Head of Commercial Excellence

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

About The Position

You will be responsible for driving the transformation of commercial capabilities to achieve sustainable growth and operational effectiveness. This role will define and execute a cohesive commercial strategy, aligning cross-functional teams and optimizing tools, processes, and programs to enhance sales effectiveness, customer engagement, and marketing impact. The role will drive impact through functional excellence by building high-performing teams and processes, tool excellence by implementing scalable and innovative solutions, and governance excellence by establishing clear frameworks for performance management and accountability. This role encompasses key areas such as CRM, commercial learning, territory management, sales incentives, X-Franchise growth initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field.
Proven track record as a hands-on commercial leader, with direct experience in driving sales performance and successfully implementing strategies that deliver measurable growth and revenue impact within the life sciences products or services industry.
Proven experience in commercial strategy, sales enablement, and marketing within a global organization.
Demonstrated experience in leading and managing global, cross-functional teams with a focus on collaboration, alignment, and achieving strategic objectives.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and market trends.
Excellent presentation and communication skills, with a track record of influencing senior leadership.
Strong problem-solving skills with a result-driven approach.
Experience in coaching and developing team members.

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred

Responsibilities

Drive CRM excellence across the life sciences division by establishing and continuously enhancing a best-in-class customer relationship management system, aiming at optimizing customer engagement and supporting sales efforts.
Oversee education and capability planning initiatives across the life sciences division, ensuring that teams are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel.
Develop and implement pricing strategies that align with market conditions and business objectives, ensuring competitive positioning and profitability.
Define, monitor, and analyze commercial performance metrics to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Develop and implement best-in-class sales incentive systems.
Establish robust commercial KPI frameworks and governance structures to enable data-driven decision-making and resource allocation.
Drive the optimization, simplification, and streamlining of commercial processes to enhance efficiency, reduce complexity, and support sustainable business growth.
Establish and champion customer experience initiatives by leveraging NPS and CSAT KPIs to ensure all customer interactions drive satisfaction, foster loyalty, and contribute to revenue growth.
Develop and deliver impactful presentations and insights that inform business unit decision-making and enhance execution.
Lead cross-functional workshops and initiatives to align sales, marketing, and operations around customer-centric execution.
Collaborate with diverse business units and regions to co-develop and implement sales plans, manage conflicting priorities, and enable sales effectiveness through robust support functions.
Provide coaching and performance management to enhance team capabilities and foster a high-performance culture.
Foster collaboration across Sales, Marketing, and Digital teams to deliver integrated solutions that meet customer needs.
Embody High Impact Culture values, including customer obsession, ownership, curiosity, urgency, raising the bar, and the 3Ds: Disagree, Decide, Deliver.