Director, Field Medical Excellence

Job Description

Summary

The Director, Global Field Medical Excellence is a leadership role within the Center for Scientific Exchange Excellence (CSEE), accountable for defining, benchmarking, advancing, and sustaining industry-leading Scientific Exchange Professional performance globally.

This role serves as the strategic architect of Field Medical excellence, establishing the vision, standards, and operating model that define what “best-in-class” looks like. The Director ensures that Field Medical capabilities - including scientific exchange, stakeholder engagement, insight generation, and SL/KDM impact - consistently meet or exceed top-tier industry benchmarks.

Recognized as an internal and external thought leader, this individual brings deep expertise in scientific exchange, capability development, performance excellence, and field medical innovation. They partner across Global Medical Affairs, Field Medical Leadership, Scientific Training, and Center of Excellence teams to ensure the organization is setting - not following - the industry standard for Scientific Exchange Professional effectiveness.

Roles and Responsibilities

Define and Set the Global Standard for Excellence

• Establish and continuously evolve the global vision, strategy, and framework for Field Medical excellence

• Define best-in-class standards for:

  • Scientific exchange

  • Stakeholder engagement

  • Insight generation and evidence communication

  • SL/KDM experience and impact

• Develop and maintain global competency models reflecting current and future Scientific Exchange Professional capabilities

• Set clear expectations for what differentiates average vs. exceptional Scientific Exchange Professional performance

Benchmark and Maintain Industry Leadership

• Consult global benchmarking against peer pharmaceutical organizations, industry associations, and emerging best practices

• Identify gaps between current performance and best-in-industry standards

• Translate benchmarking insights into targeted capability-building strategies

• Serve as the organization’s internal authority on world-class Field Medical performance

Elevate Scientific Exchange Excellence

• Define and operationalize standards for high-quality scientific engagement

• Establish frameworks that improve the consistency, credibility, and impact of Scientific Exchange interactions

• Ensure Field Medical teams demonstrate:

  • Mastery of disease state and clinical data

  • Excellence in scientific narrative and evidence communication

  • Strategic, insight-driven stakeholder engagement

• Drive continuous improvement in the quality and effectiveness of scientific dialogue globally

Assess and Drive Scientific Exchange Professional Performance Excellence

• Develop and implement global frameworks to assess Scientific Exchange Professional effectiveness and impact

• Define leading and lagging indicators of Field Medical success

• Implement assessment methodologies including:

  • Direct observation

  • Capability evaluations

  • Simulation-based assessments

  • Performance analytics

• Ensure consistent performance expectations and accountability across regions and therapeutic areas

Build Future-Ready Scientific Exchange Professional Capabilities

• Design and implement end-to-end capability development strategies, including:

  • Onboarding and foundational development

  • Advanced scientific and strategic engagement skills

  • Leadership readiness and Scientific Exchange Professional career progression

• Partner with Core Skills & Capabilities and Scientific Training to embed excellence into curricula

• Build scalable learning ecosystems aligned to adult learning principles and evolving healthcare needs

• Anticipate and define future-state competencies required for evolving Medical Affairs organizations

Drive Innovation in Field Medical Practice

• Identify and implement innovative approaches to:

  • Scientific engagement

  • Omnichannel execution

  • AI-enabled field insights and support

• Evaluate and deploy technologies that enhance Scientific Exchange Professional effectiveness and customer experience

• Lead transformation initiatives to strengthen organizational capability and operational excellence

Generate Strategic Insights and Influence Decisions

• Analyze global data on capability, performance, and engagement outcomes

• Provide executive-level insights and recommendations to senior leadership

• Monitor industry trends and proactively identify emerging opportunities and risks

• Establish transparent reporting frameworks for Field Medical excellence and impact

Influence Global Medical Affairs Strategy

• Serve as a strategic advisor to Global Medical Affairs leadership

• Partner across Field Medical, Regional Leadership, and CoE functions to drive alignment

• Represent the organization externally through industry forums, associations, and thought leadership

• Shape the future direction of Field Medical practice globally

Education / Experience

Required

• Advanced scientific degree (MD, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent)

• Extensive experience (minimum of 5 years) within Medical Affairs, including deep Field Medical/ Scientific Exchange Professional experience

• Demonstrated success as a high-performing Scientific Exchange Professional and field medical leader

• Experience leading global medical excellence, capability-building, or transformation initiatives

• Proven ability to influence across complex matrix organizations

• Strong strategic thinking, executive presence, and change leadership

Preferred

• Recognized industry thought leader in Field Medical excellence

• Experience with global competency frameworks and performance models

• Global experience working across regions and cultures

• Experience in benchmarking, analytics, and capability assessment

• Experience leveraging AI, digital, and analytics solutions in Medical Affairs

• Active participation in industry organizations (e.g., MAPS, MSL Society)

• Publication or speaking experience in scientific exchange or Field Medical excellence

Required Skills:

Clinical Research, Insight Generation, Medical Affairs, Organizational Capability, People Leadership, Professional Networking, Results-Oriented, Scientific Communications, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Insights, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Planning, Thought Leadership

Preferred Skills:

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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.

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The salary range for this role is

$190,800.00 - $300,300.00

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

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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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

07/7/2026

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