Job Description

Job Description:

The U.S. Oncology business within our Company is a growing and dynamic organization committed to advancing innovative therapies for patients with cancer. We have an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic commercial team as we prepare for the potential U.S. launch of an mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy for early-stage melanoma, being developed through an alliance partnership. This novel product has the potential to redefine personalized cancer treatment and requires a highly coordinated operating model to support seamless therapy delivery across a complex treatment ecosystem. 

Reporting to the Director, Patient Support Strategy Lead, the Associate Director, Field Reimbursement Strategy will be responsible for establishing the vision, strategy, and governance framework for field reimbursement support for this individualized therapy. This leader will define the FRM operating model, engagement priorities, reimbursement education strategy, training approach, and field support capabilities needed to help treatment sites successfully navigate payer, coverage, reimbursement, and access challenges.

Through close partnership with Market Access, Field Commercial Leadership (COLT), Patient Engagement Center of Excellence, and external partners, the Associate Director will ensure field reimbursement capabilities are aligned with brand objectives, treatment site needs, and the evolving access landscape while generating insights that drive continuous improvement in field support effectiveness and customer experience. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Field Reimbursement Strategy: Define the field reimbursement strategy, support model, and engagement priorities to address patient access barriers, reimbursement challenges, and provider support that are unique to the treatment journey for this product. 

• FRM Targeting & Engagement Strategy: Define FRM targeting, engagement triggers, and field priorities, including when broad provider education versus case-specific reimbursement support is required to optimize patient access and treatment initiation. 

• Provider Access Education Strategy: Establish the strategy for non-promotional reimbursement and access resources, including discussion guides, reimbursement education materials, prior authorization support tools, denial and appeal resources, and office workflow support materials. 

• FRM Training & Capability Development: Develop and execute comprehensive training strategies that equip FRMs with the knowledge, tools, and capabilities needed to support treatment sites navigating reimbursement, coverage, and access requirements for a novel individualized therapy. 

• Field Engagement Governance: Define brand-specific engagement rules, support priorities, escalation pathways, and business requirements that guide FRM interactions across the patient journey and ensure alignment with patient support objectives. 

• Technology, Data & Innovation Strategy: Partner with Data & Technology teams to define business requirements for CRM capabilities, field visibility tools, reporting solutions, and emerging technologies that enhance field effectiveness and customer engagement. 

• Field Commercial Partnership & Alignment: Partner closely with field commercial leadership (COLT) to define FRM engagement expectations, priorities, and support activities, ensuring reimbursement support strategies are aligned with the needs of treatment sites, the complexities of an individualized therapy, and overall brand objectives. 

• Field Analytics, Insights & Optimization: Leverage field, reimbursement, provider, and operational insights to identify trends, operational gaps, and root causes, translating findings into actionable recommendations that improve field effectiveness, patient access, and provider experience. 

Education: 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent (BA/BS) 

• MBA or equivalent preferred 

• Required Experience and Skills 

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, market access, reimbursement, patient services, field reimbursement, or related commercial functions. 

• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and optimizing field reimbursement, patient access, reimbursement support, or provider engagement strategies and programs. 

• Strong understanding of the reimbursement and access landscape, including buy-and-bill reimbursement, medical benefit coverage, payer dynamics, benefits investigation and verification, prior authorization, appeals, and provider access workflows. 

• Experience developing reimbursement education strategies, field engagement approaches, training programs, and non-promotional access resources for providers and treatment sites. 

• Demonstrated ability to establish field engagement models, business rules, and support strategies that align customer needs, brand objectives, and operational capabilities. 

• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities, with a demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, resolve complex operational challenges, and translate strategy into execution. 

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence decisions and build alignment across a complex matrix organization. 

Preferred Skills:

• Experience supporting the commercialization or launch of advanced therapies, including cell therapy, gene therapy, radioligand therapy, individualized therapies, or other complex treatment modalities. 

• Experience working with Field Reimbursement Managers (FRMs), reimbursement support vendors, or related provider-facing support capabilities. 

• Deep understanding of oncology patient journeys, reimbursement pathways, specialty distribution models, and advanced therapy treatment ecosystems. 

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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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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The salary range for this role is

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

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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. 

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