Merck & Co, Inc

Associate Director, Commercial Leadership Development Program

Merck & Co, Inc • $142K — $224K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) required.
  • 5+ years of professional experience in pharmaceutical marketing, sales, or commercial operations.
  • Strong commercial acumen and understanding of market dynamics.
  • Proven ability to influence without authority in a matrixed environment.
  • Demonstrated leadership and executive presentation skills.
  • Ability to manage competing priorities and drive results independently.

Responsibilities

  • Lead strategic initiatives across rotation assignments to achieve measurable outcomes.
  • Influence cross-functional teams to drive aligned decision-making.
  • Synthesize data and insights into strategic recommendations for business decisions.
  • Support launch planning and execution activities to enhance success.
  • Present business cases and updates to senior leaders, showcasing executive presence.
  • Identify opportunities for improving commercial effectiveness and drive change.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and families.
  • Retirement benefits including 401(k).
  • Paid holidays, vacation, and sick days.
  • Opportunities for personalized development through CLDP Summits and senior leader engagement.
  • Hybrid work arrangement with flexibility.
Full Job Description
Job Description

We are seeking an experienced commercial leader to join the two-year Commercial Leadership Development Program (CLDP), designed to accelerate enterprise leadership capability, expand cross-functional breadth, and prepare future leaders to drive strategic impact during a pivotal period of commercial transformation.

Over the course of the two-year journey, CLDP participants will complete three eight-month rotations aligned to enterprise priorities and individual development goals, with opportunities across marketing, marketing operations, sales operations, market access, launch excellence, and other critical commercial functions. Rotations are selected based on business need and are intended to build broad commercial acumen, strategic agility, and readiness for larger-scale leadership roles across Human Health.

** Interviews will be completed and offers extended by December 2026. Selected candidates will start their new role in July 2027.

What you'll do:
  • Lead strategic and operational initiatives across rotation assignments, translating enterprise priorities into actionable plans and measurable business outcomes.
  • Influence and partner across marketing, sales, market access, operations, analytics, medical, finance, legal, and compliance to drive aligned decision-making in a highly matrixed environment.
  • Synthesize data, market dynamics, customer insights, and financial considerations into strategic recommendations that shape business decisions and resource trade-offs.
  • Support critical launch planning, readiness, and execution activities, including risk identification, milestone management, and cross-functional coordination to improve launch success.
  • Present strategic recommendations, business cases, and progress updates to senior leaders, demonstrating executive presence and the ability to influence without direct authority.
  • Challenge the status quo, identify opportunities to improve commercial effectiveness, and drive change with accountability, agility, and a strong patient- and customer-focused mindset.


What you'll experience:
  • Broad exposure across the commercial organization through a sequence of customized high-impact rotations designed to build enterprise perspective and cross-functional fluency.
  • Meaningful involvement in brand strategy, launch excellence, market shaping, and commercial execution tied to live business priorities.
  • Personalized development through CLDP Summits, a commercial learning journey, senior leader engagement, and exposure to enterprise-level decision making across our Company.
  • Opportunities to lead complex workstreams, navigate ambiguity, and translate strategy into execution with visible impact on business performance.
  • Deepened understanding of how to operate effectively within a complex, regulated environment while balancing innovation, compliance, and customer needs.
  • A foundation for progression into broader commercial leadership roles through expanded network, enterprise exposure, and demonstrated delivery of results.


What you'll need:

Required:
  • Bachelor's degree (BA/BS).
  • Minimum of 5 years of full-time professional work experience, including meaningful experience in pharmaceutical marketing, sales, commercial operations, market access, or related functions.
  • Demonstrated commercial acumen, including understanding of company operations, financial performance, market dynamics, and industry trends.
  • Strong understanding of the healthcare ecosystem, including customer, channel, payer, and reimbursement dynamics that influence commercial strategy and execution.
  • Proven ability to influence without authority, navigate ambiguity, and lead through change in a matrixed and evolving business environment.
  • Demonstrated enterprise mindset, with the ability to connect business decisions to broader strategy, long-term value creation, and cross-functional priorities.
  • Strong leadership, communication, and executive presentation skills, with the ability to distill complexity and engage senior stakeholders effectively.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently lead workstreams, manage competing priorities, and proactively drive results with accountability and urgency.

Desirable:
  • Master's degree in marketing, business administration, public health, or a related business discipline.
  • Experience supporting product launch strategy, launch readiness, or launch excellence in a complex commercial environment.
  • Strategic thinking and business acumen, including the ability to interpret financial drivers, assess trade-offs, and make recommendations that optimize enterprise value.
  • Strong analytical capability and data-driven decision-making skills, including the ability to move from observation to insight to action.
  • Exposure to market access, payer strategy, channel dynamics, specialty distribution, or buy-and-bill economics.
  • Digital, omnichannel, and AI fluency, with the ability to apply emerging capabilities to commercial strategy, decision-making, and execution.


This is a hybrid role based in Upper Gwynedd, Pennsylvania.

Required Skills:
Adaptability, Adaptability, Brand Management, Business Acumen, Business Decisions, Content Creation, Creativity, Cross-Functional Leadership, Customer Centricity, Customer Insights, Decision Making, Digital Consumer Engagement, Digital Marketing, Enterprise Leadership, Executive Presence, Financial Acumen, Influencing Skills, Influencing Without Authority, Market Dynamics, Market Research, Market Segmentation, Omnichannel Marketing, Presentation Delivery, Product Launches, Product Management {+ 9 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

The salary range for this role is
$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

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:
Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:
No

Travel Requirements:
10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid

Shift:
1st - Day

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
n/a

Job Posting End Date:
10/17/2026
*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.

About Merck & Co, Inc

Schering-Plough Corporation is a major U.S.-based manufacturer of pharmaceuticals. It operates in three segments: Prescription Pharmaceuticals, Animal Health, and Consumer Health Care. Schering-Plough develops products targeting on allergy, cancer, hepatitis, cardiovascular, central nervous system, respiratory system, and more.  It was founded in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering as Schering AG in Germany. Schering-Plough manufactured several pharmaceutical drugs, the most well-known of which were the allergy drugs Claritin and Clarinex, an anti-cholesterol drug Vytorin, and a brain tumor drug Temodar. It also developed drugs targeting on central nervous system and the respiratory system. Schering Plough also owned and operated the major foot care brand name Dr. Scholl's and the skin care line Coppertone. These also became a part of the new company. Schering-Plough was a full member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), a membership which is also maintained by the new Merck.

Merck & Co, Inc Careers

Join the visionary team at Merck & Co, Inc, a global leader in healthcare dedicated to advancing the world of medicine. As part of our professional community, you'll find dynamic job opportunities that foster innovation and leadership across various fields. Merck & Co, Inc is not just a company; it's a place where you can make a difference.

Work You’ll Do

At Merck & Co, Inc, we are committed to improving global health through groundbreaking research and innovative healthcare solutions. Our team is at the forefront of developing new therapies and vaccines that significantly impact public health worldwide. By joining us, you will collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry, using your skills to contribute to projects that save and improve lives around the globe.

Explore Career Paths

Whether you're seeking an internship, a graduate opportunity, or a professional position, Merck & Co, Inc offers a range of career paths in environments that promote rapid professional growth and development. Explore job opportunities in research, digital transformation, manufacturing, and more, all while benefiting from a culture that supports diversity and inclusion.

Innovate and Lead

Merck & Co, Inc is an ideal environment for those who lead with curiosity and the drive to innovate. Our leadership is committed to fostering a culture where inventive thinking and collaboration are encouraged, making it a perfect place for professionals who seek to make an impact through their work.

Develop Your Skills

With Merck & Co, Inc, you are not just getting a job; you're gaining access to unparalleled career development opportunities. Enhance your skills through diverse training programs, workshops, and continuous learning courses designed to help you grow at every stage of your career.

Benefits and Culture

We understand that our employees are our greatest asset, which is why we offer competitive benefits designed to support the health and well-being of you and your family. From comprehensive health care coverage and retirement plans to flexible working conditions and wellness programs, our benefits package is designed to meet the diverse needs of our team members.

Join Our Team

Ready to advance your career at Merck & Co, Inc? Search open positions that match your skills and interests. We are continuously hiring and looking for passionate, creative, and solution-driven team players. Prepare your resume, sharpen your interview skills, and become part of a company that's dedicated to making a difference.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. Engage with us through our careers blog and by participating in networking events and employment fairs. Subscribe to receive personalized job alerts and the latest news tailored to your preferences. Discover the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Merck & Co, Inc. Join us in our mission to improve health and wellness around the world.
Learn more about Merck & Co, Inc
Size
68,000 employees
Market Cap
$282.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$7 billion
Founded
1668
5 Year Trend
+4.1%
Revenue
$47.9 billion
NASDAQ

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