Lead, Community Engagement & Field Strategy

Merck; Montgomery (AL); On-site; USD 173,000 - 273,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance and

Retirement benefits including 401(k)

Paid holidays

Vacation

Compassionate and sick days

Job summary

Merck is seeking an Associate Director, Community Engagement Team Lead to guide a team of Community Engagement Specialists in advancing engagement with patient advocacy organizations, community-based groups, and allied networks across priority ecosystems.

You will translate strategy into field execution, strengthen team capabilities, and ensure the collection and communication of insights on access, barriers to care, and community priorities while maintaining compliance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years pharmaceutical/biotech experience in a related role and/or community engagement, patient advocacy, or public health experience
• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting field-based teams
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proven ability to drive execution and manage multiple priorities
• Experience engaging with community stakeholders, advocacy organizations, or related groups
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience contributing to health-related, community-based, or engagement-focused initiatives

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for a team of Community Engagement Specialists to execute engagement across priority advocacy ecosystems
• Lead and support execution of community engagement activities aligned to organizational and ecosystem priorities
• Partner with PI&E leadership in preparation, planning, and integration related to disease awareness, community engagement, and execution
• Identify and prioritize training, coaching, and development needs across the CES team
• Guide field-based segmentation and targeting activities, including oversight of tactical engagement plans and KPIs
• Leverage community insights and engagement data to identify trends, unmet needs, access barriers, and opportunities to enhance engagement approaches
• Ensure consistent utilization of execution resources, including playbooks, tools, and SOPs
• Establish and maintain bi-directional communication between CES field teams and headquarters
• Plan, coordinate, and lead team engagements including meetings, strategy discussions, and training calls
• Ensure all engagement activities comply with legal, regulatory, and non-promotional requirements
• Utilize reporting tools and dashboards to monitor engagement performance and support decision-making
• Identify and communicate opportunities to evolve and optimize community engagement models and field execution approaches

Skills

Community Advocacy

Community Engagement

HIV AIDS

Infectious Disease

Leadership

Medical Knowledge

Patient Relations

Public Health

Scientific Communications

Scientific Exchange

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree; advanced degree preferred

Job description

Merck is seeking an Associate Director, Community Engagement Team Lead to guide a team of Community Engagement Specialists in advancing engagement with patient advocacy organizations, community-based groups, and allied networks across priority ecosystems.

You will translate strategy into field execution, strengthen team capabilities, and ensure the collection and communication of insights on access, barriers to care, and community priorities while maintaining compliance.