Associate Director, US Launch Excellence

MSD•North Wales, PA

7d•$142,400 - $224,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, US Launch Excellence will serve as the strategic launch partner for the US Immunology pipeline, with a primary focus on upcoming inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) launches. The role connects strategy, planning, and execution to create an integrated view of launch readiness. The Associate Director works with marketing leadership, cross-functional launch teams, Global partners, and Centers of Excellence to translate strategy into action, anticipate readiness issues, and support timely, well-informed decisions. The position leads integrated launch planning and readiness across core and extended workstreams; builds visibility into milestones, dependencies, risks, and outcomes; and supports readiness assessment, launch monitoring, and post-launch hypercare. It also facilitates scenario planning, prioritization, governance, and decision-making, while serving as a trusted subject matter expert who influences without direct authority. The role builds partnerships across Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Patient Support, Data & Analytics, Digital, Field, and Learning & Development, as well as Global teams and Centers of Excellence. It clarifies Global-to-US inputs, ownership, and handoffs; applies launch learnings to future launches; and improves launch processes, technology, and capabilities, including responsible use of digital and AI-enabled capabilities within company policies. The position is hybrid, based primarily in North Wales (Upper Gwynedd), Pennsylvania, and requires 10% travel.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, General Management, Biotechnology, or a related field.
At least 5 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences consulting industry, including experience in marketing, sales, strategy and planning, commercial operations, or related launch work.
Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into executable plans and lead complex, cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed organization.
Strong program and project management capabilities, including managing multiple priorities, milestones, risks, and interdependencies.
Proven ability to influence without direct authority, build commitment, and create accountability across functions and organizational levels.
Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to simplify complexity and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders.
Willingness to travel as needed and meet the on-site expectations defined for the approved role and location.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading or materially supporting a new branded product, indication, or commercial program launch in the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry.
Immunology, gastroenterology, or IBD experience, including familiarity with complex patient, provider, access, and account pathways.
Experience across integrated go-to-market planning, patient support, market access, field readiness, customer experience, or launch measurement.
Demonstrated use of data and insights to inform priorities, readiness decisions, KPIs, and performance optimization.
Experience with scenario planning, Agile ways of working, launch governance, knowledge management, or post-launch hypercare.
Experience working across Global and market teams or in an alliance environment.

Responsibilities

Translate brand, customer, and go-to-market strategy into integrated, adaptable launch plans with clear outcomes, milestones, dependencies, and ownership.
Orchestrate readiness across core and extended launch workstreams and maintain visibility into the critical path.
Create methods to assess readiness, identify gaps, and support decisions using launch plans, readiness indicators, dashboards, and key performance indicators.
Support pre-launch measurement, launch monitoring, and post-launch hypercare so teams can learn and adjust.
Identify and challenge launch-critical risks, assumptions, and interdependencies, and facilitate mitigation, trade-off, and escalation discussions.
Lead scenario planning and prioritization to focus attention and resources on work most important to launch success.
Apply launch excellence practices with an outside-in and enterprise perspective, tailoring the approach to the asset, market, and IBD customer ecosystem.
Serve as a trusted thought partner and launch excellence subject matter expert, engaging appropriate functional expertise and constructively challenging teams.
Design and facilitate launch team meetings and readiness forums that drive alignment, decisions, accountability, and follow-through.
Build partnerships across Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Patient Support, Data & Analytics, Digital, Field, Learning & Development, Global teams, and Centers of Excellence.
Clarify Global-to-US inputs, ownership, and handoffs to address market-specific needs and avoid unnecessary duplication.
Capture and apply launch learnings, reusable practices, and knowledge to strengthen future Immunology and US Human Health launches.
Improve launch ways of working across people, process, and technology, including responsible use of digital and AI-enabled capabilities within company policies.
Help evolve the launch partner model from program coordination toward strategic partnership that improves integration, decision quality, and execution.