Job Description
Role Summary
- The position of Senior Director and Head of Analytics Center of Excellence (ACE) in Medical Modernization resides in the Value & Implementation (V&I) organization, which includes Global Medical and Scientific Affairs as well as Outcomes Research.
- The Sr. Director and Head of ACE reports directly to the Vice President (VP), Medical Modernization, and serves as a senior leader responsible for advancing the medical-modernization data analytics strategy across the V&I portfolio. The Head of ACE plays a critical role in establishing a comprehensive data analytics strategy for Medical Affairs by managing a team of data scientists who develop and execute data analysis plans and develop new tools through a data enablement function aligned to Medical Modernization and V&I priorities.
- The Head of ACE will partner extensively with cross-functional stakeholders across the V&I organization (including TA and Regional leads, Regional Strategy Leads, Country Medical Directors (CMDs), V&I Global Medical & Value Capabilities team members (V&I GMVC), Human Health, Information Technology (IT), Legal, and Compliance teams) in order to enable innovation, scale solutions, and drive transformation in Medical Affairs. As a visible change leader, this role fosters adoption of new data approaches to enhancing the work of V&I, builds new capabilities, and champions a culture of continuous improvement.
Responsibilities And Primary Activities
- The ACE lead will partner closely with Medical Modernization team members, TAs, Regional and Country leads to understand healthcare data analytics needs aligned to V&I priorities
- Translates the needs and opportunities into an annual Data Analytics Strategy and manages a large budget for necessary data purchases as approved by the Med Mod Leadership Team
- Leads a team of data scientists who operationalize the Healthcare Data Analytics Strategy by translating priority V&I plans questions (for all TAs and regional needs) into executable, concrete plans using sound methodologies and real-world data to deliver accurate, pertinent and actionable information to the stakeholders on a timely basis.
- Ensures that presentations to stakeholders are well prepared and delivered effectively so that they inform strategic choices, enhance field engagement, and optimize medical affairs activities
- Seeks regular feedback from cross functional stakeholders verifying that the data analytics team adequately delivers upon their needs
- Organizes regular management reviews of the team’s activities and progress
- Ensures that the team maintains an entrepreneurial spirit while focusing on organizational priorities, quality and compliance, and has a strong understanding of healthcare data and technology. Able to identify and use new healthcare data sources, and effectively inform V&I plans and priority country medical plans
- Identifies opportunities in key growth areas
- Sets high expectations for execution excellence across all healthcare data analytics projects from ideation to data delivery (including recommendations for action)
- Coaches team to transform data into dynamic, resonant stories, visuals, and other innovative, insightful presentation methods for internal decision making by V&I
- Manages career development and performance management activities, including recruiting, career planning, employee development, training, compensation planning, and performance evaluation
- Keeps abreast of the latest trends in the field through continuous learning and proactively championing new methods to help solve critical and emerging medical affairs problems and drive medical affairs activities
- Fosters collaboration with stakeholders (within V&I, R&D Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence (CORE), Digital Human Health (DHH), and other internal working groups) to drive efficiencies, make best use of data, ensure consistent cohort definitions and share methodologies and innovations in a compliant manner.
Required Qualifications, Skills, & Experience
Minimum
- Bachelor's degree (computer science, physics, mathematics, actuarial science, or equivalent) with 10 years of relevant job experience; or Master’s degree (computer science, physics, mathematics, actuarial science, or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant job experience.
- Familiarity with relational databases, coding, M/L techniques, data visualization methods and healthcare data (claims, EMR, CMS, etc)
- Strong business acumen and demonstrated experience in healthcare data analytics working with big data to inform business decisions
- At least 2 years of prior experience in Medical Affairs or commercial data analytics within the pharmaceutical industry
- At least 2 years of management experience leading teams of 4 or more individuals
- Strong prioritization and decision-making skills with the ability to understand how decisions fit into the broader context of corporate strategies
- Demonstrated ability to motivate, mentor, and manage others, and provide clear, unambiguous expectations and priorities for the teams
- Ability to effectively collaborate and influence partners across divisions in a highly matrixed environment.
- Excellent interpersonal and analytical communication (written and oral)
- Excellent results-oriented project management skills
Preferred
- PhD in computer science, physics, mathematics, actuarial science, or equivalent with 5 years of relevant job experience
- Entrepreneurial approach to business innovation and prior management responsibilities
- Demonstrated ability to actively counsel/partner in planning, decision-making, and evaluation
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical information effectively to non-technical audiences with strong public speaking skills
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams in an ambiguous environment and in a matrixed global organization
Required Skills
Accountability, Accountability, Actuarial Science, Business Acumen, Business Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Business Management, Communication, Computer Science, Continued Learning, Data Analysis, Database Design, Data Engineering, Data Modeling, Data Science, Data Visualization, Human Resource Management, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Leadership, Machine Learning (ML), Marketing Data Analytics, Medical Affairs, Organizational Performance Management, Quality Control Management, Software Development {+ 2 more}
Preferred Skills
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Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
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Requirements
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. 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 together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills 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, Monday - 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”.
The salary range for this role is
$210,400.00 - $331,100.00
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.
You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
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:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship
No
Travel Requirements
25%
Flexible Work Arrangements
Hybrid
Shift
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License
No
Hazardous Material(s)
n/a
Job Posting End Date
03/4/2026
- A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
Requisition ID:R385469
