Oncology Marketing Graduate: Data-Driven Strategy

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

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.