Director Strategic Planning
MSD
Summary
The Enterprise Strategy Office (ESO) develops, implements, and drives enterprise strategy in support of our company, its customers, and shareholders. The scope of this group includes strategic program management, enterprise strategic planning, risk management, as well as strategic venture investments in healthcare as part of our Global Health Innovation fund.
Job description
The Director of Commercial Strategy Development will lead and support strategy development for enterprise-critical commercial initiatives, assessing and designing priorities that are complex questions with significant upside for the company, but high ambiguity. This role will work cross-functionally with senior leaders to socialize and refine initiatives, building a coalition of support that is needed to drive the creation of value and adoption of change.
Primary Responsibilities
- Lead and support the development of enterprise critical commercial initiatives.
- Identifying opportunities, creating evaluations, and recommendations, in collaboration with commercial executive leaders.
- Partner in the implementation of critical commercial priorities that require substantial cross-divisional collaboration, strategic thought-partnership, and negotiation to deliver the best solution and impact for the business.
- Use existing or develop novel strategic frameworks to lay out potential options, evaluate implications and conduct 'what you need to believe' or similar analytical analyses to drive to a final recommendation.
- Bring outside-in perspectives, contributing new ideas and priorities to commercial leadership, leveraging experience and depth of understanding of evolving industry trends.
- Collaborate with commercial leaders on prioritized business unit needs and launch planning and excellence providing strategic thought-partnership.
- Partner with commercial and cross-divisional leaders to bring in market and competitive perspectives that inform therapeutic area portfolio strategy (e.g., outside-in commercial assessment for opportunity sizing, target product profile development).
- Manage directly and indirectly internal and external associates dedicated to our programs.
- Create thriving and psychologically safe engagements, leading without authority to provide new and novel strategic perspectives.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent required
- Master's in Business Administration or PhD preferred
- 4+ years of strategy management consulting experience from a top-tier firm
- Minimum of 5+ years of biopharmaceutical experience across diverse roles of increasing responsibility, including commercial experience in US/Global marketing and asset launches required
- Use existing or develop novel strategic frameworks to lay out potential options, evaluate implications and conduct 'what you need to believe' or similar analytical analyses to drive to a final recommendation
- High business acumen distilling complex commercial problems, create structured framing, assessments, and actionable recommendations in collaboration with commercial colleagues
- Analytical expertise and external landscape knowledge to build data-driven insights to inform recommendations including experience with, or awareness of, developing commercial market assessments on therapeutic / disease area strategy to inform development of TPP
- Strong ability to influence decision-making in a highly matrixed organization, demonstrating empathy, collaboration, and high Emotional Intelligence
- Demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguity, exceling in bringing cross-functional colleagues together leading high-priority initiatives
- Ability to prioritize time and problem solve to focus on most impactful initiatives
- Strong communicator with excellent verbal and written skills; ability to communicate effectively with senior management and across all levels of the business
- Driven, curious, and collaborative professional with a growth mindset, strong organizational skills, and a willingness to learn
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Retirement benefits
- 401(k)
- Paid holidays
- Vacation days
- Compassionate leave
- Sick days
Company overview
MSD, known as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the United States and Canada, is a global research-intensive biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. Founded in 1891, the company has established itself as one of the world's leading pharmaceutical corporations with a rich history spanning over 130 years. MSD operates as the international division of Merck & Co., Inc., focusing on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of innovative medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products. The company's extensive portfolio includes groundbreaking treatments in oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, diabetes, and vaccines, with notable products such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for cancer immunotherapy, Gardasil for HPV prevention, and Januvia for diabetes management. MSD maintains a strong commitment to research and development, investing significantly in scientific innovation to address unmet medical needs worldwide. With approximately 75,000 employees globally, the company operates through four main segments: pharmaceuticals, animal health, healthcare services, and strategic alliances. MSD's mission centers on using leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world, guided by the principle that medicine is for people, not profits.