Associate Director, Medical Affairs Lead- General Medicine & Speciality Medicine

Job Description

Responsibilities and Primary Activities 

Leadership and Management 

• Recruits, hires and develops talent within the Medical Affairs team. 

• Creates an empowering, compliant, collaborative, and innovation-focused work environment. 

• Builds a culture of quality and compliance through training, oversight and collaboration. 

• Develops and executes the Country Medical Affairs Plans (CMAPs) for the TA, ensuring alignment with global strategy and adherence to relevant regulations and standard operating procedures (SOPs). 

• Manages the TA portfolio, balancing global and local priorities. 

• Performs observational field visits with Field Medical Advisors to assess scientific and soft-skill acumen 

Medical Affairs Management 

• Oversees the development and execution of CMAPs, including post-licensure research, publication plans, and investigator-initiated studies. 

• Manages the operating administrative and lifecycle-management budget for the TA. 

• Supports inspections and audits and provides assistance in answering inquiries by health authorities and internal auditors. 

• Ensures Field Medical Advisors/MSLs have assigned geographic territories and/or indications aligned with the Medical Affairs Plan 

• Manages the country-developed Protocol Concept Sheets (PCSs) and supports obtaining regional and global approvals for new local data-generation activities. 

Collaboration with Internal Stakeholders 

• Represents V&I in cross-functional teams, collaborating with Global Clinical Development (GCD), Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO), and other internal stakeholders. 

• Provides scientific expertise to commercial product teams, ensuring the scientific and medical value of the company’s products. 

• Fosters collaboration among local marketing teams, market access teams, Regional Directors of Medical Affairs (RDMAs), regional marketing, and Medical Managers to support the TA in achieving local and regional goals. 

• Ensures correct development of core competencies of Medical Affairs in the team. 

Engagement with External Stakeholders 

• Serves as the external interface with key TA stakeholders, professional societies, and the broader scientific community. 

• Develops and maintains relationships with health-care professionals (HCPs), providers, and academic centers. 

• Collaborates with market access, regulatory, and commercial colleagues to engage payers, policymakers, and other decision-makers. 

• Liaises with national and international physicians to establish good relationships and model HCP perception about the company's products. 

• When needed, engages in scientific exchange to bridge science to clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. 

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience 

Minimum 

• MD, PhD or PharmD with a minimum of three to five years of clinical, Medical Affairs, and/or research experience in a relevant disease area. 

• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with various business units and senior leaders. 

• Strong project management skills with the ability to create and execute complex strategic and operational initiatives. 

• Demonstrated organizational skills, including goal setting and priority alignment. 

• Deep experience in the company’s therapeutic areas of interest (e.g., Cardiovascular (PAH, Lipids), COPD3, Immunology (IBD, Rheumatology). 

• at least 2 years of strong leadership skills with documented people-management experience. 

• Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills. 

• Ability to work in matrix organizations and manage direct reports. 

• Experience in the development or field management of interventional/non-interventional studies. 
• Saudi National is a priority.

Preferred 

• Specialty clinical training (e.g., residency or fellowship). 

• Previous Medical Affairs experience. 

• Innovative thinker with the ability to identify and develop novel approaches to tackle daily tasks. 

• Self-driven and proactive with the ability to deliver as a leader, team member, and individual contributor. 

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to synthesize data into actionable business plans. 

• Experience in project management and leadership potential. 

• High level of integrity and adherence to ethical standards. 

• Ability to simplify and convey complex concepts and strategies, orally and in writing. 

• Strong understanding of the compliance environment in which Medical Affairs functions. 

• Ability to inspire and motivate team members. 

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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. 

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