Dir , Patient Strategy & Innovation lead

MSD; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 173,000 - 273,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ is seeking a Director to lead Patient Strategy & Innovation. You will drive patient engagement programs, collaborate with the Patient CoE and marketing teams, and oversee end-to-end program delivery to improve patient outcomes and experiences.

The role requires 10+ years in patient strategy/engagement and a strong healthcare ecosystem understanding. Hybrid work arrangements and a comprehensive benefits package are provided.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 10+ years of relevant experience in patient support, patient engagement, digital health strategy, program management, or commercial operations within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare industry.
• 5+ years of experience managing complex, cross-functional programs or teams in a highly matrixed environment.
• Proven track record of developing and executing strategic patient engagement or marketing initiatives.
• Strong understanding of the US healthcare ecosystem, including patient support programs, access, and reimbursement dynamics.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority across brand and enterprise teams.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Execution: Lead the strategic development and execution of patient engagement programs, ensuring alignment with broader DHH and Human Health objectives.
• Partnership & Ecosystem Development: Identify, cultivate, and manage innovative external partnerships that enhance our patient support offerings and accelerate our digital patient capabilities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary liaison between the DHH Patient Capabilities team, the US CEI Patient CoE, and US marketing brand teams to ensure seamless integration and deployment of patient initiatives.
• Program Management: Oversee the end-to-end program management of key patient experience projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and achieve defined success metrics.
• Future Patient Strategy: Act as a champion for patient-centric innovation, gathering internal and external best practices to continuously evolve how our company’s supports patients throughout their treatment journey.

Skills

Business Analysis

Clinical Outcomes

Commercial Operations Management

Data Science

Engagement Strategies

Innovation

Leadership Management

Matrix Management

Multidisciplinary Teamwork

Patient Care

Patient Engagement

Patient Management

Patient Monitoring

Patient Observation

Patient Support

Policy Compliance

Requirements Management

Schedule Adherence

Situational Leadership

Sourcing and Procurement

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA or MPH (Advanced degree)

Job description

Job Description

Our Digital Human Health (DHH) team is transforming how we engage with and support patients throughout their healthcare journey. We are at the forefront of building a more connected, personalized, and seamless patient experience, which will be critical to helping patients to benefit from our upcoming launch products. Working cross-functionally, we are inventing new ways of leveraging digital, data, and analytics to improve health outcomes and deliver on our “patient-first” mission.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Digital Patient Experience, the Director, Patient Strategy & Innovation Lead will be instrumental in executing our patient-centric vision. This new role will lead the strategy, engagement, and program management for patient-focused initiatives, working in tight partnership with the Patient CoE in the US Commercial Excellence & Innovation (CEI) team and US marketing brand teams.

Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Execution:Lead the strategic development and execution of patient engagement programs, ensuring alignment with broader DHH and Human Health objectives.
• Partnership & Ecosystem Development:Identify, cultivate, and manage innovative external partnerships that enhance our patient support offerings and accelerate our digital patient capabilities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:Serve as the primary liaison between the DHH Patient Capabilities team, the US CEI Patient CoE, and US marketing brand teams to ensure seamless integration and deployment of patient initiatives.
• Program Management:Oversee the end-to-end program management of key patient experience projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and achieve defined success metrics.
• Future Patient Strategy:Act as a champion for patient-centric innovation, gathering internal and external best practices to continuously evolve how our company’s supports patients throughout their treatment journey. Drive visioning for continued evolution of our patient strategy and the digital, data, and analytics capabilities needed to enable this.

Required Experience and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree
• 10+ years of relevant experience in patient support, patient engagement, digital health strategy, program management, or commercial operations within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare industry.
• 5+ years of experience managing complex, cross-functional programs or teams in a highly matrixed environment.
• Proven track record of developing and executing strategic patient engagement or marketing initiatives.
• Strong understanding of the US healthcare ecosystem, including patient support programs, access, and reimbursement dynamics.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority across brand and enterprise teams.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MPH).
• Prior experience specifically working within or closely partnering with a commercial patient support Center of Excellence (CoE).
• Demonstrated experience in evaluating, negotiating, and managing digital health partnerships or vendor relationships.
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and digital product development lifecycles.

Required Skills

Business Analysis, Business Analysis, Clinical Outcomes, Commercial Operations Management, Data Science, Demand Management, Engagement Strategies, Innovation, Leadership Management, Leadership Theories, Liaison Work, Matrix Management, Multidisciplinary Teamwork, Organizational Leadership, Patient Care, Patient Engagement, Patient Management, Patient Monitoring, Patient Observation, Patient Support, Policy Compliance, Requirements Management, Schedule Adherence, Situational Leadership, Sourcing and Procurement {+ 2 more}

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. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement

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.

The salary range for this role is

$173,200.00 - $272,600.00

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. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

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

09/8/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.