Customer Team Leader (District Sales Manager), Cardiovascular Disease - San Diego District

Job Description

The Customer Team Leader (CTL) plays a critical role in establishing our company's customer- focused initiative.

This is a field-based sales management position that is responsible for the San Diego district, which includes covering the following areas within the state of California: San Diego, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, and Chula Vista.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a team of Customer Representatives to deliver strong sales performance by accurately identifying and addressing customer needs.
• Provide coaching and guidance to Customer Representatives to enhance their skills and effectiveness.
• Oversee training programs and manage all people-related processes for the customer team, ensuring continuous development and optimal resource allocation.
• Develop and maintain a high-performing customer team aligned with organizational goals and customer expectations.
• Willingness to travel at least 15% of the time to support team and customer engagement activities, which may occasionally require overnight stays. Specific requirements can be discussed during the interview process.

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Qualifications and Attributes:

• Proven ability to cultivate a high-performing, motivated sales team culture, preferably with experience in the Cardiovascular therapeutic area.
• Provide strong leadership by guiding teams through change and challenges using situational coaching and emotional intelligence. Lead by example with a growth mindset and agility, while fostering trust and openness to support teams effectively during periods of transition.
• Navigate ambiguity with confidence and a forward-looking vision, communicating clearly and transparently to adapt customer engagement models within the Cardiovascular market and beyond.
• Maintain a customer-focused mindset by actively listening to understand customer objectives and foster meaningful relationships across the organization.
• Apply expertise in account planning and management, collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals.
• Experience building and maintaining strong relationships with key accounts and customers in the Cardiovascular sector.
• Solid understanding of Rx Pathways, including prescription processes through healthcare providers, Electronic Health Records (EHR), pharmacies, and knowledge of benefit design and prior authorization requirements.
• Skilled in coaching sales professionals to navigate Managed Care environments and partner with Integrated Delivery Networks (IDN) and Account Management teams.
• Track record of leading successful product launch teams in competitive markets.
• Proficient in leveraging business analytics and technology to generate insights, develop strategies, and execute plans, while coaching sales teams to utilize these tools effectively.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) degree with minimum 5 years’ experience in Sales, Marketing, or Managed Care within the Pharmaceutical industry
• Valid driver’s license

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Advanced degree such as MBA or MS in Science, Business, or Healthcare discipline
• At least 3 years’ experience working with key thought leaders or influential customers in large group practices, hospitals, or managed care organizations
• Proven ability to manage, lead, coach, and inspire successful sales teams, preferably within the Cardiovascular market, with previous Field Sales Management experience
• Strong analytical mindset with experience coaching sales teams to effectively leverage tools and technology for gathering customer insights and enhancing sales impact
• Experience selling and leading teams in the Pharmaceutical, Biotech, or Medical Device industries
• Skilled at establishing and maintaining relationships and networks within customer organizations

#CCSALES2026

Required Skills:

Account Management, Account Management, Account Planning, Adaptability, Analytical Problem Solving, Business Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Customer Engagement, Decision Making, Electronic Health Records (EHR), Electronic Medical Records Management, Healthcare Sales, Lead Generation, Managed Care, Management Process, Market Analysis, Medical Devices, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Management, Pharmaceutical Sales, Product Knowledge, Resource Allocation, Sales Forecasting, Sales Performance Coaching {+ 2 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.

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:

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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 salary range for this role is

$173,200.00 - $272,600.00

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:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

06/10/2026

*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.