Job DescriptionWe are seeking a results-driven and visionary
Associate Director, Health Care Consumer (HCC) Strategy Lead for Adult Pneumococcal Vaccines. In this leadership role, you will help drive future growth and make a meaningful impact on patients' lives in a key growth area for our organization.
The Associate Director will lead the end-to-end consumer strategy, including insight generation, strategy development, content creation, and omnichannel delivery planning, in alignment with brand objectives. This position will report to the US Commercial Leader for Adult Pneumococcal Vaccines and be based in Upper Gwynedd, PA
This role requires expertise in healthcare consumer behavior, digital engagement, and agile marketing, as well as the ability to translate insights into campaigns and plans that motivate adults to request and accept our company product. As the adult pneumococcal and consumer landscape evolves, this leader will guide scenario planning, cross-functional alignment, and innovation across channels, messaging, and measurement frameworks.
Key Responsibilities- Own the US adult pneumococcal consumer strategy, including insight development, strategic priorities, target setting, and short- and long-term planning.
- Translate data and market learnings into actionable insights, strategies, and plans in partnership with Data & Analytics, market research, and agency partners.
- Own the Agency of Recor (AOR) relationship and lead the management of large-scale direct-to-consumer initiatives (ie. DTC TV), including agency briefing, budget stewardship, scope and timeline management, creative development, stakeholder alignment, CRT, executional oversight, and performance optimizations to support brand objectives.
- Partner with Campaign Development Lead, Architect, and Pharmacy Team leads to ensure campaign messaging is pulled through consistently and according to research learnings, while ensuring that substantial media investments are focused on the right target audience
- Lead consumer market research to monitor evolving market and consumer trends, generate relevant insights, and track progress against full-funnel performance KPIs to inform strategy, optimization, and decision-making.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams across the enterprise, including Global Marketing, Data & Analytics, Pharmacy, OCAR, Vaccine Public Health and Vaccine Confidence, Policy, Global Communications, Regulatory, Legal/Compliance, and other partners, to plan and execute patient activation activities.
- Partner with Product Marketing Owners to drive transparency, OKR development, omnichannel delivery, and prioritization across the team.
- Coordinate with HCP marketing counterparts to ensure message consistency and strategic alignment across consumer and professional channels, including seamless pull-through for consumers and HCPs in Pharmacy and Employer channels.
- Manage the assigned consumer and team marketing budget, ensuring efficient resource allocation to maximize ROI. Lead ongoing budget tracking and scenario planning to support financial stewardship.
- Ensure all marketing activities comply with company policies, industry regulations, and DTC guidelines. Anticipate regulatory risks and proactively adjust strategies to maintain compliance.
Required Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree (BA/BS)
- Minimum of 5 years of marketing experience, including customer segment marketing and/or payer marketing.
- Experience developing strategy and operating in areas with ambiguity or "white space."
- Demonstrated ability to create solutions that drive customer value, incorporating innovative approaches where relevant.
- Understanding of omnichannel marketing, including digital and non-digital channels, with experience working with agency partners.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional and multiple enterprise teams.
- Growth mindset, with the ability to advocate for agile ways of working and support team learning and adoption.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills.
- Strong analytical skills and ability to make data-driven decisions.
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree (MBA or equivalent)
- Healthcare consumer or general consumer marketing experience.
- Agency management experience
- Prior experience in the US vaccines market.
- Experience working in agile marketing environments.
- Familiarity with compliance, regulatory processes, and DTC marketing requirements.
Required Skills: Consumer Healthcare, Cross-Team Collaboration, Digital Consumer Engagement, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Market Research, Omnichannel Marketing, Product Launches, Strategic Thinking
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:No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:No
Travel Requirements:10%
Flexible Work Arrangements:Hybrid
Shift:1st - Day
Valid Driving License:No
Hazardous Material(s):NA
Job Posting End Date:08/11/2026
*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. 
