Field Medical Alignment Director (FMAD), Oncology

Merck; Augusta (ME); Remote; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. seeks an US Oncology Medical Affairs Field Medical Alignment Director to lead strategic alignment across USMA for an expanding Oncology portfolio. You will partner with EDs, TLs, and senior leadership to shape execution plans, life-cycle strategies, and high-impact communications.

Remote work options and 25% travel are expected in this senior role. Responsibilities include developing reports, dashboards, and cross-functional initiatives, while applying scientific expertise to

Qualifications

• Advanced healthcare/science doctoral degree.
• 5+ years field/medical affairs experience including 2 years HQ role or equivalent.
• Minimum of 3 years oncology experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, strategic, tactical planning, project leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to handle a demanding and changing workload and respond efficiently to timelines.
• Ability to work across a portfolio along the product life cycle.
• Ability to communicate with senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite and awareness of AI applications in medical affairs.

Responsibilities

• Influence field medical execution to strategy planning through collaboration with EDs, TLs, PHS PASLs, SaMIs and US Directors of Medical Affairs.
• Represent US TA Medical Affairs at cross-functional meetings to ensure resource alignment and execution excellence.
• Develop and lead implementation strategies across product life cycles and maximize program synergies.
• Support communications with executive presentations and impact storytelling.
• Develop dashboards and analytics to track performance against goals and impact metrics.
• Identify opportunities to embed an AI-first mindset within Oncology.

Skills

Healthcare/Science Doctorate

Leadership experience

Oncology experience

Strategic planning

Communication skills

AI in medical affairs

Cross-functional teamwork

Microsoft Office

Education

Doctorate (MD/PhD/PharmD)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Role Summary:

The US Oncology Medical Affairs Field Medical Alignment Director (FMAD) plays a critical leadership role in advancing the strategic priorities of US Medical Affairs (MA) across a dynamic and growing Oncology portfolio. This role is a key member of the Oncology/GI US Medical Affairs Leadership Teams and leverages scientific acumen and expertise within a disease state/tumor type to drive alignment, innovation, and execution across the oncology ecosystem. The Director will work in conjunction with the Executive Directors (ED) and Team Leads (TL) to support USMA execution to strategy.

Key responsibilities include optimizing Field Execution Plans within designated TAs, devising opportunities for execution partnerships across USMA, and establishing implementation strategies to support portfolio life cycle management, within the framework of our policies. Additional responsibilities will include development of reports and presentations that effectively represent the impact of the USMA teams.

Responsibilities and Primary Activities

Strategic Planning and Execution Leadership:

• Influence field medical execution to strategy planning through collaboration with EDs, TLs, Payor Health Systems (PHS) PASLs, SaMIs and US Directors of Medical Affairs (DMA) to ensure strategic prioritization, implementation, and execution of USMA Goals/Objectives and Country Medical Affairs Plans.
• Represent US TA Medical Affairs at departmental or cross-functional meetings impacting the full TA teams to ensure appropriate resource allocation, alignment and planning and execution excellence.
• Develop and lead implementation strategies throughout product life cycles and maximize synergies across programs and Scientific Leaders to deliver on Enterprise and Country strategic imperatives/goals.
• Support team value creation by identifying areas of high impact and translating into messaging via executive presentations that resonate with senior leadership.
• Continuously scan the healthcare environment and analyze emerging trends to determine individual skills and competencies to drive future organizational capabilities.
• Partner with leadership on culture-shaping initiatives, team development, and performance enablement to ensure a high-performing, innovative, and agile medical organization.
• Provide and leverage scientific and MA expert knowledge, innovative thinking and resources to assist in high priority projects and critical departmental/team remits.

Operational Excellence:

• Serve as the primary Oncology USMA point of contact for operational and logistical stakeholders for aspects impacting the full TA team.
• Drive simplification, innovation, efficiency and effectiveness across medical systems, tools, and processes to increase agility and measurable outcomes.
• Exhibit expert understanding of company and organizational policies and procedures and be a resource for team.
• Provide strategic leadership to the Digital Innovation, Operations, and Compliance Council, including sites and systems of records for information input and data analysis.
• Develop and assess team data and analytics via dashboards, scorecards, and other analytics systems to track performance against team goals and impact metrics.
• Identify strategic opportunities to embed an AI-first mindset within Oncology.
• Strategically inform Country TA Leadership Team of gaps and/or opportunities to enhance processes and systems for Country TA Field Medical Affairs

Required Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

Minimum:

• Advanced healthcare/science doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., Pharm.D., Ph.D.)
• At least 5 years field/medical affairs experience, including a demonstration of leadership in the role with a minimum of 2 years in a HQ role or equivalent
• Minimum of 3 years working in oncology the relevant therapeutic area
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, strategic, tactical planning, project leadership and communication skills
• Ability to handle a demanding and changing workload and respond efficiently to timelines and changing market events
• Ability to work across a portfolio along the product life cycle
• Ability to effectively communicate information to internal and external stakeholders at all levels (e.g., senior leadership, management, and individual contributors)
• Business acumen with a superior understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare arena
• Proven ability to work with cross-functional highly matrixed teams and collaborate across multiple stakeholder groups (e.g., therapeutic areas)
• Proven track record of contribution to medical and scientific development strategies within the pharmaceutical industry
• Full proficiency in Microsoft Suite (Excel, PPT, Word, etc.) and understanding of the capabilities of AI and its potential application to field medical effectiveness.

Preferred:

• Scientific acumen and experience in Thoracic/Lung cancers
• Working knowledge of solid tumors, Immuno-Oncology, ADCs, targeted therapies
• MBA a plus
• Strategy lead and/or additional experience in a strategy and operations type role, including experience working in managed care/health systems
• Previous people or functional leadership, requiring executive-level presentations, creating communications for impact/action, and highly-matrixed, cross functional orgs.

Required Skills:

Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), Business Acumen, Immuno-Oncology, Medical Affairs, Oncology, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Project Leadership, Scientific Literacy, Technical Acumen

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.

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:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

***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.

Job Posting End Date:

10/3/2026

Requisition ID:

R417123