Associate Director, Patient and Channel Data Management

Merck & Co.; Elmora (NJ); Hybrid; USD 142,000 - 224,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ, is seeking an Associate Director, Patient and Channel Data Management to lead the curation, governance, quality and operationalization of patient and channel data assets powering commercial decisions across therapeutic areas.

The role requires deep expertise in specialty pharma data ecosystems, strong problem solving, and the ability to influence cross-functional partners, data vendors, and governance teams to deliver robust data infrastructure and reporting

Qualifications

• BA/BS with 10+ years (or MBA/MS with 7+ years) in commercial data management, analytics, or operations in pharma.
• Deep expertise in patient/specialty pharma data ecosystems, incl. channel/trade data and SP/SD reconciliation.
• Strong knowledge of datasets like IQVIA LAAD, APLD, Symphony Health, Precision, MMIT.
• Experience with data tokenization, PHI handling, and HIPAA compliance.
• Proficiency with data management/analytics tools (SQL, Redshift, Databricks or equivalent).
• Experience managing external data vendors and holding partners to SLAs.
• Ability to influence without authority and drive cross-functional alignment.
• Flexible leadership and emotional intelligence in complex stakeholder environments.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical approach to data issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; translate data concepts for multiple audiences.
• Experience supporting ophthalmology/immunology or specialty/rare disease franchises (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Serve as SME and strategic owner for channel and patient data assets; develop data frameworks, SOPs, data dictionaries, and maps.
• Establish data quality metrics; drive root cause analysis and resolution of quality issues.
• Support integration of specialty data into commercial reporting, forecasting, and analytics; align with governance principles.
• Contribute to launch readiness by building data infrastructure and reporting frameworks for new products or indications.
• Provide accurate channel-level data inputs to support gross-to-net and deductions modeling with Trade and Market Access.
• Manage relationships with data aggregators, distributors, SP data providers, and vendors; manage SLAs.
• Translate complex data concepts for non-technical audiences across stakeholders.
• Manage end-to-end data flows from distributors, SP inventory/dispense, chargeback, and ex-factory data.
• Build and govern data assets across the patient journey in HIPAA-compliant ways.
• Maintain knowledge of industry datasets (IQVIA LAAD, APLD, Symphony, Precision, MMIT) and apply tokenization to link PHI.

Skills

Biopharma Industry

Business Intelligence

Corporate Productions

Database Administration

Data Engineering

Data Flows

Data Management

Data Modeling

Data Quality

Data Quality Assessments

Data Visualization

Design Applications

Immunoassays

Immunochemistry

Immunology

Immunotherapy

Information Management

Software Development

SDLC

Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Management

System Designs

Job description

Job Description

The-Associate Director, Patient and Channel Data Management will report into Director, Commercial Data Solutions within the Data Strategy products and Innovation organization (DSPI) department.

In this role, a typical day might include:

The Associate Director, Patient and Channel Data management is responsible for the curation, governance, quality and operationalization of patient/specialty data assets that power commercial decision making across therapeutic areas. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in specialty pharmaceutical data ecosystems, strong problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to influence and drive alignment across a broad set of cross-functional partners.

This role might be for you if you can/have:

• Serve as the subject matter expert and strategic owner for channel and patient support services data assets; develop and maintain data management frameworks, SOPs, data dictionaries, and data maps across all relevant data domains
• Establish and monitor data quality metrics to ensure accuracy, completeness, and integrity; drive root cause analysis and resolution of data quality issues, including SP/SD/patient-level data reconciliation
• Support integration of specialty data into commercial reporting, forecasting, and analytics platforms; maintain alignment with enterprise data governance principles in partnership with governance teams
• Contribute to launch readiness by building data infrastructure and reporting frameworks ahead of new product or indication launches; represent the data management function in commercial operations working groups and leadership reviews
• Provide accurate channel-level data inputs to support gross-to-net and revenue deductions modeling in partnership with Trade and Market Access teams
• Manage relationships with data aggregators, specialty distributors, SP data providers, and-PSS-vendors, including contract scope, data delivery SLAs, issue escalation, and regular business reviews
• Serve as a key data management partner across internal stakeholders (PSS, Trade, IAM, -Market Access, Advanced Analytics), translating complex data concepts into clear business context for non-technical audiences
• Manage end-to-end data flows from specialty distributors and specialty pharmacies, including SD 867/852 transaction data, SP inventory and dispense, chargeback, and ex-factory shipment data
• Build, manage and govern-PSS-data assets across the full patient journey (patient intake, BI/BV, eBV, PA/ePA, copay enrollment/claims, free goods/PAP/IAP, Adherence) in strict compliance with HIPAA, PHI requirements, and our company data governance and tokenization standards
• Maintain working knowledge of and leverage industry-standard commercial datasets (IQVIA LAAD, APLD, Symphony Health, Precision, MMIT); apply data tokenization methodologies to link patient-level data across sources while maintaining PHI compliance

To be considered for this opportunity, you must have the following:

• BA/BS with 10+ years (or MBA/MS with 7+ years) of experience in commercial data management, analytics, or operations within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry
• Deep expertise in patient/specialty pharmaceutical data ecosystems, including: Deep expertise in specialty pharmaceutical data ecosystems, including channel/trade data (SD 867/852, SP inventory/dispense, chargeback, ex-factory), SP/SD reconciliation and audit controls, and-PSS-data (patient intake, BI/BV, eBV, PA/ePA, copay enrollment/claims, free goods, IAP/PAP)
• Strong working knowledge of industry-standard datasets including IQVIA LAAD, APLD, Symphony Health, Precision, and MMIT
• Experience with data tokenization, PHI handling, and HIPAA compliance requirements
• Proficiency with data management and analytics tools (e.g., SQL,Redshift, Databricks, or equivalent)
• Proven experience managing external data vendors and holding partners accountable to SLAs
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated flexibility, leadership presence, and emotional intelligence when navigating complex stakeholder environments and competing priorities
• Strong problem-solving skills with a structured, analytical approach to identifying and resolving data issues
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex data concepts for multiple audiences
• Experience supporting an ophthalmology, Immunology, or other specialty/rare disease commercial franchise (Preferred)

Required Skills

Biopharmaceutical Industry, Business Intelligence (BI), Corporate Productions, Database Administration, Data Engineering, Data Flows, Data Management, Data Modeling, Data Quality, Data Quality Assessments, Data Visualization, Design Applications, Immunoassays, Immunochemistry, Immunology, Immunotherapy, Information Management, Software Development, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, System Designs

Preferred Skills

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another's thinking and approach problems collectively.

Salary

The salary range for this role is $142,400.00 - $224,100.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.

The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only

We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status: Regular

Relocation: No relocation

VISA Sponsorship: No

Travel Requirements: 10%

Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid

Shift: Not Indicated

Valid Driving License: No

Hazardous Material(s): n/a

Job Posting End Date: 08/31/2026 *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.