VP, Head of US Fertility

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

15d

About The Position

Work Your Magic with us! Start your next chapter and join EMD Serono. Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us. United As One for Patients, our purpose in Healthcare is to help create, improve and prolong lives. We develop medicines, intelligent devices and innovative technologies in therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Neurology and Fertility. Our teams work together across 6 continents with passion and relentless curiosity in order to help patients at every stage of life. Joining our Healthcare team is becoming part of a diverse, inclusive and flexible working culture, presenting great opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe. This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US. The VP Head of Fertility will provide leadership to the US Fertility teams and will be directly responsible for the management and profitability of the fertility business unit through effective leadership, strategic decision making, and the creation/implementation of objectives, strategies and tactics. The scope of the Fertility therapeutic area includes promoted brands: GONAL-f® (recombinant follitropin alfa for injection) prescribed to supplement or replace naturally occurring FSH, an essential hormone to treat infertility; the broader Fertility portfolio (Cetrotide and Ovidrel), and an emerging fertility technology business portfolio, including an innovative suite of medical devices, software and services geared toward the IVF lab. The Head of Fertility will provide strong leadership, excellent judgment, daily active participation and engagement to identify/assess new opportunities, maximize business results, work collaboratively with cross-functional U.S. and Global teams, and deliver on business objectives for the Fertility portfolio.

Requirements

BA/BS required, MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred
Requires a minimum of 10+ years of diverse sales, operations, or marketing experience, 5+ years in a leadership role
Understanding of the US biotech specialty space with demonstrated ability to learn and master complex business environments
Proven experience in direct-to-consumer strategies, patient access initiatives, and expanding outreach to enhance patient engagement and access.
Solid business acumen, deep customer insights and grasp of complex analytics required
Current understanding of pharmaceutical and promotional compliance guidelines and regulations required
Previous pharmaceutical sales leadership experience a plus
Minimum of 5+ years managing, leading and developing people required with a proven track record of building high performing teams that consistently drive results
Strategic ability to define a clear path in a complex environment, utilizing strong analytical skills to navigate through complex challenges, overcoming areas of ambiguity and deliver well thought out business solutions to seize opportunities for business growth
Ability to demonstrate creative and innovative strategies for business development and Life Cycle Management of current Fertility brands
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with field-based teams a must

Nice To Haves

Experience and deep understanding of the US fertility landscape highly preferred
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
Motivated by results, urgency and personal commitment. Possesses high integrity and exceptional work ethic. Fosters mutual trust and respect.
Ability to access and influence various functional areas and motivate groups to action
Ability to remain focused and purposeful in the presence of shifting priorities and strategies and provide a timely response to business and customer needs
Strong communication skills and an ability to translate complex information into succinct and impactful messages
Ability to present to all levels of the organizations to individuals and groups as well as respond succinctly and clearly to any questions and challenges while presenting
Collaborative work style and familiarity with core operating functions (sales, marketing, regulatory, legal, medical, global marketing and co-promotion partners)
Ability to work in a high functioning, fast-paced, global business environment

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership for the U.S. Fertility business unit with accountability for revenue, profitability and long‑term growth
Develop and own the U.S. Fertility strategic plan (annual operating plan and long‑range plan), ensuring alignment with U.S. Commercial and Global Fertility strategies
Turn strategy into action by translating portfolio strategy into clear objectives, priorities and resource allocation across brands, channels and customer segments
Monitor performance vs. plan; diagnose gaps and lead timely course‑correction to achieve financial and strategic objectives
Participate in business development, due diligence and commercial assessment activities for the U.S. market
Oversee strategy and market approach for annual marketing brand plans (GONAL‑f, Cetrotide, Ovidrel and emerging portfolio), ensuring clear customer insights, objectives, strategies, tactics and investment to drive category leadership and competitive differentiation
Drive overall marketing direction that anticipates and responds to changes in the market, competitive landscape, new data, treatment paradigms and market events
Conduct analysis, synthesize strategic inputs and provide recommendations across promoted brands, including pricing, positioning, promotion and access
Lead lifecycle management and portfolio optimization, including line extensions, and new channels
Develop and implement marketing projects and campaigns with agency partners, from concept through implementation, including development of tools, programs and services that fulfill brand strategies
Manage the promotional budget and interface with the business unit controller; ensure optimal ROI and adherence to approved budgets
Establish and maintain strong relationships with KOLs, fertility clinics, IVF labs, specialty pharmacies and key accounts to inform strategy and strengthen our position as a preferred partner
Develop and implement partnership strategies with professional associations, consumer groups, advocacy and trade organizations to increase the reach and impact of our fertility portfolio
Provide strategic oversight for patient support services (e.g., call center hubs), ensuring integration of patient services with overall brand strategy and an exceptional experience for patients and HCP offices
Regularly conduct field visits with customer‑facing teams to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing programs, tools and services and gather customer feedback
Evaluate, on an ongoing basis, core strategies, programs and competitor actions to ensure differentiation and relevance in the fertility marketplace
Partner closely with Sales Leadership to ensure successful implementation of POA strategies, programs, tools and services with consistent marketing messages
Collaborate with Market Access & Contracting and Trade to support brand value propositions and secure market access/formulary acceptance and effective distribution of products
Work with Medical Affairs, Health Economic Outcomes Research and other scientific functions to ensure evidence and medical strategies support brand positioning and customer needs
Collaborate with Global Fertility Franchise counterparts to provide U.S. insights, influence global strategy, and adapt global initiatives for U.S. execution
Partner with Legal, Regulatory, Compliance, Finance, IT, Procurement, Government Affairs and other therapeutic areas to ensure cohesive planning and delivery across the organization
Lead, manage and develop the U.S. Fertility team, setting clear objectives, allocating resources, monitoring activities and providing development opportunities
Identify and develop top talent; conduct ongoing performance reviews and provide candid, constructive feedback
Foster a high‑performance, inclusive culture that reflects our values of respect, integrity and achievement, and our behaviors of acting as an owner, raising the bar and innovating boldly
Build high‑performing teams that consistently drive results, collaborate effectively across field and headquarters, and are motivated by results, urgency and personal commitment
Ensure all market, advertising and promotional programs are managed within corporate policies, applicable laws, FDA regulations and industry codes
Work closely with Legal, Regulatory and Compliance to embed compliance into all sales and marketing materials, programs and partnerships
Establish metrics and dashboards to track business performance, customer impact and operational efficiency; drive continuous improvement in processes and execution
Maintain strong financial discipline in partnership with Finance, including accurate forecasting and management of OPEX and promotional spending
Research, model, evaluate and plan for new growth opportunities, including new products, services, channels and technology solutions
Make recommendations to address long‑term portfolio objectives; develop formal business cases including commercial terms, go‑to‑market strategies and execution plans
Build strong revenue partnerships that support our commercial strategy and expand the reach of our fertility offerings
Foster innovation in sales and marketing approaches and practices, identifying national and regional opportunities and barriers to success