 Excellence: 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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Home-office trainer experience.
Experience in an Oncology therapeutic area.
Product launch and vendor management experience.
Strong facilitation and presentation skills; able to simplify complex scientific content into clear, actionable learning.
Understanding of oncology marketplace dynamics and 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 streamline 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.

Responsibilities

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.
Lead the design and development of learning materials for EMD Serono’s Oncology portfolio, including product knowledge, disease education, and customer engagement skills.
Partner with Marketing, Field Leadership, and other cross-functional teams to translate brand strategy into training that produces improved performance.
Lead readiness and launch capability initiatives to ensure the field is fully prepared for potential new product launches.
Manage planning and execution of training sessions at national, divisional, and regional meetings.
Create and maintain an annual training plan.
Regularly conduct needs assessments and performance analyses to identify skill and knowledge gaps.
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.
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 Oncology training budgets with Director oversight to ensure optimal allocation of resources across initiatives.
Strategic collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Patient Access, Market Access, HR, and external vendors.
Anticipate stakeholders’ 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.
Identify, onboard, 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 (where applicable) to adapt global content for U.S. field implementation, ensuring consistency with local compliance and market needs.