HIV Customer Representative - New Orleans Mirror

Merck•Montgomery Township, PA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The HIV Customer Representative is a key member of the Customer Team, supporting the Company's customer-centric business model. This field-based sales position covers the New Orleans Mirror Territory, including Jackson, MS, and requires the representative to reside within or commute to this territory. The role involves understanding and identifying customer needs, supporting pull-through activities, and ensuring the Company is viewed as demonstrating better health outcomes to healthcare professionals and their patients, all while adhering to company values and policies. The representative is expected to demonstrate professionalism and leadership by modeling required knowledge for successful execution of all Field Sales competencies. Specifically for HIV, the role requires executing the sales process, positioning HIV products against competition, staying ahead of market trends, adapting to evolving business environments, and asking strategic questions to understand customer healthcare needs. The representative will use insights to position HIV products, collaborate on customized business strategies, identify customer/market segments, and manage the Virology product portfolio. This includes understanding the HIV payer environment, developing and executing account plans in collaboration with the Virology Account Team, embracing technological capabilities for customer engagement, and managing relationships with cross-functional stakeholders and difficult-to-access customers in a “no sample” environment. The role demands a “business owner mindset” during periods of change and high-level compliance with all Company policies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree with at least 2 years Sales experience OR a minimum of high school diploma with at least 6 years of equivalent experience which could include professional sales, experience in marketing, military or healthcare/scientific field that is not sales related (pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical devices).
Valid Driver's license.
Willing to travel within the assigned territory to visit customers in-person and for national sales meetings/conferences.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of two (2) years working in one or more of the following areas: account management or sales experience working with Infectious Disease customers, with a preference for HIV product experience and/or launch experience.
Preference for specialty sales experience across multiple specialty markets with a preference for launch experience.
Experience in pharma, biotech or medical device sales.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing plans for engaging customers and meeting customer needs.
Demonstrated success in establishing, developing and maintaining relationships.
Prior experience working in a highly regulated industry or environment where compliance to laws and policies is critical.
Account experience working in complex hospital systems, teaching Institutions and community hospitals.
Demonstrated skill set to identify account inter-dependencies and build partnerships with key stakeholders/departments.
Experience with complex payer environments, recognizing the role each stakeholder plays in the ability to access the product portfolio, especially pharmacy stakeholders.
Current disease state customers acknowledge individual as a trusted and reliable representative.
Experience interacting with scientific thought leaders and developing advocates across an adoption continuum.
Demonstrated ability to develop customer relationships in a challenging-to-access or “no sampling” environment.
High level of business acumen and account management skills.
Current relationships with key opinion leaders within designated account preferred.
Leadership, planning and organization, self-motivation and initiative, ability to learn, understand and convey complex information.
Understanding of the value and importance of approaching job responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Communicates product information in a way that's meaningful and relevant to each individual customer; customizes discussions and client interactions based on understanding of customer's needs.
Engages in informed discussions about products with HCP customers – knowing when/how to seek and provide additional information.
Within select customer accounts, acts as primary point of contact for customer, meets with key customers/personnel to understand practice structure, business model, key influencers (IDS, ADAP, DOC, VAs, DOH)/network structure, customer needs and identifies business opportunities.
For select customer accounts/HCPs, coordinates with customer team to develop customer strategy – outlining strategy for interactions/ relationship, solutions and potential offerings for customer.
Shares learnings and best practices from one customer to help other customers meet their needs.
Demonstrates a focus on better health outcomes (considers the HCP & patient experience).
Provides input into resource allocation decisions across customers.
Identifies and selects programs/services available in the library of our "resources" to address customer needs.
Maintains current understanding of practice structure, business model, key influencers/ network structure and makes information available to relevant stakeholders.
Influences beyond their specific geography or product area.
Embraces and maximizes new technological capabilities and channels to engage customers.
Engages in all job responsibilities and activities with the highest standards of ethics and integrity, with particular emphasis on compliance with all relevant laws, policies and regulations.
Execute at each stage of the sales process.
Create a compelling and logical rationale in positioning our Company's HIV products versus the competition by focusing on appropriate patient types and use of supportive approved resources.
Stay ahead of market trends, assess impact of dynamics on current business state and make proactive recommendations to meet the future needs of the business.
Ask strategic, insightful questions to obtain information on customer healthcare needs.
Use insights to position HIV products and collaborate with customers on focused and customized business strategy.
Identify customer/market segments and industry conditions in local market. Special emphasis on Specialty Pharmacy to leverage business opportunities and understanding of HIV products distribution channels/challenges.
Drive results by appropriately managing the total Virology product portfolio by prioritizing individual opportunities and plan execution through customer segmentation, targeting and business analysis.
Articulate the complexities of the HIV payer environment, recognizing the role each stakeholder plays in the ability to access our company's Virology product portfolio.
Apply understanding of account needs and inter-dependencies in order to develop and execute account plans.
Collaborate and model teamwork with extended members of the Virology Account Team (CLs, CTLs, Managed Care, Marketing) in the development of long-term account plans and customer centric solutions to improve value for both customers and patients.
Embrace and maximize current and future technological capabilities and multi-channel opportunities to engage customers.
Demonstrate high-level collaboration skills to optimally maximize customer interactions and territory management with cross-functional Virology and non-Virology stakeholders such as Community Liaisons, IDS executives, fellow District members etc.
Forge and manage business relationships with difficult to access customers in a “no sample” environment.
Function effectively and employ a “business owner mindset” during business cycles undergoing a high degree of change, including flexing across customer segments, product portfolios, and working in flexible matrix configurations.
Demonstrate high-level compliance with all Company policies and procedures.