Gulf Strategic Partnerships & Projects Lead

1230 Merck Sharp & Dohme IDEA Middle East; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

MSD in Dubai seeks a Gulf Strategic Partnerships & Projects Lead to shape and drive strategic partnerships and high-impact initiatives across the Gulf region, partnering with the Regional Alliances and Business Development teams.

The role oversees end-to-end delivery, ensures governance, budget adherence, and timely execution while building relationships with internal teams and external healthcare authorities to unlock long‑term value for patients and health systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Pharmacy, Medicine, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in management consulting, strategic projects, and / or business development within healthcare or pharmaceutical industries.
• Outstanding project management skills, including timeline definition, budget management, and proactive risk/opportunity identification.
• Strong business acumen and a can-do attitude to navigate complex challenges and overcome internal and external barriers.
• Deep knowledge of Gulf healthcare systems, regulatory frameworks, and strategic priorities.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and manage multiple stakeholders effectively.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Fluent in English; Arabic proficiency is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Identify and plan high-impact initiatives aligned with our Company's vision, strategic priorities, and local authorities' ambitions and needs.
• Oversee end-to-end execution of strategic initiatives, ensuring deliverables meet quality and compliance standards, are delivered on time, and within budget.
• Identify risks and opportunities that may impede or accelerate progress and develop actionable mitigation plans.
• Develop dashboards and progress reports to track initiatives and provide updates to senior leadership across multiple divisions.
• Present project updates to internal governance bodies and external steering committees to drive strategic decisions and progress.
• Monitor execution of our Company's commitments and authorities' agreements and compile and report our Company's local value contribution and impact in each country.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal cross-functional teams and external healthcare authorities to enable smooth project execution.
• Benchmark external environment, competitor activities, and internal priorities to propose innovative initiatives for partnerships that create long-term value.
• Ensure all initiatives comply with internal SOPs, governance processes, and local laws/regulations.

Skills

Building Partnerships

Business Acumen

Health Care Systems

Pharmaceutical Industry

Project Implementations

Project Management

Project Management Leadership

Regulatory Frameworks

Stakeholder Management

Strategic Planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Pharmacy, Medicine, or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Job Description Reporting to the Gulf & Libya Strategic Access Director, the Gulf Strategic Partnerships & Projects Lead is responsible for leading the design and execution of strategic partnerships and projects that advance our Company's vision and priorities in the Gulf region. In collaboration with the Regional Alliances and Business Development teams, this role leads transformational projects and fosters ecosystem partnerships, ensuring alignment with internal governance frameworks and the requirements of external healthcare authorities.

Key responsibilities

• Identify and plan high-impact initiatives aligned with our Company's vision, strategic priorities, and local authorities' ambitions and needs.
• Oversee end-to-end execution of strategic initiatives, ensuring deliverables meet quality and compliance standards, are delivered on time, and within budget.
• Identify risks and opportunities that may impede or accelerate progress and develop actionable mitigation plans.
• Develop dashboards and progress reports to track initiatives and provide updates to senior leadership across multiple divisions.
• Present project updates to internal governance bodies and external steering committees to drive strategic decisions and progress.
• Monitor execution of our Company's commitments and authorities' agreements and compile and report our Company's local value contribution and impact in each country.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal cross-functional teams and external healthcare authorities to enable smooth project execution.
• Benchmark external environment, competitor activities, and internal priorities to propose innovative initiatives for partnerships that create long-term value.
• Ensure all initiatives comply with internal SOPs, governance processes, and local laws/regulations.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Pharmacy, Medicine, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in management consulting, strategic projects, and / or business development within healthcare or pharmaceutical industries.
• Outstanding project management skills, including timeline definition, budget management, and proactive risk/opportunity identification.
• Strong business acumen and a can-do attitude to navigate complex challenges and overcome internal and external barriers.
• Deep knowledge of Gulf healthcare systems, regulatory frameworks, and strategic priorities.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and manage multiple stakeholders effectively.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Fluent in English; Arabic proficiency is a plus.

Compensation Information

Required Skills

• Building Partnerships
• Business Acumen
• Health Care Systems
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Project Implementations
• Project Management
• Project Management Leadership
• Regulatory Frameworks
• Stakeholder Management
• Strategic Planning

Job Posting End Date: 11/20/2026 A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where we have codified our legacy for over a century. Our success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.