Job: Graduate – Marketing Associate Oncology

Company : Merck & Co., Inc.; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 89,000 - 123,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Johannesburg invites recent graduates to join the SSA Cluster Oncology team as a Graduate Associate.

You will support coordination, development, approval, and execution of promotional and educational activities across South Africa and selected Sub-Saharan Africa markets. The internship emphasizes a strong scientific background, strategic thinking, digital and data literacy, and learning in a fast-paced, highly regulated healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences , Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, Business Science, Marketing, Data Science, Digital Marketing, or related field.
• Strong interest in oncology, healthcare, pharmaceutical marketing, and customer engagement.
• Strong planning, organization, and attention to detail.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Professionalism, compliance awareness, and ethical conduct.
• Experience in oncology or healthcare fields (preferred).
• Familiarity with digital marketing tools and data analysis platforms (preferred).
• Previous experience in a regulated industry (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Support development, adaptation, and review of oncology promotional materials in line with brand strategy and compliance.
• Coordinate timelines, approval trackers, version control, and follow-ups.
• Collaborate with Brand Managers, Medical, Regulatory, Compliance, Digital, and agencies for compliant content delivery.
• Track material status, expiry timelines, and updates to support audit readiness.
• Gather and summarize competitive intelligence on SSA oncology priorities.
• Prepare concise updates, training materials, and discussion summaries.
• Support oncology team training sessions and follow‑up actions.
• Apply analytical thinking to translate data into insights for planning.
• Plan and track oncology marketing activities (campaigns, meetings, engagements).
• Maintain trackers, action logs, and status updates for execution discipline.
• Contribute to planning processes with activity mapping and budget visibility.
• Suggest digital tools and data analysis improvements for engagement.
• Build capability in data interpretation, digital marketing, and omnichannel execution.
• Participate in quarterly field visits to understand customer dynamics.

Skills

Interest in oncology

Planning & organization

Communication skills

Digital marketing tools

Data analysis platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences / Pharmacy / Biomedical Sciences / Health Sciences / Business Science / Marketing / Data Science / Digital Marketing

Tools

Digital marketing tools

Data analysis platforms

Job description

We aspire to be the premier research‑intensive biopharmaceutical company. As a Graduate Associate in the SSA Cluster Oncology team, you will support the coordination, development, approval, and execution of promotional and educational activities across South Africa and selected Sub‑Saharan Africa markets. This role is designed for a recent graduate with a strong scientific background, strategic thinking capability, digital and data literacy, and a willingness to learn in a fast‑paced, highly regulated healthcare environment.

Responsibilities

• Support development, adaptation, and review of oncology promotional materials in line with brand strategy and compliance.
• Coordinate timelines, approval trackers, version control, and follow‑ups.
• Collaborate with Brand Managers, Medical, Regulatory, Compliance, Digital, and agencies for compliant content delivery.
• Track material status, expiry timelines, and updates to support audit readiness.
• Gather and summarize competitive intelligence on SSA oncology priorities.
• Prepare concise updates, training materials, and discussion summaries.
• Support oncology team training sessions and follow‑up actions.
• Apply analytical thinking to translate data into insights for planning.
• Plan and track oncology marketing activities (campaigns, meetings, engagements).
• Maintain trackers, action logs, and status updates for execution discipline.
• Contribute to planning processes with activity mapping and budget visibility.
• Suggest digital tools and data analysis improvements for engagement.
• Build capability in data interpretation, digital marketing, and omnichannel execution.
• Participate in quarterly field visits to understand customer dynamics.

Qualifications

• Required:
• Recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences , Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, Business Science, Marketing, Data Science, Digital Marketing, or related field.
• Strong interest in oncology, healthcare, pharmaceutical marketing, and customer engagement.
• Strong planning, organization, and attention to detail.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Professionalism, compliance awareness, and ethical conduct.
• Preferred:
• Experience in oncology or healthcare fields.
• Familiarity with digital marketing tools and data analysis platforms.
• Previous experience in a regulated industry.

Marketing Intern-2027 Graduate Internship Program (Johannesburg)