[Remote] Associate Director, Marketing - Patient Adherence

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Merck is a leading pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving health outcomes worldwide. They are seeking an Associate Director, Marketing - Patient Adherence to lead the strategy and execution of integrated patient adherence programs, focusing on enhancing patient engagement and outcomes through innovative marketing strategies. This role involves cross-functional collaboration and data-driven decision-making to optimize patient support and adherence.ResponsibilitiesOwn the end-to-end adherence strategy: refine the program north star, target behaviors, segment needs, value proposition, and the integrated set of interventions that address adherence barriers across the journeyTranslate patient insights, behavioral barriers, and operational learnings into prioritized program enhancements that improve the patient experience and retention outcomesLead development of omnichannel adherence interventions (e.g., CRM journeys, email/SMS where appropriate, web experiences, education content, toolkits) aligned to brand strategy and patient needsEnsure adherence communications are built for confidence-building, expectation-setting at initiation, and sustained reinforcement—tailored by segment and lifecycle stagePartner with Global/Comms and internal brand teams to ensure message consistency, education alignment, and channel synergyPartner with Digital, Data & Analytics and IT to define adherence KPIs, data requirements, and dashboards, enabling performance tracking, insight generation, and ongoing optimizationBuild a closed-loop measurement approach: connect interventions to outcomes (engagement → behavioral proxies → persistence metrics where available), and drive test/learn/scale cyclesSynthesize complex data sets (patient experience signals, operational metrics, channel performance) to uncover drivers, risks, and opportunities to improve adherence outcomesEnable collaboration across Marketing, Patient Experience, Market Access, Field Access, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Legal/Compliance, Pharmacovigilance, Privacy, distribution/specialty pharmacy, and hub/patient services to optimize the post-Rx experienceEnsure program design integrates seamlessly into the real-world ecosystem (hub workflows, specialty pharmacy touchpoints, field education needs, consent capture considerations, etc.)Lead integrated planning: program roadmap, timelines, resourcing, risk logs, and decision points; drive disciplined execution with clear milestones and accountabilityOversee agencies and vendors (AORs, digital partners, operational partners): contracts/SOWs, SLAs, performance management, and budget stewardshipEnsure adherence program strategy and execution are compliant with applicable requirements (e.g., FDA promotional regulations, privacy/HIPAA considerations, OIG guidance, state laws, AE/product complaint reporting), and partner with Legal/Compliance for approvals and monitoringEmbed governance and guardrails into the program’s operating rhythm to enable speed without compromising complianceSkillsBA/BS5+ years of relevant experience in U.S. pharma/biopharma across consumer marketing, patient support, patient experience, access/coverage, distribution/SP ecosystem, and/or digital engagementDemonstrated success building and executing integrated marketing/program strategies with measurable outcomesStrong cross-functional leadership—ability to influence senior stakeholders and align complex enterprise teamsStrong business and financial acumen (budget ownership, vendor management, value-case thinking)Strong written/verbal communication and executive-ready storytelling with dataMBA, MPH (or advanced degree in a related field)Experience designing, scaling, or optimizing patient adherence/retention programs and/or high-touch patient support models (hub services, specialty pharmacy-distributed therapies)Rare disease and/or specialty therapy commercialization experience; PAH familiarity a plusStrong understanding of U.S. commercial and regulatory environment affecting patient programs (privacy, PV, compliance guardrails)Hands-on experience with analytics and CX tooling (journey mapping, service design, call analytics, CRM/case management, BI tools such as Tableau/Power BI)Experience operating in agile or agile-like delivery modelsBenefitsAnnual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicableMedical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)Retirement benefits, including 401(k)Paid holidaysVacationCompassionate and sick daysFlexible Work Arrangements: RemoteCompany OverviewMerck is a biopharmaceutical company that offers medicines and vaccines for various diseases. It was founded in 1891, and is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, USA, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is http://www.merck.com.