Associate Director D&A Strategy

Merck; New Jersey; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck in New Jersey seeks an Associate Director of Specialty Pharmacy Data Strategy, Contracting & Enablement to lead strategy, contracting, and enablement of SP data assets supporting commercial analytics and decision-making.

The role connects business needs with data requirements, working across Sourcing, Legal, Privacy and Compliance to ensure data delivery aligns with agreements and FMV considerations. Strong vendor governance and cross-functional collaboration are essential.

Qualifications

• Must have BA/BS with 10+ years, or MBA/MS with 7+ years in pharma/biotech data, SP, analytics or related.
• Deep understanding of SP data ecosystem including dispense/inventory, patient status/referral, BI/BV, PA/ePA, copay, PAP/free goods, and adherence data.
• Experience translating business processes and KPIs into data requirements and contractual deliverables.
• Experience developing data agreements with SPs, data aggregators, Hub/PSS vendors or other providers.
• Experience partnering across Sourcing, Legal, Privacy, Compliance, Analytics, Technology and business teams to acquire and operationalize external data.

Responsibilities

• Define SP data strategy and roadmap to support patient journeys, operations, reporting, KPIs, and analytics.
• Lead SP data contracting, defining data requirements, elements, rules, file specs, delivery frequency, data quality, SLAs.
• Embed data requirements and usage rights into agreements through collaboration with Sourcing/Contracting, Legal, Privacy, Compliance.
• Establish traceability from business needs to data requirements, vendor commitments and reporting outcomes.
• Manage relationships with Specialty Pharmacies, data aggregators, PSS providers and other data partners.

Skills

Advanced Analytics

Business Analysis

Education

BA/BS

MBA/MS

Tools

SQL

Databricks

Redshift

Job description

Associate Director, Specialty Pharmacy Data Strategy, Contracting & Enablement

The Associate Director, Specialty Pharmacy (SP) Data Strategy Contracting & Enablement will report to the Director, Commercial Data Solutions within the Data Strategy, Products and Innovation organization.

This role will lead the strategy, acquisition, contracting, and enablement of Specialty Pharmacy and patient-level data assets that support commercial operations, reporting, analytics, and decision-making. The role will connect business processes, patient journeys, reporting needs, and KPIs to the data required to enable them, while ensuring those requirements are appropriately incorporated into vendor agreements and successfully operationalized.

In this role, a typical day might include:

• Define the SP data strategy and roadmap , identifying data required to support patient journeys, operational processes, reporting, KPIs, and advanced analytics.
• Lead SP data contracting , translating business and analytical needs into clearly defined data requirements, including critical data elements, business rules, file specifications, delivery frequency, data quality expectations, and SLAs.
• Partner with Sourcing/Contracting, Legal, Privacy, and Compliance to embed data requirements, usage rights, and delivery expectations into new agreements, renewals, and amendments.
• Establish traceability from business need and KPI to data requirement to vendor commitment to data delivery to reporting and analytics , ensuring acquired data is fit for its intended purpose.
• Manage strategic relationships with Specialty Pharmacies, data aggregators, PSS providers, and other data partners , driving alignment on capabilities, deliverables, performance, and evolving business needs.
• Oversee data aggregator engagements , including data scope, licensing and usage rights, service levels, renewals, commercial considerations, and ongoing vendor governance.
• Lead or support Fair Market Value (FMV) evaluations for data and data-related services, ensuring investments are aligned to defined business needs, data utility, and value.
• Drive end-to-end implementation and enablement of new or enhanced data feeds, partnering with vendors and internal technology teams through design, testing, validation, production deployment, and stabilization.
• Establish and monitor data quality and delivery standards , driving resolution of gaps across contracted requirements, vendor delivery, downstream ingestion, and reporting.
• Embed data strategy and requirements early into product launches, SP onboarding, network changes, PSS transformations, and vendor transitions .
• Develop scalable data standards, dictionaries, specifications, data maps, and governance frameworks across SP and patient-level data assets.
• Identify opportunities to enhance, consolidate, or rationalize external data assets , improving business value while reducing duplication and unnecessary complexity.
• Ensure patient-level data acquisition and enablement align with applicable HIPAA, PHI, privacy, tokenization, data usage, and enterprise governance requirements .

To be considered for this opportunity, you must have:

• BA/BS with 10+ years , or MBA/MS with 7+ years , of relevant experience in pharmaceutical/biotechnology data, Specialty Pharmacy, Patient Support Services, Market Access, analytics, or related disciplines.
• Deep understanding of the Specialty Pharmacy and patient data ecosystem , including dispense/inventory, patient status/referral, BI/BV, PA/ePA, copay, PAP/free goods, and adherence data.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business processes, patient journeys, reporting requirements, and KPIs into data requirements and contractual deliverables .
• Experience developing and managing data agreements and external data partnerships , including SPs, data aggregators, Hub/PSS vendors, or other commercial data providers.
• Experience partnering across Sourcing, Legal, Privacy, Compliance, Analytics, Technology, and business teams to acquire and operationalize external data.
• Understanding of FMV assessments, data licensing, usage rights, SLAs, data quality, and vendor governance .
• Strong understanding of patient-level data governance, PHI/HIPAA considerations, and data quality management .
• Strong strategic thinking, stakeholder management, problem-solving, and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to influence across internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting specialty/rare disease or other patient-support-intensive therapeutic areas.
• Working knowledge of data and analytics environments such as SQL, Databricks, Redshift, or equivalent platforms.
• Familiarity with commercial and patient-level data sources such as IQVIA, Symphony Health, MMIT, Precision, or similar data providers.
• Experience supporting product launches, SP network changes, Hub/SP implementations, or major data/vendor transformations.

Required Skills:

• Advanced Analytics, Business Analysis,