Description

Job Description

The Virology (HIV) Regional Medical Scientific Director is a credentialed (i.e., MD, PhD, DNP, or PharmD) therapeutic and disease area expert who engages in both scientific exchange and research support, when requested, with external scientific leaders and investigators in the medical and scientific community. This MSL-type role provides Scientific Leaders (SLs) balanced, factual, scientific information about non-product areas of interest to our Company and responds to scientific questions from SLs, including questions about our Company's products and data. Virology RMSDs are responsible for facilitating and developing peer-level relationships with scientific leaders in the external medical/scientific community including those investigators who have potential interest in participating in our Company's research studies. Virology RMSDs provide support for data generation activities including our Company's sponsored trials and our Company's Independent Investigator Study Programs as prioritized and requested by Research and Development (R&D) leadership. Virology RMSDs reports to the Regional RMSD Team Leader - within US Medical Affairs, Global Clinical Development, Research and Development (R&D).

Location details:

• This role covers KS, MO, IA, ND, SD, & NE.
• Candidates must reside within the territory, with a strong preference for the St. Louis or Kansas City areas.
• Travel up to 50% within the territory.

Primary Activities:

• Identify, establish and manage collaborative professional relationships with national, regional and clinical practice scientific leaders (SLs) and investigators to identify and address scientific needs and to ensure access to medical and scientific information on areas of therapeutic interest and our Company's data or products
• Conduct peer-level scientific discussions and maintain a reliable presence to ensure SLs have a Research and Development (R&D)/ Medical Affairs contact within our Company
• Engage in proactive non-product discussions regarding scientific issues (e.g., disease states, diagnosis, epidemiology, unmet medical need, and population health, etc) that are intended to enhance scientific discussions or inform/guide Research and Development (R&D)/ GMA and Human Health (HH) strategy or Research and Development (R&D) research programs
• Facilitate appropriate scientific exchange of information with SLs, including integration of scientific knowledge with actionable insights to inform Research and Development (R&D) and Human Health (HH) strategies
• Communicate external stakeholder opinions, insights and feedback on new data, clinical trends and the evolving vaccine landscape to Medical Affairs HQ teams to enhance scientific understanding and inform internal Research and Development (R&D) strategies
• Represent Research and Development (R&D) at scientific meetings and congresses and contribute to Research and Development (R&D) debriefs, insight discussions and post-congress reports
• Develop and execute territory plans in alignment with global Virology strategy
• Support data generation activities when requested by Research and Development (R&D) leadership, including our Company's Investigator Study Program (MISP), by acting as the primary liaison to investigators interested in developing and performing investigator-initiated research
• When requested by Research and Development (R&D) leadership, work to identify potential investigators for consideration of participation in phase IIIV clinical development programs and provide scientific support for Research and Development (R&D) sponsored trials as needed
• Provide in-depth scientific support to Health Systems teams within USMA
• Demonstrate and maintain in-depth knowledge of the assigned disease and therapeutic area(s) through educational efforts, including attendance at relevant conferences, scientific workshops and review of key journals • Fully comply with all company policies and applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards

Education Minimum Requirement:

• An advanced degree (MD, PhD, DNP or PharmD), that is relevant to Virology and requirements of the position.

Experience- Minimum Requirements:

• A minimum of 3 years prior experience in the biotech/pharmaceutical or healthcare environment
• A minimum of 3 years of clinical and/or research experience (beyond that obtained in the terminal degree program) in Virology/HIV (or related therapeutic area, e.g. infectious diseases, immunology, preventative medicine)
• Demonstrated scientific excellence in either Virology or the related therapeutic area.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, networking and presentation skills
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time overnights and reside in the coverage region

Skills Required:

• Deep therapeutic competency; abreast of trends and new information Virology
• Ability to network and partner with important external customers, including scientific leaders, investigators, clinical practice leaders and academic affiliated institutions, including treatment guideline members (as permitted)
• The ability to consolidate and understand complex data sets, plan and/or execute data analyses, summarize or synthesize data and objectively interpret results
• Knowledge of national and society treatment guidelines, clinical research processes, FDA regulations, and OIG, HIPAA and other ethical guidelines, laws, and regulations relevant to the pharmaceutical industry and its external stakeholder environment
• Must be able to organize, prioritize, and work effectively in a constantly changing environment

Preferred capabilities:

• Recognition for scientific excellence in Virology as demonstrated by sustained contributions to Virology via strong clinical, academic and/or translational/basic science research experience in Virology.
• Experience in both clinical Virology and owner of independent research and publication in Virology is highly desirable (i.e., experience in late stage clinical research as an investigator or key study personnel conducting outcomes research, company sponsored trials, or investigator-initiated trials).
• 5+ years of prior pharmaceutical industry experience (MSL or other clinical, medical or research related position) in Virology
• Prior working experience within the coverage region and established relationships with Virology stakeholders
• Demonstrable effective leadership skills (by example and through accomplishments), and the ability to step forward to handle challenges within scope of authority
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Headquarters located in Upper Gwynedd, PA; however, the position will work remotely; candidate should reside within the coverage region.

#eligibleforERP

Required Skills:
Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, HIV AIDS, Infectious Disease, Medical Affairs, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Professional Networking, Scientific Communications, Stakeholder Management, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Thinking, Virology

Preferred Skills:

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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.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

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, Monday - 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 salary range for this role is
$187,000.00 - $294,400.00

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:
50%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Remote

Shift:
Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:
Yes

Hazardous Material(s):
n/a

Job Posting End Date:
01/11/2026
*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.

Requisition ID:R376717