Executive Director, Scientific Affairs (EDSA) - Pulmonary Hypertension

Job Description

Our Medical Affairs team advances patient care by engaging in scientific exchange with external medical experts and industry professionals ensuring the scientific value of our products is realized. We engage and train internal employees to ensure that they thoroughly comprehend the science behind the medicine and review further unmet medical needs to bolster collaboration and further differentiate our portfolio. 

The Executive Director Scientific Affairs (EDSA) for Pulmonary Hypertension will focus on efforts to maximize meaningful bi-directional scientific exchange by incorporating external scientific input into our Research & Development laboratories strategy to impact how our Company discovers, develops, and commercializes new drugs in cardiovascular disease and pulmonary hypertension (will include heart failure, atherosclerosis, thrombosis and other). 

The Executive Director will join the relevant Research & Development late-stage Product Development Teams (PDTs) clinical sub teams and chair the Company investigator-initiated studies programs in Pulmonary Hypertension disease.  The Executive Director, Scientific Affairs (EDSA) maximizes meaningful bi-directional scientific exchange with the worldwide clinical and academic community to positively impact Research and Development (R&D) strategy for new medicines and to improve outcomes for patients.

Role summary:

• Leads a large investigator-initiated studies program in partnership with late-stage development teams in Medical Affairs while also supporting early-stage development teams. 

• Drive a credible and informed scientific dialogue with global Scientific Leaders in Pulmonary Hypertension related areas (responsible for collaborative partnerships with key global Scientific Leaders across all regions relevant to strategic priorities, both US and Ex-US)

• Partner with colleagues in Research & Development GCD (Global Clinical Development) to execute the Scientific Leadership strategy in alignment with the end-to-end pulmonary hypertension scientific strategy

• Partners with Medical Affairs leadership to develop the global Value Evidence and Medical Planning strategy across designated therapeutic areas.

• The EDSA has a key role at major congresses, including, but not limited to, facilitating daily debriefs, engaging with Scientific Leaders (SLs), and producing comprehensive congress summary reports.

• Responsibility for both internal and external commitments, with an emphasis on external scientific engagements

Primary Responsibilities:

• Leads investigator initiated studies program for pulmonary hypertension therapeutic area.

• Develop individual relationships with global scientific leaders in Cardiovascular and Pulmonology science through scientific dialogue pertinent to our Company's interests

• Organize, chair or participate in a variety of scientific input forums (Research & Development consultants meetings and scientific advisory boards) to gain specific input from external scientists and physicians to support drug development activities within the Research & Development division

• Chair the Company Investigator Initiated Studies Review Committee- responsible for reviewing external investigator initiated scientific study protocols encompassing both pre-clinical and clinical work

• Provides subject matter expertise for Product Development and Publications teams and facilitates cross-functional communication and collaboration in pursuit of our company’s R&D strategy 

• Coordinate, lead/participate in Research & Development activities at key global scientific congresses including collection of competitive intelligence and creation of a written Executive Summary

• Lead cross-functional Cardiovascular Global Scientific Medical and Research Teams

• Attend and actively participate in both Product Development Clinical sub-teams, Value Evidence sub-teams, and  Publications sub-teams

• Ensure partnerships with leaders of key professional societies and organizations as well as major academic medical centers

• Ensure existing Scientific Leaders relationship with Company scientists are sustained and strengthened via appropriate Scientific Leader engagement plans

• Sustains our Company’s scientific credibility and fosters and develops relationships with global leaders, major academic medical centers, and key professional societies and organizations through relevant bi-directional scientific exchange

• Maintain credibility by being on the leading edge on state of science and shifts in clinical and treatment paradigms

• Coordinate relationships across divisions within our Company, including close connectivity with both Research & Development and Medical Affairs colleagues/Commercial organization

• Leads R&D activities and synthesizes competitive intelligence relevant to our company’s R&D strategy at key scientific congresses

Education Requirement:

• MD and/or PhD with 10+ years, post degree; subspecialty expertise in pulmonary hypertension

Required Experience and Skills:

• Experience influencing research and development in stated disease area.

• Must be able to work in a complex organization environment and have ability to effectively operate in a team-oriented structure.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication (written as well as oral), results-oriented project management, facilitation and consultative skills to influence decision making are required.

• Experience managing interactions with senior leaders, and to positively influence decision making at a senior level

• Significant research experience as clinical investigator, specifically experience with investigator-initiated studies, concept assessment, and protocol review

• Advanced facilitation and consultative skills

     

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Medical Affairs or Scientific Affairs experience in the cardiovascular field is desired, but not mandatory

• Higher scientific degree (e.g., PhD)

• Publications in therapeutic area with national/international recognition is desirable.

• Impactful publication record in a relevant therapeutic area, with international recognition

Required Skills:

Change Management, Change Management, Clinical Trials, Communication, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Cross-Functional Communications, Decision Making, Facilitation, Global Partnerships, Healthcare Marketing, Human Resource Management, Interventional Cardiology, Investigator-Initiated Studies (IIS), Medical Affairs, Medical Knowledge, Medical Marketing Strategy, Pharmacodynamics, Product Development, Professional Networking, Project Management, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, R&D Strategy, Results-Oriented, Scientific Communications {+ 1 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.

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The salary range for this role is

$231,900.00 - $365,000.00

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:

Remote

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

05/30/2026

*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.