Executive Director, Market Access

Merck•North Wales, PA

22h•$255,800 - $402,700•Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Market Access (GMAx) organization is dedicated to delivering breakthrough innovations that extend and improve lives worldwide, focusing on innovation and launch execution excellence. This role offers a significant opportunity to advance patient access within the growing vaccines & infectious diseases portfolio. The company's Influenza pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) asset, a first-in-class investigational long-acting, strain-agnostic antiviral, is in Phase 3 clinical development and addresses unmet needs in influenza prevention for high-risk individuals. The Executive Director, Global Market Access is a senior leader responsible for developing and implementing sustainable global market access, pricing, and reimbursement strategies, integrating them into the broader enterprise portfolio while considering the evolving policy landscape. This leader will shape enterprise-level strategy, driving alignment with R&D, commercial (US & Ex-US), and global market access functions to ensure timely, broad, and sustainable access for this newly acquired asset. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Global Market Access Vaccines & Infectious Diseases, the Executive Director serves on the Vaccines Infectious Diseases Access & Pricing leadership team and significantly influences investment, launch strategy, and long-term portfolio value.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
≥10 years in market access, pricing/reimbursement, public health, health economics, sales/marketing, or market research
Knowledge and experience in infectious disease, preferably in vaccines
Prior experience developing global business strategy
Knowledgeable about health economic tools and techniques
People management experience
Demonstrated excellence in strategic leadership, innovation, team building, cross-functional influence, and executive communication
Demonstrated innovative mindset and high level of comfort working in a white space environment that is necessary for innovation
Demonstrated ability to understand, develop and communicate scientific based strategies and messages
Comfort and confidence in working with teams and routinely demonstrates inclusive behaviors; actively seeks out different perspectives and experiences
Accountability
Business Development
Clinical Development
Cross-Cultural Awareness
Decision Making
Developing Pricing Strategies
Direct Marketing
Extensive Traveling
Global Market
Health Economics
Infectious Disease
Interpersonal Relationships
Latin American Markets
Leadership
Market Research
Medical Affairs
Patient Assistance Programs
People Leadership
Pricing Processes
Pricing Strategies
Product Development
Product Management
Public Health

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree

Responsibilities

Lead global payer value proposition development and integrated access & pricing strategies leading to Payer Value materials (ex. Dossiers).
Partner closely with the cross functional team including Marketing and Product Development Teams (PDTs), R&D, Finance, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Medical Affairs, Policy, Communications, regional and country teams to shape long‑term access strategy and evidence plans in the US and ex-US.
Anticipate environmental and competitive pressures, lead development of innovative pricing and access solutions efforts including partnership with Sustainable Access Solutions (SAS) team and others on GMAx LT.
Oversee payer and HTA/NITAG insights, market research, policy shaping, and 4th hurdle assessments to inform investment and launch decisions.
Owner of therapeutic level access & pricing strategy including tradeoffs, risk tolerance, escalation and overall governance and compliance responsibility.
Provide access assumptions for business development, portfolio strategy, and enterprise‑wide prioritization.
Build organizational capability and talent pipeline across the Vaccines Infectious Diseases team.