Associate Director, Medical Affairs Lead- General Medicine & Speciality Medicine

Job Description Responsibilities and Primary Activities  Leadership and Management  • Recruits, hires and develops talent within the Medical Affairs team.  • Creates an empowering, compliant, collaborative, and innovation-focused work environment.  • Builds a culture of quality and compliance through training, oversight and collaboration.  • Develops and executes the Country Medical Affairs Plans (CMAPs) for the TA, ensuring alignment with global strategy and adherence to relevant regulations and standard operating procedures (SOPs).  • Manages the TA portfolio, balancing global and local priorities.  • Performs observational field visits with Field Medical Advisors to assess scientific and soft-skill acumen  Medical Affairs Management  • Oversees the development and execution of CMAPs, including post-licensure research, publication plans, and investigator-initiated studies.  • Manages the operating administrative and lifecycle-management budget for the TA.  • Supports inspections and audits and provides assistance in answering inquiries by health authorities and internal auditors.  • Ensures Field Medical Advisors/MSLs have assigned geographic territories and/or indications aligned with the Medical Affairs Plan  • Manages the country-developed Protocol Concept Sheets (PCSs) and supports obtaining regional and global approvals for new local data-generation activities.  Collaboration with Internal Stakeholders  • Represents V&I in cross-functional teams, collaborating with Global Clinical Development (GCD), Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO), and other internal stakeholders.  • Provides scientific expertise to commercial product teams, ensuring the scientific and medical value of the company’s products.  • Fosters collaboration among local marketing teams, market access teams, Regional Directors of Medical Affairs (RDMAs), regional marketing, and Medical Managers to support the TA in achieving local and regional goals.  • Ensures correct development of core competencies of Medical Affairs in the team.  Engagement with External Stakeholders  • Serves as the external interface with key TA stakeholders, professional societies, and the broader scientific community.  • Develops and maintains relationships with health-care professionals (HCPs), providers, and academic centers.  • Collaborates with market access, regulatory, and commercial colleagues to engage payers, policymakers, and other decision-makers.  • Liaises with national and international physicians to establish good relationships and model HCP perception about the company's products.  • When needed, engages in scientific exchange to bridge science to clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.  Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience  Minimum  • MD, PhD or PharmD with a minimum of three to five years of clinical, Medical Affairs, and/or research experience in a relevant disease area.  • Proven ability to work cross-functionally with various business units and senior leaders.  • Strong project management skills with the ability to create and execute complex strategic and operational initiatives.  • Demonstrated organizational skills, including goal setting and priority alignment.  • Deep experience in the company’s therapeutic areas of interest (e.g., Cardiovascular (PAH, Lipids), COPD3, Immunology (IBD, Rheumatology).  • at least 2 years of strong leadership skills with documented people-management experience.  • Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills.  • Ability to work in matrix organizations and manage direct reports.  • Experience in the development or field management of interventional/non-interventional studies.  • Saudi National is a priority. Preferred  • Specialty clinical training (e.g., residency or fellowship).  • Previous Medical Affairs experience.  • Innovative thinker with the ability to identify and develop novel approaches to tackle daily tasks.  • Self-driven and proactive with the ability to deliver as a leader, team member, and individual contributor.  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to synthesize data into actionable business plans.  • Experience in project management and leadership potential.  • High level of integrity and adherence to ethical standards.  • Ability to simplify and convey complex concepts and strategies, orally and in writing.  • Strong understanding of the compliance environment in which Medical Affairs functions.  • Ability to inspire and motivate team members.  Additional location(s) Compensation Information: Required Skills: Clinical Trials, Corporate Ethics, Data Analysis, Global Coordination, Leadership Management, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Strategies, Scientific Publications, Stakeholder Management, Stakeholder Negotiations, Strategic Planning, Teamwork, Workplace Culture Preferred Skills: Current Employees apply HERE Current Contingent Workers apply HERE 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: VISA Sponsorship: Travel Requirements: Flexible Work Arrangements: Not Applicable Shift: Valid Driving License: Hazardous Material(s): Job Posting End Date: 11/1/2026 *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.