Overview

The U.S. Oncology business at Merck is a growing and dynamic organization committed to advancing innovative therapies for patients with cancer. This role joins the commercial team preparing for the potential U.S. launch of an mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy for early-stage melanoma, 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.

Role

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 transitions, amplify the authentic voice of the patient, drive adherence strategy, and prepare early patient journey insights for future pipeline indications.

Key Responsibilities

Adherence Strategy

• •Design, launch, and optimize cross-functional adherence and persistency strategy
• •Ensure alignment across customer segments and partners as an overall champion for adherence
• •Develop customer-centric strategies to transform the patient experience and drive adherence
• •Optimize 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
• •Develop 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 patient support programs
• •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
• •Ensure patients, 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 the brand
• •Ensure authentic patient voices educate others

Patient Advocacy and 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 and 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+ years in consumer or 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, and omnichannel patient experiences
• •Growth mindset, strong collaboration, and business agility
• •Strong leadership, problem solving, teamwork, analytical, written and 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, and anticipate challenges
• •Strong measurement and ROI framework experience with data-driven optimization
• •Demonstrated cross-functional leadership and senior stakeholder influence in a matrixed organization
• •High legal and compliance IQ with experience operating within regulatory constraints
• •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 such as bispecific antibodies, cell and gene therapies, or radioligand therapies

Education

• •Bachelor's degree required
• •MBA preferred

Location and Compensation

• •Primary location: Upper Gwynedd, PA (preferred) or Remote
• •Salary range: $156,900 - $247,000 base
• •Eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive
• •Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, retirement with 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and sick days
• •Travel requirement: 10%
• •Work arrangement: Hybrid
• •No relocation or visa sponsorship provided