Associate Director, HCP Marketing

Associate Director, Marketing - Healthcare Professional (HCP) Strategy Lead, HPV Adult

The Associate Director, HCP Strategy Lead for the HPV Adult segment is the strategic owner of HCP marketing for the adult HPV vaccination business. This role drives the end-to-end HCP approach - from insight generation to strategy development, path-to-recommendation and content & channel plans through omnichannel (Sales Force and NPP) delivery - to increase intent to recommend/refer/administer adult vaccination in alignment with brand, enterprise, and public health objectives.
The role requires deep expertise in HCP behavior, sales force execution, digital engagement, and agile marketing, as well as the ability to translate insights into campaigns and plans that motivate HCPs to initiate and complete the HPV vaccine series for adults. As the adult HPV landscape evolves, this role also leads scenario planning, cross-functional alignment, and innovation across channels, path-to-purchase, messaging, and measurement frameworks.
Given the dynamic nature of marketing tech, the vaccines legal & policy environment and our company's approach to Capabilities (OMM) and Content (Strategy & Accelerator), the successful candidate will need a high level of learning agility, resilience, comfort with ambiguity, experience navigating a heavily matrixed organization and willingness to pioneer new approaches.
Key Responsibilities

Own Adult HCP Strategy for the US HPV franchise, including insights, strategic priorities, target-setting and short- and long-term plans. Recommend Adult HCP strategic priorities (in collaboration with MPO, xFranchise and xF teams members) to USCL and G9 LT.
Define learning objectives and work with DHH, Hub and Agency teams to set and execute insight and learning plans. Scope includes foundational/ongoing insights (target development, drivers, barriers etc), marketing performance analytics (to be specified via OGSTMAs), business performance (including sub-targtets and channels) as well as synthesis and integration across different measurement domains. Drive translation from data/learning to insights, strategies, forecasts and action plans.
Lead day-to-day engagement with creative, media, research, and digital agencies. Lead work through insight, brief, development, validation, approval, primary production and delivery. Partner with MPO and Hub teams to support pull-through of key and amplify content to deliver on full requirements of marketing plans.
Partner with Sales and Pharmacy teams, MPO, agencies, Adolescent team, Global Franchise, Hub and analytics teams to deliver plans, campaigns and content that match channel, content and consumer job-to-be-done to drive measurable progress against objectives.
Coordinate with HCC marketing counterpart to ensure message consistency and strategic alignment across consumer and professional channels. Ensure seamless pull through for consumers, HCPs (including Pharmacists and Pharmacy staff) in Pharmacy channel.
Manage assigned marketing budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to maximize ROI. Ensure ongoing budget tracking, forecasting, and scenario planning to support financial stewardship.
Ensure all marketing activities comply with company policies, industry regulations, and DTC guidelines. Anticipate regulatory risks and proactively adjust strategies to maintain compliance.
Education

Required: BA/BS
Preferred: MBA or equivalent
Required Experience & Skills

Minimum 7 years of marketing experience, preferably in healthcare marketing
Demonstrated expertise and experience in HCP activation/engagement, agency management and campaign development/delivery
The ability to translate scientific information into our strategy including actionable and clear messaging and talking points, and the ability to interpret scientific data into actionable insights.
Deep knowledge of professional marketing channels, sales force engagement, content strategy, social media ecosystems, performance marketing and measurement frameworks
Strong analytical skills and comfort with data-driven decision-making
Excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills
Experience with collaboration, influencing without authority, and working successfully in highly cross-functional teams including IT, Data Analytics, Agencies, Promotions, Medical Affairs, Sales, Channel Marketing, Market Access, Policy
Familiarity with compliance, regulatory processes, and DTC marketing requirements
Experience working in agile marketing environments
Preferred Experience, Skills and Attributes

Openminded and intellectually curious; deeply familiar with "how we do things at our company's" and at the same time thirsty to learn more about our customers and willing/able to consider novel or new-to-our companyapproaches to tackle challenges and unlock growth
Shows tenacity and willingness to challenge the status quo, while demonstrating maturity in understanding that sometimes "no" is a key step on the path to landing big opportunities.
Ability to think and approach complex problems in a structured way
Strong aptitude and high levels of curiosity about the science
Willing and able to integrate HCP engagement/activation best practices from other vaccine/therapeutic areas into the HPV environment.
Location & Work Model

Upper Gwynedd, PA - Hybrid (3 days on-site per week per U.S. Hybrid Work Model)
Travel:

The salary range for this role is $142,400.00 - $224,100.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.
The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.