Job Description

• Lead the strategic choices across inline brands and future pipeline assets, influencing where we play, what we prioritise, and how we invest across Asia Pacific.
• Connect market realities with global ambition, bringing the AP perspective into critical decisions while turning global strategy into relevant, actionable plans across diverse markets.
• Shape future assets from early commercial assessment through launch readiness, while driving the strategy, cross-functional execution and lifecycle decisions that deliver sustainable growth.

The Regional Franchise Director Pharma and New Product Planning is the regional commercial owner and ambassador for the Pharma franchise and all early assets in our pipeline (excluding Oncology) across Asia Pacific. The role is responsible for shaping franchise strategy, brand planning, portfolio prioritization, forecasting, and lifecycle strategy while driving strong cross‑functional execution to deliver business results.

Operating as a regional commercial leader, the Regional Franchise Director is a trusted commercial strategy partner to markets, global teams, and regional leadership—bringing clarity, discipline, and momentum to strategy, launch readiness, and ongoing performance.

The role requires strong strategic thinking, business judgment, analytical discipline, and cross-functional leadership. Together with the regional marketing team, the Regional Franchise Director will translate market insights, competitive intelligence, access realities, customer needs, and financial assumptions into clear strategic recommendations, brand/asset planning, actionable brand plans, and high-quality business decisions including tough trade-offs between assets and markets across Asia Pacific.

What will you do :

Franchise / Brand Strategy & Ownership

• Own and articulate the regional strategy for the Pharma franchise and its brands, aligned to global direction and adapted for AP market realities.
• Serve as the regional ambassador and subject‑matter expert across the franchise, providing clear strategic direction to markets.
• Define what is standard vs. localised across messaging, campaigns, and execution.
• Own the brand narrative and storytelling, translating strategy into clear, executable plans.

Pipeline Strategy & Strategic Choices

• Lead the development and continuous refinement of the regional Specialty, Pharma & Infectious Disease pipeline strategy across Asia Pacific, aligned with enterprise and global SP&ID priorities in close collaboration with the Regional Franchise Director for Vaccines & Infectious Diseases and other functions.
• Define and communicate strategic choices across inline brands and pipeline assets, including prioritization, sequencing, market focus, and resource allocation.
• Integrate lifecycle management and new product planning into a cohesive pipeline/portfolio roadmap that balances near-term business performance with long-term growth.
• Continuously assess market trends, competitive developments, customer needs, and access dynamics to inform strategic recommendations and portfolio decisions.

New Product Planning

• Lead regional new product planning for priority SP&ID pipeline assets, from early commercial assessment through launch readiness.
• Guide opportunity assessment, market prioritization, commercial assumptions, and strategic framing for future assets across Asia Pacific.
• Partner closely with global, regional, and local teams to ensure Asia Pacific perspectives are reflected in development, value strategy, and launch planning.
• Oversee key forecasting, Stage Gate, and Enterprise Go-to-Market (EGTM) deliverables for selected pipeline assets.

Regional–Global–Local Orchestration

• Act as the primary connector between global, regional, and local teams for the Pharma franchise and NPP.
• Adapt global strategies and campaigns to ensure local relevance without strategic dilution or duplication.
• Ensure markets understand not just what to do, but why—making strategy practical and actionable.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Execution

• Mobilise and align cross‑functional teams (marketing, sales, access, medical, finance, policy, etc.).
• Drive executional excellence across launch preparation, brand activation, and lifecycle management.
• Navigate competing priorities while maintaining focus, alignment, and momentum.

Market & Stakeholder Partnership

• Be a high‑value partner to markets, enabling MDs, BU Heads, and local teams through clarity and support.
• Partner closely with marketing, sales, and access colleagues to drive brand and business performance.
• Build trust as a commercial thought partner, not a service/activity provider.

Commercial Leadership

• Demonstrate commercial and P&L awareness for the Franchise/asset.
• Partner with Business Unit Directors and escalate to MDs when appropriate and value‑adding.
• Solve problems pragmatically, balancing strategic intent with execution realities.

People Leadership and Capability Building

• Guide, coach, and support marketers or project teams responsible for assigned brand and indication priorities.
• Create clarity on priorities, deliverables, timelines, decision points, and ways of working to ensure strong strategic discipline and accountability.
• Build marketing capability across strategic planning, brand planning, forecasting, opportunity assessment, competitive strategy, and cross-functional leadership.
• Contribute to a collaborative, accountable, and inclusive team culture that enables high performance across regional and country teams.

What should you have

Required

• >10 years of pharmaceutical industry experience with strong exposure to oncology, specialty care, or innovative medicines.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, life sciences, or a related field required.
• Substantial regional or global strategic marketing, portfolio strategy, new product planning, or lifecycle management experience.
• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking, with ability to manage complexity and make high-quality trade-off decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across a matrix and lead without direct authority as well as proven ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives with strong ownership and discipline.
• People management experience with a track record of coaching and developing talent.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to synthesize market insights into clear strategic recommendations.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and executive presentation skills.
• Strong curiosity and ability to apply AI in analysis, communication and execution

Preferred

• Broad understanding of Asia Pacific market dynamics, access environments, and launch challenges.
• Experience engaging global development, commercial, or governance teams.
• Advanced degree such as MBA, MSc, or equivalent.
• Consultancy experience within the pharmaceutical/life sciences context

What Success Looks Like

• Clear, well‑understood regional Franchise and pipeline strategy adopted by markets
• Strong launch readiness and consistent execution across AP
• High trust and demand from markets, global teams, and regional leadership
• Improved brand performance driven by aligned cross‑functional execution

Who we are :

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

What we look for:

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” and that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. And we believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Brand Management, Communication Sciences, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Digital Marketing, Direct Marketing, Field Marketing, Interpersonal Communication, Interpersonal Relationships, Market Dynamics, Marketing, Marketing Management, Marketing Operations, Marketing Planning, Marketing Strategies, Market Research, Organizational Effectiveness, Outside Sales, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Sales Marketing, Pricing Strategies, Product Management, Regional Planning, Relationship Building {+ 8 more}

Preferred Skills:

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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:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

11/20/2026

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