Associate Director US Oncology Marketing, Patient Engagement Strategy - Individualized Neoantigen therapy

Job Description
Associate Director Patient Engagement Strategy Marketing
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 Strategy, the Associate Director, US Oncology Marketing, Patient Engagement Strategy will develop and drive patient and caregiver engagement, transparency and shared decision making across the patient journey from consideration to conversion. This role will optimize patient support program (PSP) transitions, amplify the authentic voice of the patient, drive adherence strategy while also preparing early patient journey and insights for future pipeline indications. The ideal candidate brings a passion for patient-centric marketing, is an insight-driven strategist who can navigate ambiguity, influence across different stakeholder groups, and connect patient needs to business priorities in a highly matrixed environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Adherence Strategy: Design, launch, and optimize cross-functional adherence and persistency strategy, and ensure alignment across customer segments and partners as an overall champion for adherence. Develop customer-centric strategies to help transform the patient experience and drive adherence by optimizing the customer experience framework offerings, address treatment drop-off, and proactively manage treatment expectations
In-Office Strategy: Deliver strategies to help drive patients from consideration to conversion in office including shared decision-making frameworks, point of care educational ecosystem, and HCP to Patient engagement support.
Alignment and Coordination with Patient Support Strategy: Ensure seamless transition to enrollment into PSP. Support team with insights and educational design to incorporate into PSP building confidence from treatment start to treatment completion.
Web Strategy: Orchestrate the branded web ecosystem strategy, patient touchpoints, and patient-first digital engagement strategies. Lead the vision to develop an intuitive, empathetic, and health-literate digital consumer ecosystem incorporating behavioral insights to ensure patients, their families, and caregivers receive timely, compassionate, and actionable guidance at every phase of their treatment journey.
Patient Ambassador Strategy: Define and shape how patients experience and engage with our brand ensuring authentic patient voices educate others.
Patient Advocacy & Medical Patient Engagement Liaison: incorporate insights (where permissible) to inform commercial messaging, campaign relevance, and resource design. Monitor emerging trends, unmet needs, and advocacy landscape dynamics within melanoma
Global Communications Liaison & Social Listening: Partner with Global Communications lead to align brand strategy and initiatives to media opportunities and milestones. Lead consumer brand social listening streams to monitor patient sentiment, emotional burdens, and unmet community needs.
Future Indications: Partner with global team to map patient journey, identify unmet needs, and shape launch readiness frameworks for forthcoming pipeline indications.
Required Experience:
5+ Consumer/Patient marketing, patient engagement within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or Agency experience
Proven track record in developing and executing consumer campaigns, digital and social strategies, DTC channels, omnichannel patient experiences and
A growth mindset, strong collaboration, and business agility
Strong leadership, problem solving, teamwork, analytical, written/verbal communication and presentation skills
Ability to influence without direct authority, navigating complex or matrix organizations and working successfully with cross-functional teams
Ability to plan, prioritize, execute, anticipate challenges·
Strong measurement and ROI framework experience; data‑driven optimization. Demonstrated cross‑functional leadership and senior‑stakeholder influence in a matrixed organization.·
High Legal/Compliance IQ; experience operating within regulatory constraints.·
Patient-Centric Mindset: Deep empathy and commitment to enhancing patient and caregiver experiences throughout difficult diagnostic and treatment journeys.
Preferred Skills:
Experience in the commercialization of complex therapies, including high-touch specialty products (e.g., bispecific antibodies, cell and gene therapies, radioligand therapies) is strongly preferred.
Education:
Bachelor's degree (BA/BS)MBA required
Advanced degree (MBA) preferred
Position location: Upper Gwynedd, PA (preferred) OR Remote
Required Skills:
Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, Engagement Strategies, Market Research, Oncology Marketing, Patient Adherence, Patient Engagement, Strategic Thinking, Strategy Development
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.
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:
EEOC Know Your Rights
EEOC GINA Supplement​
We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts
The primary location for this posting is:
USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$156,900.00 - $247,000.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the