Access and Commercial Director

Job Description

We invite you to join our team

Reporting directly to the Associate Vice - President for Central America & Puerto Rico Cluster, the role will oversight and manage the Access and Commercial Department in Puerto Rico. This position delivers best-in-class, end-to-end services aimed at providing affordable patient access, insightful customer experiences, and enriching employee experiences through Account Management and Channel Strategy lifecycles. The team manages direct account and/or contract across the health care system: Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Health Plans, State Medicaid, Hospital Systems, Group Purchasing Organizations, Federal agencies, Pharmacy and Wholesalers, among others, for our commercial and government business. The Market Access & Commercial Director is accountable for managing the development of customer-focused strategies to address business trends and promote product access, affordability, and profitability within the evolving Puerto Rico healthcare environment across our Company's portfolio.

The Market Access & Commercial Director reports directly to the Puerto Rico & Central America Managing Director and is a critical partner to the marketing teams as they develop and evolve their Access and Commercial Strategies. The team works closely with the different teams within the Latin America region and United States, with leaders within the different key areas. In addition, oversights of Channel Management, Distribution, Compliance & Customer Support. In this role, the Director will direct the team in managing the needs, activities and programs of major customers including wholesalers and government agencies in the order management of all our products, and, engaging, advocating and seeking resolution for customer needs when issues and opportunities are presented; helping to achieve marketing and sales objectives for new product launches; and participating on project teams with other areas if the Company to address and manage appropriate business, process and system issues.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Customer Strategy: Accountable for the development of brand and above-brand customer strategies & engagement for the following customer segments: Hospital System, PBMCs, Health Plans, (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid and commercial), and Employers. Guides team in the monitoring of trends and landscape assessments to inform cross-functional teams on segment trends, customer point of view and related implications into planning and strategy.
• Accounts: Contributes with the team’s direct customer engagement with key stakeholders (e.g., Pharmacy Benefit Management, insurers, large self-insured employers) to collaborate with our Company's business objectives through use of approved resources in collaborations aligned to key strategic areas: specialty medicines, oncology, chronic care management and prevention through vaccination. Identify opportunities for cross-collaborations within internal and external stakeholders to inform our Company's insights of customer needs and perceptions on pharma business model and associated policy implications.
• Market Access & Affordability: Accountable for guiding the team, focused on providing insight and project management to contribute with Market activity aligned to value evidence and affordability.
• Order Management: Knowledge of the business-to-business relationship with wholesaler, distributor, and government customers; manage concerns that arise from either a customer, the field, or other internal departments that involve Order Management customers.
• Pricing, Access and Affordability Thought Leaders: In charge of guiding the strategy and engagement plan to external stakeholders in order to work with and advance policy and business positions and counter threats to our business model.
• Building Teams & Talent: In charge of setting high standards, building and managing a high performing team and for creating a positive, productive workforce environment. Sets a high compliance standard and ensures team is accountable for acting in compliance with our Company's policy and standards. Allocates proper resources for meeting goals and objectives. Provides career development and motivation for their organization.
• Communications: Develops relationships with several key internal and maintains productive communications with local, regional and United States Management, Marketing, Policy, Finance, Global Market Access & Pricing, Legal, Compliance and Human Resources as needed to ensure knowledge of needs, proper prioritization and delivery of customer-oriented projects that contribute with business objectives. Regularly exchanges ideas and information to develop effective plans and strategies to meet business needs.

​Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree, Master in Business Administration, preferred
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in one or more of the following areas: Market Access, Marketing, Managed Markets, or related function.
• Minimum of three (3) years of Managed Markets/Payer or Marketing experience
• Minimum of three (3) years of People Management experience
• Knowledge of the local and United States healthcare landscape, drivers, strategy, and business models of key customers (payer, channel, provider), especially the financial considerations, reimbursement dollar flow and/or data environment relating to medicines.
• Leadership skills, strategic business acumen, problem solving, teamwork, analytical, written/verbal communication, and presentation skills.
• Expertise with collaboration, influencing without authority and working successfully with cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with computer applications skills, including Microsoft Windows, and Systems Application and Products.
• Spanish and English languages proficiency.
• Able to travel up to 30% of the time

Preferred:

• Well-versed in underlying trends in healthcare reimbursement, payment, and coverage in Puerto Rico, including knowledge of rules and regulations, contract management and execution, contract performance evaluation.
• Expertise in account management and contracting.
• Order to Cash expertise with customers, financial acumen, and systems expertise, highly desired.
• Ability to effectively navigate within Local and United States Headquarters environment.
• Knowledge of product line, customer base and pharmaceutical and vaccine marketing is beneficial.

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders).  Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.  This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
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. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

International

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

50%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Requisition ID:R286931

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