Job Description

Senior Manager - Market Access and Pricing Strategy

Reports to: Associate Director Market Access

The Senior Manager, Market Access and Pricing Strategy leads the development and execution of pricing strategy across our company India portfolio, ensuring alignment with regional and global pricing governance while responding to the realities of India's regulated pricing environment. The role combines strategic pricing leadership, affordability solution design, and regulatory pricing expertise, including price monitoring and compliance under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) and National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

This individual works at the intersection of Market Access, Finance, Commercial, Medical, and Legal, translating complex pricing and contracting decisions into clear frameworks that business teams can execute. Pricing remains the primary accountability, complemented by forecasting and health economics. The ideal candidate is a seasoned pricing professional with strong analytical capability and experience in specialty care, government pricing compliance, and contract negotiation.

Key Responsibilities

Pricing Strategy & Affordability Program Design

• Develop and own the India pricing strategy across the portfolio, covering launch pricing, in-line price management, and lifecycle pricing decisions.
• Build pricing recommendations grounded in value evidence, competitive dynamics, payer/channel economics, and affordability considerations across private, institutional, and government segments.
• Lead pricing inputs for new product launches, including price corridor analysis, reference pricing implications, and cross-country spillover risk assessment.
• Partner with regional and global pricing teams to align local pricing recommendations with global strategy, international reference pricing constraints
• Shape and design affordability programmes in partnership with brand teams, medical, legal, and compliance.
• Model the commercial and access impact of affordability designs, including net price implications, conversion and persistence outcomes, and channel considerations.
• Design contracting framework, including rebate structures, utilization management conditions, and innovative contracting solutions across private and institutional segments
• Ensure key pricing, access, and policy assumptions are consistently reflected in business planning, forecast, launch readiness, and portfolio decisions.
• Ensure programs structures are compliant, sustainable, and aligned with the overall pricing and access strategy for each asset.
• Partner in development and implementation of integrated access strategies for speciality products, including affordability programs, patient support solutions, private health insurance engagement to support sustainable patient access.

Pricing Governance, Monitoring and Compliance

• Establish robust pricing governance processes and approval frameworks.
• Provide strategic recommendations on list price changes, channel pricing, institutional pricing, and account-specific pricing scenarios.
• Evaluate pricing implications of policy changes, reimbursement developments, and competitive actions.
• Act as the organisation's expert on India's pharmaceutical pricing regulation: DPCO provisions, NLEM/NPPA scheduling implications, ceiling price fixation, WPI-linked price revisions, and new-drug price approvals.
• Track and interpret evolving pricing policy (NLEM revisions, trade margin rationalisation, price control expansion proposals) and translate implications into portfolio risk assessments and mitigation strategies.

Health Economics

• Shape fit-for-purpose health economic and value evidence plans for priority assets, aligned with India access and policy needs.
• Partner with Medical, Outcomes Research, regional/global Health Economics and Outcomes Research teams, and external experts to adapt or develop budget impact, cost-effectiveness, and value demonstration analyses.

Qualifications and Experience

• 10-14 years of experience in pharmaceutical pricing, market access, forecasting, health economics, consulting, or related roles, with significant India pricing regulation exposure.
• Deep expertise in building financial models, pricing analyses, and access business cases.
• Experience working within a multinational pricing governance structure building business case for regional/global approval.
• Hands-on experience with government and institutional pricing rate contract processes, tender/rate contract strategy, and public procurement dynamics is desired
• Strong financial modelling and analytical skills; ability to translate pricing analytics into executive-level recommendations.
• Demonstrated track record of managing DPCO/NPPA compliance and price approvals, ideally across both scheduled and non-scheduled formulations.
• Experience in commercial or demand forecasting, including scenario development and cross-functional assumption alignment, is preferred.
• Working knowledge of health economic methods, including budget impact and cost-effectiveness analysis, with the ability to translate evidence for payer and policy audiences, is preferred.
• MBA, MPharm, or equivalent advanced degree preferred.

Competencies

Technical: Pharmaceutical Pricing, Pricing Governance, Financial Modelling, Scenario Planning, Market Access, Health Economics, Forecasting, Pricing Analytics, Policy Analysis, Pricing Compliance

Leadership: Strategic Thinking, Business Acumen, Cross-functional Collaboration, Executive Communication, Stakeholder Management, Negotiation & Influencing, Problem Solving.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Business Decisions, Client Profitability, Contract Pricing, Cost Analysis, Cost Benchmarking, Cost Effectiveness Analysis, Cost Structures, Data Analysis, Direct Marketing, Financial Acumen, Healthcare Reimbursement, Health Economic Modeling, Health Economics, Health Economics Research, Health Policy Analysis, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Interpersonal Relationships, Market Access, Marketing Strategies, Market Pricing, Market Research, Portfolio Strategies, Price Control {+ 9 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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

75%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

NA

Job Posting End Date:

09/19/2026

*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.