Associate Director, US Pharma Payer Marketing
Merck
June 26, 2026
Remote friendly (North Wales, PA)
United States
Marketing
Primary Responsibilities:
- Leverage market and customer insights to shape market access strategies.
- Develop payer customer segment strategies and promotional campaigns.
- Identify opportunities and support payer-related pull-through activities/solutions for field sales and account management; monitor payer feedback and market dynamics to adjust tactics.
- Provide US payer input into Brand Marketing, Global Market Access, new product planning, Integrated Account Management, Legal, Compliance, and Finance.
- Participate in value evidence strategy development; coordinate with Outcomes Research / V&I.
- Support US Finance in developing segment-level forecasts to support brand forecast.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- MBA, MPH, Pharm D, or other advanced degree preferred.
Required Experience and Skills:
- Minimum 6 years in payer marketing, pricing/market access strategy, marketing/sales leadership, or account management in pharma/biotech; or 8 years consulting experience with direct payer marketing and pricing strategy for product launch support.
- Understanding of healthcare ecosystem mechanics/economics across payer segments.
- Understanding of US healthcare trends/policy issues and business impact.
- Deep experience with pharmacy and medical benefit dynamics, channel and distribution strategies.
- Strong marketing knowledge and ability to activate market research insights.
- Translate market trends/customer needs into tactics/resources.
- Strong strategic and operational learning/assessment of scenarios.
- Strategic thinking, problem solving, analytical/critical thinking.
- Leadership, communication, and relationship-building; strong collaboration/project management/organizational skills.
Preferred Experience and Skills:
- Market access, pricing/contracting, and distribution strategy experience for pipeline products; payer marketing experience in biopharma.
- Experience launching products; navigating promotional review committees/processes.
- Biopharma payer marketing OR cross-functional consulting/stakeholder management OR managed care experience.
- Medical benefit and pharmacy benefit experience (including distribution/channel dynamics).
Required Skills:
- Adaptability, Agile principles, customer insights, financial analysis, market access/research, pricing strategies, product management, promotions management, sales support, stakeholder influence, strategic planning/thinking.
- Leverage market and customer insights to shape market access strategies.
- Develop payer customer segment strategies and promotional campaigns.
- Identify opportunities and support payer-related pull-through activities/solutions for field sales and account management; monitor payer feedback and market dynamics to adjust tactics.
- Provide US payer input into Brand Marketing, Global Market Access, new product planning, Integrated Account Management, Legal, Compliance, and Finance.
- Participate in value evidence strategy development; coordinate with Outcomes Research / V&I.
- Support US Finance in developing segment-level forecasts to support brand forecast.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- MBA, MPH, Pharm D, or other advanced degree preferred.
Required Experience and Skills:
- Minimum 6 years in payer marketing, pricing/market access strategy, marketing/sales leadership, or account management in pharma/biotech; or 8 years consulting experience with direct payer marketing and pricing strategy for product launch support.
- Understanding of healthcare ecosystem mechanics/economics across payer segments.
- Understanding of US healthcare trends/policy issues and business impact.
- Deep experience with pharmacy and medical benefit dynamics, channel and distribution strategies.
- Strong marketing knowledge and ability to activate market research insights.
- Translate market trends/customer needs into tactics/resources.
- Strong strategic and operational learning/assessment of scenarios.
- Strategic thinking, problem solving, analytical/critical thinking.
- Leadership, communication, and relationship-building; strong collaboration/project management/organizational skills.
Preferred Experience and Skills:
- Market access, pricing/contracting, and distribution strategy experience for pipeline products; payer marketing experience in biopharma.
- Experience launching products; navigating promotional review committees/processes.
- Biopharma payer marketing OR cross-functional consulting/stakeholder management OR managed care experience.
- Medical benefit and pharmacy benefit experience (including distribution/channel dynamics).
Required Skills:
- Adaptability, Agile principles, customer insights, financial analysis, market access/research, pricing strategies, product management, promotions management, sales support, stakeholder influence, strategic planning/thinking.