Job Description

Position Description:

Associate Director, Policy Advocacy

The Associate Director, Policy Advocacy serves as the senior expert in the Global Public Policy (GPP) organization on designing and implementing policy advocacy campaigns that are targeted and effective in advancing policy change in support of the company’s business objectives. The Associate Director will proactively research and stay abreast of new strategies and tactics to create public policy change and use their deep expertise in leading and managing global to local policy advocacy campaigns to create a Center of Excellence for policy advocacy, transforming GPP and market policy advocacy work.

The Associate Director will independently develop and execute a company-wide global policy advocacy strategy, create business cases for and manage budgetary resources, and create cutting-edge advocacy tools, capabilities, and policy messaging assets for GPP’s and market-level strategic policy engagement. The role reports to the AVP, Strategic Planning & External Engagement, and directs the development of innovative advocacy approaches and impactful written policy advocacy materials for external meetings, presentations, and negotiations on policy and political concerns that are effective in influencing policy decision making globally.

The Associate Director will create and execute a plan, working closely with members of the GPP therapeutic area (TA) policy and regional policy teams, for global implementation of new advocacy tools and resources and will direct work to enable their use across global, regional, and local policy teams in engagements with policy stakeholders. The Associate Director will conduct policy advocacy needs assessments and independently develop and execute a GPP policy advocacy capability-building plan. In this capacity, the Associate Director will be responsible for independently identifying and executing enhancements to the Policy Academy, which brings early-stage policy professionals into the organization to provide their expertise in policy advocacy and for managing its day-to-day operations.

The Associate Director will also independently review the Public Policy Central (PPC) Insights platform, which is a repository of policy advocacy materials and resources and direct the work of internal and/or external vendors to improve usability. The Associate Director will identify capability needs and design and conduct trainings (either directly or through vendors) to upskill the GPP organization on new policy advocacy tactics to strengthen engagement and increase impact.

The role is based in US (Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, Upper Gwynedd, PA, Rahway, NJ), Belgium (Brussels), or Switzerland (Zurich, Lucerne, Geneva).

Scope of work and core responsibilities include:

• Create and execute a global strategy for transforming the company’s policy advocacy efforts and serve as a leading expert to the GPP Leadership Team, GPP, and market policy teams on designing and executing best-in-class advocacy campaigns.

• Stay abreast of new cutting-edge policy advocacy strategies and establish and maintain a Center of Excellence that includes targeted advocacy tools, such as innovative digital and social media approaches, to increase impact and efficiency of policy engagement, drawing upon expertise in effective policy advocacy

• Maintain a database of company-related data, and statistics that is relevant for use in policy engagements, and work with GPP subject matter experts (SME) to create tailored written materials, including talking points, leave-behinds, local, regional, and global company Footprints and access case studies, to support engagement on cross-cutting policy issues.

• Develop and execute a plan for evolving our company’s written policy messaging assets and digital repositories of written policy materials, including the existing PPC Insights repository, to increase their relevance and improve user experience.

• Prepare clear, concise, and timely messaging documents and presentations for senior leader engagements with policy makers and key influencers at the request of SMEs and GPP team members.

• Assess gaps in GPP advocacy capabilities and develop capability-building plans, including communities of practice, aligned with business objectives.

• Direct the execution of targeted and tailored trainings for team members to strengthen in-role capabilities based on capability plan.

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies relevant to public policy and proactively advocate for their adoption within the organization.

• Identify ways to improve the Policy Academy, direct changes to and manage the program on day-to-day basis, including recruiting new associates, planning and executing professional development and leadership activities, initiating placement and offboarding processes at completion of academy, proactively addressing issues and implementing improvements, and working cross-functionally with legal, HR, GPP, and other functions to manage program effectively and efficiently.

• Contribute to quarterly and annual strategic planning and evaluation processes for the GPP organization.

Position Qualifications :

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Higher-level degree candidates preferred

Required Experience and Skills:

• Accomplished public policy professional with at least 10 years’ experience in international government affairs with a preference for candidates with experience in government, think tanks or business associations responsible for healthcare, commercial trade, regulatory, or intellectual property

• Distinguished expert in designing, implementing, and evaluating policy advocacy campaigns that drive policy change at local, regional, and global levels.

• Pharmaceutical sector, medical device, or related policy background preferred with specific emphasis on access, pricing/reimbursement, intellectual property, and trade policy

• Ability to .lead change management strategies, master complex policy, regulatory and legislative issues, think creatively and develop innovative strategies and solutions

• Demonstrated agility to pivot strategies and tactics in dynamic policy environments.

• Self-starter with innovative spirit, effective at proactively identifying new ways of addressing policy challenges and designing new advocacy approaches to increase impact

• Excellent writing and communications skills with the strong ability to develop new, innovative ways to influence people in a rapidly changing environment

• Ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership and senior-level external stakeholders

• Fluent in English, verbal and written

• High degree of ethics and ability to build effective internal and external working relationships

• Demonstrated experience working across culturally diverse and matrixed teams with a high degree of collaboration

• Superior interpersonal and leadership skills in relevant business environments

• Effective in collaborating with people at all levels of an organization and willing to contribute wherever needed, providing leadership to operational activities as well as senior executive

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders). Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

Current Employees apply HERE (https://wd5.myworkday.com/msd/d/task/1422$6687.htmld)

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE (https://wd5.myworkday.com/msd/d/task/1422$4020.htmld)

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 (https://survey.sogosurvey.com/r/aCdfqL) if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights_10_20.pdf)

EEOC GINA Supplement​

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas 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 (https://www.msdprivacy.com/us/en/CCPA-notice/)

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence. This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.

Expected US salary range:

$149,400.00 - $235,100.00

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, long term incentive if applicable, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of benefits is listed here (https://www.benefitsatmerck.com/) .

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/International

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

09/27/2024

*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.

Job Posting End Date: 09/27/2024

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.

Requisition ID: R310428