Senior Manager, Market Access & Pricing Strategy

Merck; Mumbai; On-site; INR 3,600,000 - 5,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck in India seeks a Senior Manager - Market Access and Pricing Strategy to lead pricing strategy and affordability programs across the portfolio, ensuring alignment with regulatory pricing governance including DPCO/NPPA compliance. The role interfaces with Market Access, Finance, Commercial, Medical and Legal to translate complex pricing decisions into clear action plans.

The ideal candidate will have 10–14 years of pricing experience, strong financial modelling, and expertise in government

Qualifications

• 10-14 years of experience in pharmaceutical pricing, market access, forecasting, health economics, consulting, or related roles, with significant India pricing regulation exposure.
• Deep expertise in building financial models, pricing analyses, and access business cases.
• Experience working within a multinational pricing governance structure building business case for regional/global approval.
• Hands-on experience with government and institutional pricing rate contract processes, tender/rate contract strategy, and public procurement dynamics is desired
• Strong financial modelling and analytical skills; ability to translate pricing analytics into executive-level recommendations.
• Demonstrated track record of managing DPCO/NPPA compliance and price approvals, ideally across both scheduled and non-scheduled formulations.
• Experience in commercial or demand forecasting, including scenario development and cross-functional assumption alignment, is preferred.
• Working knowledge of health economic metrics known to the role.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the India pricing strategy across the portfolio, covering launch pricing, in-line price management, and lifecycle pricing decisions.
• Build pricing recommendations grounded in value evidence, competitive dynamics, payer/channel economics, and affordability considerations across private, institutional, and government segments.
• Lead pricing inputs for new product launches, including price corridor analysis, reference pricing implications, and cross-country spillover risk assessment.
• Partner with regional and global pricing teams to align local pricing recommendations with global strategy, international reference pricing constraints.
• Shape and design affordability programmes in partnership with brand teams, medical, legal, and compliance.
• Model the commercial and access impact of affordability designs, including net price implications, conversion and persistence outcomes, and channel considerations.
• Design contracting framework, including rebate structures, utilization management conditions, and innovative contracting solutions across private and institutional segments.
• Ensure key pricing, access, and policy assumptions are consistently reflected in business planning, forecast, launch readiness, and portfolio decisions.
• Ensure programs structures are compliant, sustainable, and aligned with the overall pricing and access strategy for each asset.
• Partner in development and implementation of integrated access strategies for speciality products, including affordability programs, patient support solutions, private health insurance engagement to support sustainable patient access.

Skills

Pricing strategy

Affordability design

Regulatory pricing

Price monitoring

NPPA DPCO

Financial modelling

Health economics

Contract negotiation

Forecasting

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Senior Manager - Market Access and Pricing Strategy

Reports to: Associate Director Market Access

The Senior Manager, Market Access and Pricing Strategy leads the development and execution of pricing strategy across our company India portfolio, ensuring alignment with regional and global pricing governance while responding to the realities of India's regulated pricing environment. The role combines strategic pricing leadership, affordability solution design, and regulatory pricing expertise, including price monitoring and compliance under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) and National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

This individual works at the intersection of Market Access, Finance, Commercial, Medical, and Legal, translating complex pricing and contracting decisions into clear frameworks that business teams can execute. Pricing remains the primary accountability, complemented by forecasting and health economics. The ideal candidate is a seasoned pricing professional with strong analytical capability and experience in specialty care, government pricing compliance, and contract negotiation.

Key Responsibilities:

Pricing Strategy & Affordability Program Design

• Develop and own the India pricing strategy across the portfolio, covering launch pricing, in-line price management, and lifecycle pricing decisions.
• Build pricing recommendations grounded in value evidence, competitive dynamics, payer/channel economics, and affordability considerations across private, institutional, and government segments.
• Lead pricing inputs for new product launches, including price corridor analysis, reference pricing implications, and cross-country spillover risk assessment.
• Partner with regional and global pricing teams to align local pricing recommendations with global strategy, international reference pricing constraints
• Shape and design affordability programmes in partnership with brand teams, medical, legal, and compliance.
• Model the commercial and access impact of affordability designs, including net price implications, conversion and persistence outcomes, and channel considerations.
• Design contracting framework, including rebate structures, utilization management conditions, and innovative contracting solutions across private and institutional segments
• Ensure key pricing, access, and policy assumptions are consistently reflected in business planning, forecast, launch readiness, and portfolio decisions.
• Ensure programs structures are compliant, sustainable, and aligned with the overall pricing and access strategy for each asset.
• Partner in development and implementation of integrated access strategies for speciality products, including affordability programs, patient support solutions, private health insurance engagement to support sustainable patient access.

Pricing Governance, Monitoring and Compliance

• Establish robust pricing governance processes and approval frameworks.
• Provide strategic recommendations on list price changes, channel pricing, institutional pricing, and account-specific pricing scenarios.
• Evaluate pricing implications of policy changes, reimbursement developments, and competitive actions.
• Act as the organisation's expert on India's pharmaceutical pricing regulation: DPCO provisions, NLEM/NPPA scheduling implications, ceiling price fixation, WPI-linked price revisions, and new-drug price approvals.
• Track and interpret evolving pricing policy (NLEM revisions, trade margin rationalisation, price control expansion proposals) and translate implications into portfolio risk assessments and mitigation strategies.

Health Economics

• Shape fit-for-purpose health economic and value evidence plans for priority assets, aligned with India access and policy needs.
• Partner with Medical, Outcomes Research, regional/global Health Economics and Outcomes Research teams, and external experts to adapt or develop budget impact, cost-effectiveness, and value demonstration analyses.

Qualifications and Experience

• 10-14 years of experience in pharmaceutical pricing, market access, forecasting, health economics, consulting, or related roles, with significant India pricing regulation exposure.
• Deep expertise in building financial models, pricing analyses, and access business cases.
• Experience working within a multinational pricing governance structure building business case for regional/global approval.
• Hands-on experience with government and institutional pricing rate contract processes, tender/rate contract strategy, and public procurement dynamics is desired
• Strong financial modelling and analytical skills; ability to translate pricing analytics into executive-level recommendations.
• Demonstrated track record of managing DPCO/NPPA compliance and price approvals, ideally across both scheduled and non-scheduled formulations.
• Experience in commercial or demand forecasting, including scenario development and cross-functional assumption alignment, is preferred.
• Working knowledge of health economic met