Director Regional Marketing - US Ophthalmology

Director of Regional Marketing

Our US Ophthalmology team is committed to transforming the lives of patients living with diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) with a portfolio of two products in the pipeline. We aspire to achieve this through relentless commitment to patients, innovation, ensuring access to life-changing therapies, and collaborating with healthcare systems, governments, and payers to make treatments available to those who need them most. Our focus is on the patients, scientific rigor and flawless executionbringing breakthrough therapies to patients who need them.

The Director of Regional Marketing will lead the development and execution of strategies to engage scientific leaders and key influencers across the ophthalmology ecosystem. This role will ensure alignment between brand objectives and external advocacy, driving impactful partnerships that enhance disease awareness, product adoption, and market leadership. The position reports to the Executive Director, Scientific Strategy and Regional Marketing of Ophthalmology.

Primary Responsibilities

• Scientific Leader Identification & Profiling : Lead identification and mapping of national and regional scientific leaders (SLs) and emerging experts in ophthalmology and retina.
• Engagement Planning & Execution : Structure and implement engagement plans for SLs, including congress participation, site visits, and HQ-approved activities (e.g., advisory boards, customer strategy sessions).
• Gather actionable insights from SLs to inform marketing strategies and brand planning.
• Congress Participation and Engagement : Collaborate with marketing team to determine participation in key Ophthalmology conferences. Determine appropriate level of support and drive customer engagement activities during congresses.
• Attend major ophthalmology conferences and share key learnings with internal stakeholders.
• Speaker Bureau Development & Readiness : Help establish and manage a US Ophthalmology Speaker Bureau, including faculty identification and onboarding.
• Support speaker readiness for national and regional product theatres
• Team leadership : Design and build out the regional marketing team to prepare for launch
• Lead the team to execute engagement plans with key thought leaders throughout the US
• Cross-Functional Collaboration : Partner with field Sales, Marketing, Market Access, and Global Medical Affairs to ensure alignment on SL needs and account dynamics.
• Compliance & Governance : Ensure strict adherence to compliance regulations, internal policies, and industry standards in all engagement activities.

Education

Required : Bachelor's Degree

Required : Minimum 6 years of pharmaceutical / healthcare experience, with at least 4 years in marketing, sales, or related commercial roles. Ophthalmology or retina experience required. Proven experience in KOL engagement, congress planning, and insight generation. Ability to travel up to 60% (including evenings, weekends, and overnight stays).

Preferred : Existing relationships or experience collaborating with key opinion leaders within Ophthalmology / Retina Specialists. Launch experience

Required Skills

Collaboration, Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Omnichannel Marketing, Ophthalmology, People Leadership, Product Launches, Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills

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 $187,000.00 - $294,400.00. 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.

Requisition ID : R377070