Director Policy Government Relations
Merck
Summary
The Director is responsible for supporting global public policy efforts related to our Company therapeutic area franchises addressing infectious disease, with primary responsibility of leading development and implementation of public policy strategies in support of our Company HIV treatment pipeline.
Job description
Primary Activities
- Manage development and implementation of global public policy strategic plans in coordination and alignment with cross-functional teams and planning processes in support of Global Commercial Team therapeutic-area strategies.
- Lead development of policy positions and stakeholder engagement strategies to support successful launch, access, reimbursement, and uptake of our Company HIV treatment portfolio.
- Partner with commercial, market access, medical affairs, outcomes research, communications, and regional teams to identify and address policy barriers, shape the external environment, and advance policies that support patient access and innovation.
- Ensure coordination across Global Public Policy teams and with senior Global Public Policy management and Corporate Affairs stakeholders, with the Global Business Unit, Global Franchise, Global Commercial Teams, and other internal teams and stakeholders.
- Engage with regional and country policy teams to provide strategic guidance and policy coordination to support policy strategy development and implementation.
- Engage relevant internal stakeholders to ensure our Company advocacy with public policy agencies and organizations is coordinated, consistent, and effective.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key external stakeholders, including governmental, multilateral, and non-governmental stakeholders, global health institutions, HIV community and advocacy organizations, patient groups, and other stakeholders active in shaping HIV policy and access environments.
- Represent our Company in industry and other external policy-related fora with external stakeholders active in the therapeutic area policy arena.
- Manage external consultants and policy development projects.
Requirements
- BS/BA required
- Master's or graduate degree in a field related to health care policy strongly preferred
- Minimum 10 years of experience addressing public policy issues
- Strong knowledge of issues related to HIV, including experience related to HIV treatment
- At least 5 years within the global policy space preferred
- Experience with and expert knowledge of government and non-governmental organizations active on global public policy issues required
- Strong knowledge of global healthcare public policy processes including understanding the roles and influence of various stakeholders
- Experience engaging HIV community, advocacy, multilateral, and global health stakeholders preferred
- Experience addressing policy issues related to market access, reimbursement, health technology assessment (HTA), healthcare financing, and patient access preferred
- Demonstrated ability to identify strategic priorities, work within a matrix organization to achieve policy goals
- Experience managing consultants and budgets
- Ability to work collaboratively and inclusively essential
- Excellent English-language written and oral communication skills required
- EU Policy Making
- Healthcare Policies
- Health Technology Assessment (HTA)
- HIV Prevention
- HIV Treatment
- Infectious Disease Research
- Market Access
- Patient Advocacy
- Public Policy Development
- Strategy Development
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- 401(k) Matching
- Retirement Benefits
- Paid Holidays
- Vacation
- Compassionate & Sick Days
- Annual Bonus
- Long-Term Incentive
Company overview
Merck & Co., Inc., known as Merck in the United States and Canada and MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) internationally, is a premier American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. Founded in 1891 as the U.S. subsidiary of the German Merck Group, the company became independent following World War I and has since grown into one of the world's largest biomedical companies, ranking fourth globally by revenue. Merck operates across three core business segments: pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and animal health products. The company is renowned for its groundbreaking research and development, having brought numerous life-saving medicines to market including Keytruda (pembrolizumab), a leading immunotherapy for cancer treatment that generated $29.5 billion in 2024 revenue, and Gardasil, a revolutionary HPV vaccine. With approximately 75,000 employees worldwide, Merck maintains a robust pipeline of innovative therapies focused on oncology, vaccines, hospital acute care, cardiology, neuroscience, virology, immunology, and diabetes. The company invests heavily in R&D, spending $17.9 billion in 2024 alone, demonstrating its commitment to advancing scientific discovery. Merck's legacy spans over 130 years of bringing hope to humanity through important medicines and vaccines, operating with a purpose to use leading-edge science to save and improve lives globally while fostering an inclusive workforce and responsible business practices.