Executive Director, Data Strategy

Job Description

The leader is responsible for ensuring Human Health (HH) has an industry-leading strategy and approach to sourcing & creating commercial data assets to inform business critical decisions and actions. The leader will be responsible for creating, owning & implementing the HH data asset strategy & innovation agenda across all business units (Oncology, Vaccine, Pharma & Rare Disease), Digital, Market Access and Health Equity data domains and >60 markets/business unit (HH-US, HH-International, HH-Global Marketing). The work of the data strategy capability directly impacts the return associated Human Health's substantial annual investment in third party data and unlocks the value associated with our company's vast amount of first party, unstructured data assets

  

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Leverages data as a strategic asset that empowers the organization to drive innovation, make informed decisions and create competitive advantage for Human Health (HH)

• Leads an organization of ~90 people (5 Direct Reports: 36 Full Time Employees and 45 data analytic contractors) in maximizing our return from all pan-HH data investments.   

• Partners across IT, Analytics, Business, R&D and other key stakeholders to extract maximum value from our HH commercial data investment

• Accountable for managing data privacy and compliance risks associated with HH data access and use

• Actively drives success of Human Health Digital, Data & Analytics (HHDDA) Top Programs and Priorities through timely delivery of required data

• Maintains an understanding of the HH commercial data landscape (including 1st, 2nd and 3rd party data assets, spanning HCP, consumer, payer, patient, account, etc.) and the associated value of each data asset.

• Continually scans the external environment for new valuable data assets and potential data partnerships.  

• Oversees data needs assessments using input from key analytics and business stakeholders, identifies gaps in current data strategy versus ideal state & prioritizes identified gaps.

• Oversees the building and execution of plans to fill prioritized gaps, including acquisition of new assets from external sources, or identifying partners to create needed assets, or enacting internal initiatives such as gathering new 1st party assets.  

• Responsible for teams that conduct data innovation analytics including data quality assessments, fit-for-purpose analyses, and proof-of-concept use case tests for Human Health

• Works in close collaboration with the analytics, master data management and commercial data solutions teams to ensure appropriate implementation and value realization.

• Accountable for forming and maintaining productive working partnerships with 150+ external data providers. 

Education:

• Required: BA/ BS in Quantitative Business Analytics, Quantitative Sciences, Engineering or Operations Research.

• Preferred: MS/ PhD in Quantitative Business Analytics, Quantitative Sciences, Engineering or Operations Research.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 15 years experience in commercial analytics space leveraging data to inform critical business choices.

• Experience leading large analytic teams.

• Experience working with life sciences data. 

• Strategic mindset for how to deliver data innovation to drive our company's commercial business

• Problem-solving skills to manage through complexity to deliver business value

• Proven ability to lead a large organization.

• Proven ability to build a data asset strategy & innovation agenda and lead its execution.

• Strong business acumen with a keen ability to understand how data (HCP, consumer, payer, patient, account, engagement, etc.) can be leveraged to inform critical commercial decisions and actions.

• Proven ability to lead a team in analyzing and assessing the commercial value of data assets.  

• Deep business acumen necessary to understand business stakeholders (marketing, sales, account management, operations, etc..) needs.

• Proven ability to effectively collaborate with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.

• Intellectual curiosity and ability to identify innovative approaches to addressing data needs.

• Excellent presentation, analytics and communication skills, both written and oral, are required to synthesize key issues and communicate/persuade constituencies towards specific actions and initiatives.

• Ability to attain “trusted advisor” status with key stakeholders and business clients.  

• Ability to lead and operate in dynamic, transforming environment.

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.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  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 diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas 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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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 Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.

Expected US salary range:

$250,800.00 - $394,800.00

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, long term incentive if applicable, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of benefits is listed here.

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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Required Skills:

Business Analysis, Data Science, Demand Management, Innovation, Requirements Management, Sourcing and Procurement, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

02/15/2025

*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.