Director, Consumer Marketing – Market Activation & Expansion, HIV Prevention

Job Description

Director, Consumer Marketing – Market Activation & Expansion, HIV Prevention  

Join the U.S. launch team for an investigational Phase III HIV prevention asset (PrEP) to lead market activation and expansion for people who may benefit from PrEP (PwBP). Reporting to the Executive Director, U.S. Commercial Lead, this role leads the end-to-end consumer activation and expansion strategy—from insights and strategy to content development (with agency and agile teams) and omnichannel execution across personal and non-personal channels to support a successful launch.

The role requires expertise in consumer behavior, digital engagement, and agile marketing, as well as the ability to translate insights into campaigns that motivate key segments (women, African American and Hispanic men, youth, etc.) to consider PrEP. Given the dynamic nature of our marketing capabilities, a successful candidate will need a high level of learning agility, resilience, comfort with ambiguity, experience navigating a heavily matrixed organization and willingness to pioneer new approaches.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy & Consumer Segment Understanding:

• Define and lead an inclusive growth strategy to expand reach across populations and underserved segments

• Develop segmentation frameworks grounded in behavioral, cultural, and attitudinal insights to inform activation

• Identify barriers, drivers, and unmet needs across priority populations and translate insights into actionable strategies  

• Ensure all strategies align with broader brand, portfolio, and health goals

 

Insights & Cultural Relevance

• Lead primary and secondary research to understand gender, race, ethnicity, cultural nuances, community needs, and access barriers   

• Challenge assumptions and ensure messaging reflects real motivations and lived experiences of people who may benefit from PrEP

• Establish a continuous learning agenda to evolve understanding of audiences over time

 

Content & Experience Development

• Oversee creation of culturally relevant, inclusive, and non-stigmatizing content across channels

• Ensure use of inclusive language and representation that resonates  

• Partner with agencies and internal development teams to develop tailored messaging by segment, ensuring representation and authenticity across all creative and media

• Embed inclusion into end-to-end customer journeys, not just campaigns

 

Omnichannel Activation

• Lead end-to-end activation strategy across personal (field) and non-personal channels for key consumer segments

• Prioritize digital channels, touchpoints, and partnerships that best reach target populations  

• Drive community-informed approaches (e.g., local partnerships, community engagement/meetings, advocacy groups, etc.)

 

Cross-Functional & External Partnership

• Collaborate with market research, data & analytics, sales, digital content teams, and community engagement teams to align execution  

• Partner with external agencies and community stakeholders to co-create authentic solutions  

• Ensure close partnership with other consumer leads to ensure content alignment to strategy and support for all planned events/consumer segments

• Influence without authority across a matrixed organization

Measurement & Optimization

• Define KPIs tied to reach, engagement and conversion across segments

• Track performance and continuously optimize strategies and content based on insights

• Identify gaps in performance across populations and adjust accordingly

 

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all activities meet regulatory, legal, compliance and company standards  

• Establish inclusive marketing guardrails and review processes to mitigate bias and risk

• Champion ethical, responsible marketing practices

 

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Build and lead a team with strong inclusive marketing and cultural competency capabilities

• Embed inclusive practices across the broader marketing organization (playbooks, training, frameworks)

• Foster a culture of curiosity, inclusion, and accountability

Budget Management

• Manage assigned marketing budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to maximize ROI. Ensure ongoing budget tracking, forecasting, and scenario planning to support financial stewardship.

Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent (BA/BS). MBA or equivalent preferred

 

Required Experience & Skills

• Minimum of 10 years of pharmaceutical/healthcare experience; Minimum of 7 years of brand marketing experience (including pharma, consumer packaged goods, health & wellness brands)

• Demonstrated expertise and experience in consumer activation/engagement, digital channels, agency management and campaign development/delivery

• Experience in leading culturally relevant and inclusive marketing tactics across audiences, including multi-cultural and resource development in Spanish

• Strong analytical skills and comfort with data-driven decision-making

• Excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills

• Strategic thinker with operational discipline translates long-term strategy into executable plans while maintaining rigorous attention to detail and measurable KPIs.

• Comfortable operating in high visibility environments performs effectively under pressure, embraces stretch assignments, and navigates changing priorities with resilience

• Influential collaborator and negotiator build strong internal and external relationships, navigates stakeholder dynamics, and secures alignment and commitment across functions.

Preferred Skills:

• HIV Treatment or Prevention, or related public health experience

• Product launches and pre-launch commercialization activities

• Demonstrated people management and ability to build and motivate team within an inclusive and safe to speak up culture

• Proven self-starter with a hands-on, results-driven approach: proactively identifies opportunities, removes barriers, and delivers outcomes  

• Familiarity with omnichannel marketing and digital channel integration, as well as agile marketing process

Location & Work Model

• Upper Gwynedd, PA - Hybrid (3 days on-site per week per U.S. Hybrid Work Model)

• Travel: 25% Required

Required Skills:

Accountability, Adaptability, Brand Marketing, Change Agility, Consumer Behavior, Content Development, Digital Marketing, HIV Prevention, Learning Agility, Marketing Automation, Marketing Budget Management, Marketing Budgets, Market Research, Omnichannel Marketing, People Leadership, Product Launches, Public Health, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking, Team Leadership

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.

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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

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:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

07/10/2026

*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.