Global Senior Director, Medical Affairs

Merck; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 331,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck in Rahway, NJ is seeking a Global Senior Director Medical Affairs to lead the GMSA portion of V&I plans for the US and ROW, acting as SME across therapeutic areas and bridging global strategy with local execution.

You will drive advisory boards, data generation, congress planning, and collaboration with US DMA, payers, and scientific leaders while managing budgets and delivering MVNs.

Qualifications

• M.D., Ph.D. or Pharm.D. with medical expertise.
• Experience in country/region medical affairs or clinical development.
• Strong prioritization and decision-making skills.
• Ability to collaborate across divisions in a matrix environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Drives execution of the annual V&I plan with medical affairs colleagues from key countries and regions, focusing on the U.S.
• Translates global scientific platforms into actionable MVNs and engages with country-level stakeholders.
• Serves as medical representative within Product Development sub-teams to drive planning and execution.
• Collaborates with VIOR, Policy, Commercial, and Market Access to address opportunities and barriers.
• Organizes global expert-input events and advisory boards.
• Manages assigned budget with financial stewardship and 3% variance.

Skills

Clinical Development

Clinical Trial Planning

Cross-Cultural Awareness

Decision Making

Detail-Oriented

Empathy

Hematology

Interpersonal Relationships

Medical Research

Medical Writing

Patient Advocacy

Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs

Pharmacovigilance

Project Management

Strategic Thinking

Job description

Job Description

Role Summary

The Global Senior Director Medical Affairs (GDMA) position resides in the Value & Implementation (V&I) organization, which includes GMSA as well as Outcomes Research. The GDMA is a subject‑matter expert (SME) in their area of responsibility (e.g., defined tumor, asset, vaccine) and responsible for driving execution of the Global Medical and Scientific Affairs (GMSA) portion for their assigned Therapeutic Areas (TA) as part of the Global V&I Plans. As a highly specialized SME, they bring business savviness to the organization, are important decision makers, and will have a focus on the United States (U.S.), while also supporting the rest of world (ROW). The GDMA may also be appointed as a V&I Lead for their disease/asset area, which includes additional organizationally aligned responsibilities. The GDMA works as part of a high‑performing, results‑driven team, focused on executional excellence.

Responsibilities and Primary Activities

• Drives execution of the annual V&I plan with medical affairs colleagues from key countries and regions with a focus on the U.S. Acts as an empowered partner, making informed decisions with a strategic and agile mindset.

• Serves as the SME and connector across assigned therapeutic areas, translating global scientific platforms into actionable Medical Value Narratives (MVNs). Actively engages with country‑level stakeholdersi including medical advisors, payers, and scientific leaders—to ensure strategic alignment and support local data generation, congress planning, and advisory boards.

• Serves as the medical representative within Product Development sub‑teams (including Clinical, V&I, Commercial, Publications, and Label), leveraging the V&I GMSA vision to drive strategic planning, outcome delivery, and tactical execution. Communicates pertinent information to stakeholders [e.g., Executive Director Medical Affairs (EDMA), Regional Strategy Leads (RSL), Regional Director Medical Affairs (RDMA), U.S. Director Medical Affairs (US DMA), Payor and Access Strategy Leads (PASLs)] to inform and influence country and regional planning.

• Acts as the subject‑matter expert, collaborating closely with V&I Outcomes Research (VIOR), Policy, Commercial, and Market Access teams to identify and address opportunities and barriers in key countries.

• Serves as a strategic partner for Big Country Markets (U.S., China, Japan) with no RDMA role. Plays a pivotal role in bridging global strategy with local execution, including understanding the needs of the U.S. Market. Proactively collaborates with the US DMA and equivalent roles in China and Japan, ensuring that country‑specific insights are integrated into the global V&I plans and that global strategies are contextualized for local relevance.

• Consolidates actionable medical insights from countries and regions.

• Engages with a network of international scientific leaders and other key stakeholders (therapeutic guideline committees, payers, public groups, government officials, medical societies) about our company’s emerging science, building an important network and partnership internally and externally. Monitors external changing environment in partnership with the competitive intelligence (CI) team.

• Organizes global expert‑input events (advisory boards and expert‑input forums) to answer our company’s questions about how to develop and implement new medicines or vaccines.

• Collaborates with Global Human Health (commercial) executive directors to inform of the GMSA portion of V&I plans to ensure alignment, while independently leading the execution of these plans.

• Organizes global symposia and educational meetings.

• Supports key countries with the development of local data‑generation study concepts and protocols when requested.

• Reviews Investigator‑Initiated Study proposals from key countries (ex‑U.S.) prior to headquarters submission and in collaboration with RDMAs, while also serving as a review panel member on TA‑specific out company Investigator Studies Programs (MISPs) to support the Executive Director Scientific Affairs (EDSA) review process.

• Manages programs (patient support, educational or risk management) to support appropriate and safe utilization of our company medicines or vaccines.

• Demonstrates and champions our company’s Ways of Working, emphasizing innovation, medical modernization, defining team priorities, and focusing on the impact to the patient.

• Manages assigned budget with strong financial stewardship, ensuring delivery within a 3% variance. Responsible and accountable for making informed decisions when budgets change throughout the year.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Minimum

• M.D., Ph.D. or Pharm.D. (M.D. preferred) and recognized medical expertise.

• Experience in country/region medical affairs or clinical development.

• Strong prioritization and decision‑making skills.

• Ability to effectively collaborate with partners across divisions in a matrix environment.

• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and communication skills (written and oral) in addition to results‑oriented project management skills.

Preferred

• At least three years regional medical affairs experience (e.g., Regional Director Medical Affairs) with proven track record of contribution to medical‑affairs strategies.

• Customer expertise, especially of scientific leadership and other key stakeholders (payers, public groups, government officials, medical professional organizations), in the assigned therapeutic area.

Required Skills

Clinical Development, Clinical Trial Planning, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Decision Making, Detail-Oriented, Empathy, Hematology, Interpersonal Relationships, Medical Research, Medical Writing, Patient Advocacy, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Project Management, Strategic Thinking

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 (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights_10_20.pdf)

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 (https://www.msdprivacy.com/us/en/CCPA-notice/)

The salary range for this role is

$210,400.00 - $331,100.00

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. 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

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship

Yes

Travel Requirements

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid

Shift

1st - Day

Valid Driving License

No

Hazardous Material(s)

N/A