Executive Director, State Government Affairs West

Merck; North Wales (Montgomery County); Hybrid; USD 256.000 - 403.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays and vacation

Zusammenfassung

Merck & Co., Inc. in North Wales, PA, is seeking an Executive Director of State Government Affairs to lead a Western U.S. team of 6–7 Directors across ~25 states.

The role focuses on state legislative, regulatory, and policy issues to safeguard access to innovative medicine and vaccines. The position entails developing regional strategy, engaging senior stakeholders, and ensuring compliance with laws while guiding talent development.

Qualifikationen

• Minimum 10 years of state government affairs and policy experience.
• Experience developing legislative policy priorities aligned with business priorities.
• Experience addressing policy issues affecting the bio-pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience managing and leading teams, including employee development.
• Demonstrated experience engaging executive-level leaders.
• Strong experience with internal and external stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of state legislative policy-making process.
• Experience in analyzing state legislation.
• Strong writing and presentation skills.

Aufgaben

• Direct and manage the team on state legislative and policy issues.
• Manage the activities of the Directors in the West region on interactions with state and local officials.
• Lead execution of regional strategy to mitigate policy risks and maintain a competitive biopharmaceuticals market.
• Manage engagement with a broad group of stakeholders in legislative and executive branches, key agencies, and associations.
• Identify, analyze, and develop responses to legislative policy issues impacting priorities.
• Lead for assigned policy priorities and manage team assignments.
• Serve as point to external stakeholder groups to align on policy positions.
• Work cross-divisionally with franchise, policy, and SMEs to align on priorities and strategy.
• Support and guide professional development and growth of team members.
• Manage contractual and operational resources for the western region, including political contributions, contract counsel, and policy grants oversight.
• Ensure state advocacy on behalf of the company in the region complies with policy and laws.

Kenntnisse

Coalition Management

Government Relations

Health Equity

HTA

Legislative Issues

Media Relations

People Leadership

Policy Development

Public Health Policy Development

Public Policy Analysis

PR Management

Public Speaking

Regulatory Development

Results-Oriented

Strategic Planning

Ausbildung

BS/BA

Jobbeschreibung

Job Description

Our U.S. State Government Affairs & Policy team collaborates with state, local and national levels of government across the U.S. We address legislative and regulatory issues that promote and protect the discovery of innovative medicine, vaccines and animal health products while improving and protecting patient access to care.

Job Description

Our U.S. State Government Affairs & Policy team collaborates with state, local and national levels of government across the U.S. We address legislative and regulatory issues that promote and protect the discovery of innovative medicine, vaccines and animal health products while improving and protecting patient access to care.
The Executive Director State Government Affairs leads a team of 6-7 state Government Affairs Directors for the western half of the U.S. covering approximately a 25-state region. The team represents the company in its interactions with Executive, Legislative and Regulatory bodies of state and local governments.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage team’s work on state legislative and policy issues to support all U.S. Divisions and operations, including human health and animal health
• Manage the activities of the individual Directors in the West region on their interactions with state and local officials
• Lead execution of region strategy to mitigate legislative policy risks that would limit access to our products and support proactive policy to maintain a competitive market for innovative biopharmaceuticals
• Manage the team’s engagement with a broad group of stakeholders in the legislative and executive branches of government, key state agencies, and business, trade, and health policy associations
• As part of leadership team identify, analyze, and develop Company’s response to legislative policy issues impacting strategic business priorities
• Serve as lead for assigned policy priorities for products, above-brand issues, department operations, and resource development; and manage team assignments
• Serve as point to external stakeholder legislative, policy and business groups to ensure alignment on policy positions
• Work cross-divisionally with franchise, policy, and subject matter experts to align on policy priorities and strategy
• Support and guide the individual professional development and growth of team members
• Manage contractual and operational resources for the western region, including political contributions, contract counsel, and policy grant oversight
• Ensure state advocacy on behalf of the company in the region is conducted in compliance with company policy and all state and federal laws

Position Qualifications

Location

• Site-based (Upper Gwynedd; North Wales, PA). Offers remote flexibility with travel to multiple sites.
• 50% Travel (Across U.S. and routine to Washington, DC)

Education Minimum Requirement

• BS/BA required

Required Experience

• Minimum 10 years-experience in state government affairs and policy
• Experience developing legislative policy priorities aligned with business priorities
• Experience addressing policy issues affecting the bio-pharmaceutical industry
• Experience managing and leading teams, including employee development
• Demonstrated experience engaging executive level leaders
• Strong experience with internal and external stakeholder engagement
• Knowledge of state legislative policy-making process
• Experience in analyzing state legislation
• Strong writing and presentation skills

Required Skills

Coalition Management, Government Relations, Health Equity, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Legislative Issues, Media Relations, People Leadership, Policy Development, Public Health Policy Development, Public Policy Analysis, Public Relations (PR) Management, Public Speaking, Regulatory Development, Results-Oriented, Strategic Planning

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.

Requirements

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.
Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts
The primary location for this posting is:
USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$255,800.00 - $402,700.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.

Employee Status

Regular

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.

Additional location(s)

Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

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

Flexible Work Arrangements

Remote

Job Posting End Date

11/10/2026

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