Associate Director, US Marketing Ophthalmology, Patient Experience Measurement & Engagement

Location: USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)

Our US Ophthalmology team is dedicated to improving the lives of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) through a pipeline of two investigational therapies. We pursue this mission through patient focus, innovation, expanded access to transformative treatments, and collaboration with healthcare systems, governments, and payers. Grounded in scientific rigor and flawless execution, we aim to bring breakthrough therapies to the patients who need them most.

Position Summary

Reporting to the US Ophthalmology Patient Support Strategy Lead, the Associate Director, Patient Experience Measurement & Engagement Strategy is responsible for defining how the organization understands, measures, and continuously improves the end-to-end patient experience, while leading the development of differentiated patient engagement strategies across the US Ophthalmology portfolio.

This individual will establish an integrated patient experience measurement strategy that brings together patient, caregiver, provider, operational, behavioral, and program data to identify moments that matter, experience gaps, drivers of engagement, and barriers to treatment continuity. The role will translate these insights into actionable engagement strategies designed to support patients from treatment consideration and initiation through ongoing therapy.

The Associate Director will lead the strategic development of patient engagement capabilities, including patient onboarding, treatment journey support, patient education, caregiver engagement, appointment adherence, CRM-enabled communications, digital engagement, behavioral interventions, and other approaches designed to strengthen persistence and continuity of care.

This individual will work closely with Marketing, Patient Engagement CoE, Data & Analytics, Market Research, Patient Services Operations, Market Access, Field Reimbursement, Provider Strategy, Legal, Compliance, Privacy, and external partners to create an integrated approach to gathering and measuring experience metrics and using those insights to build engagement strategies.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Experience Measurement Strategy

Lead the development of the US Ophthalmology patient experience measurement framework

Establish the critical moments that matter across access, initiation, onboarding, treatment, follow-up, persistence, and ongoing support.

Define a balanced set of patient experience measures incorporating

• Patient-reported experience and feedback.
• Engagement and behavioral measures.
• Adherence and persistence.
• Treatment initiation and continuity.
• Patient support program interactions.
• Digital and CRM engagement.
• Access and affordability experience.
• Caregiver experience, where relevant.
• Provider and retina-practice insights that illuminate patient friction.
• Partner with Data & Analytics stakeholders to define and oversee measurement frameworks; establish adherence, persistence, engagement, and patient experience KPIs.
• Establish appropriate baselines and benchmarks and monitor changes in patient experience throughout launch and post-launch evolution.
• Translate measurement into clear strategic implications and recommended actions

Patient Engagement Strategy

• Lead development of the patient engagement vision and strategy for the US Ophthalmology portfolio.
• Translate the patient journey, experience measurement, behavioral insights, and patient research into differentiated engagement strategies across key stages of journey
• Develop personalized engagement strategies based on meaningful patient segments, behaviors, barriers, needs, and preferences.
• Identify where different channels and interventions can most effectively support patients, including digital, CRM, hub-based, live support and other patient-facing channels.
• Establish test-and-learn approaches to evaluate new patient engagement strategies and capabilities.
• Establish an ongoing optimization roadmap based on patient needs, business priorities, program performance, and emerging innovations.
• Collaborate with the Patient Engagement CoE to identify opportunities to enhance patient support capabilities and incorporate innovative engagement approaches, emerging technologies, behavioral science principles, and industry best practices.
• Act as the key ophthalmology subject matter expert within patient engagement program development efforts.

Patient Experience & Customer Journey Management

• Lead development of patient-centric engagement strategies that address critical moments throughout the treatment journey.
• Partner with patient experience, customer experience, and market research teams to understand patient needs, behaviors, motivations, and barriers.
• Design approaches that improve patient confidence, education, empowerment, and treatment persistence.
• Ensure engagement strategies account for caregiver needs and the realities of retina clinic workflows.
• Champion patient-centered innovations that reduce friction and strengthen long-term engagement.
• Governance, Compliance and Risk Management
• Ensure patient engagement and adherence programs are designed and executed in compliance with applicable requirements, including FDA promotional regulations, privacy and HIPAA considerations, adverse event reporting requirements, and company policies.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Privacy, Medical, and Regulatory stakeholders to ensure compliant program execution.
• Embed governance and oversight processes that enable innovation while maintaining appropriate controls.
• This is a hybrid role based on Upper Gwynedd, PA, with an expectation of working on-site three days per week.

Education Requirement

Bachelor's degree or equivalent (BA/BS). MBA or equivalent preferred

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in patient support, patient engagement, adherence, digital health, customer experience, or related healthcare programs.
• Demonstrated ability to develop measurement frameworks and translate data and insights into strategic business decisions.
• Experience working across patient research, behavioral data, program performance data, digital analytics and/or patient support data.
• Strong understanding of patient support program models and specialty patient service ecosystems.
• Experience with patient engagement strategies, behavioral interventions, patient journey programs, or adherence initiatives.
• Awareness and understanding of US commercial and regulatory requirements.
• Strong analytical capability with demonstrated ability to translate complex information into clear recommendations.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, execute, anticipate challenges, and continuously improve programs.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and ability to influence without direct authority across complex matrix organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to build alignment across marketing, patient services, operations, market access, digital, analytics, and compliance stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration skills and business agility.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including strategy communications, executive presentations, vendor management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to simplify complex patient experience and adherence challenges into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrates high degree of integrity and ethics.
• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable operating in evolving environments.

Preferred Experience & Skills

Ophthalmology, retina, specialty biologic, or specialty care experience.

Product launch experience.

Experience with CX measurement frameworks

Required Skills

Communication Sciences, Controls Management, Cross-Functional Leadership, Diabetic Retinopathy, Health Care, Matrix Leadership, Metrics Development, Ophthalmology, Patient Engagement, Patient Support, People Leadership, Principles of Marketing, Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only

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The primary location for this posting is

• USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)
• Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
• The salary range for the primary location of this role is:

$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information

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

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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

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship

Travel Requirements

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid

Shift

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License

No

Hazardous Material(s)

n/a

Job Posting End Date

11/14/2026

*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.

Additional Locations: USA - New Jersey - Rahway