Director, Patient Strategy & Digital Innovation

Merck & Co.; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 173,000 - 273,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision healthcare

Other insurance benefits (employee &/+

Retirement benefits (401k)

Paid holidays

Vacation

Sick days

Job summary

Merck & Co. is seeking a Director, Patient Strategy & Innovation Lead within the Digital Human Health group in Rahway, NJ.

This role drives strategy, engagement, and program management for patient-focused initiatives, collaborating across DHH, CEI, and marketing to align with our patient-first mission. The ideal candidate will bring 10+ years in patient support or digital health strategy, 5+ years leading cross-functional programs, and a deep understanding of the US healthcare landscape.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 10+ years in patient support, patient engagement, digital health strategy, program management, or related field in pharma/healthcare.
• 5+ years managing complex, cross-functional programs or teams in a matrixed environment.
• Proven track record of strategic patient engagement or marketing initiatives.
• Strong understanding of US healthcare, patient support programs, access and reimbursement.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management; ability to influence without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic development and execution of patient engagement programs.
• Identify and manage external partnerships to enhance patient support offerings.
• Serve as liaison between DHH Patient Capabilities, US CEI Patient CoE, and US marketing teams.
• Oversee end-to-end program management of patient experience projects within time and budget.
• Champion patient-centric innovation and evolve patient strategy with digital, data, and analytics capabilities.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Program management

Stakeholder management

Healthcare ecosystem knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (MBA/MPH)

Tools

Agile methodologies

Vendor management

Job description

Merck & Co. is seeking a Director, Patient Strategy & Innovation Lead within the Digital Human Health group in Rahway, NJ.

This role drives strategy, engagement, and program management for patient-focused initiatives, collaborating across DHH, CEI, and marketing to align with our patient-first mission. The ideal candidate will bring 10+ years in patient support or digital health strategy, 5+ years leading cross-functional programs, and a deep understanding of the US healthcare landscape.