Associate Principal Scientist (Associate Director), Health Economic and Decision Sciences

Job Description

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science”, 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.

We have an exciting opportunity for a new Associate Principal Scientist to join our Health Economic and Decision Sciences (HEDS) group.  

The Health Economics and Decision Sciences (HEDS) department is part of Our Company’s Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS) organization. BARDS provides strategic design and analysis to support decision-making across Our Company’s product discovery, development, and delivery, and applies quantitative scientific methods to advance drugs and vaccines for patients and global public health. In collaboration with internal and external partners, the BARDS-HEDS department specifically provides strategic and technical leadership to enable patient access, measure and quantify the value of Our Company’s products, inform internal and external decisions, and shape methodology and external health policy and practice.

The focus of this position is multi-folded covering several important areas that are important for HEDS priorities, modeling strategy and model adaptations. Under the guidance of the scientists in Regional HEDS, the incumbent will support the local markets for local adaptation of global Health Economics Models in Asia-Pacific (AP), Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa (EEMEA), Latin America (LATAM) and Mid- Europe Region (MER) aligned with Value & Implementation strategies and Local Market Access priorities. A close collaboration with global/ regional teams and local markets including different functions, such as: Regional and Local Market Access leads, Regional Outcomes Research leads, Global Health Economics leads and Global Outcomes Research leads, is required to ensure consistency and alignment with strategies. In addition, the incumbent will support planning, delivery, communication and change management associated with a global multi-functional adoption of a specific platform for health economic modeling in oncology (e.g. THEOREM). Other technologies and integrations may fall in scope of this role in future. The new hire will also support Regional HEDS Executive Director with specific operational and strategic tasks that are important for the Regional and overall HEDS department. This job will require 15-20% of travel.

Primary responsibilities:

Specific to model adaptations (50%)

Under the guidance of the Executive Director and Regional HEDS leads supporting all therapeutic areas in AP, EEMEA, LATAM and MER

• Shares with local markets the responsibility for health economic model adaptations for markets
• Works with local and regional Market Access/Outcomes Research/Value & Implementation to plan for health economic model adaptation needs in the region.
• Works with local, regional and HQ teams to align on market, product-specific health economic strategies model inputs
• Conducts or supervises the execution of health economic model adaptations.
• Ensures quality of health economic model adaptations.
• In markets that prefer to conduct model adaptation using a qualified local supplier or by internal Company staff:
  • Ensures qualification of the local supplier and/or local Company staff,
  • Ensures appropriate training of the health economic models and model adaptation guides
  • Critically reviews model inputs, calculations and outputs of local health economic analysis to ensure quality.
• Assists local and regional Outcomes Research and market access colleagues answering any questions coming from the HTA bodies/decision makers.
• Coordinates and aligns with internal stakeholders to achieve consistent, high quality and timely model adaptations and submissions.
• Helps with guidance to consistently improve our Ways of Working to be more efficient in all the phases of health economic model adaptations.

Specific to THEOREM (platform for health economic modeling in oncology) (25%)

Under the guidance of Regional HEDS Executive Director and THEOREM Business System owner 

• Provides input to THEOREM team on new feature requests.  
• Helps complete User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for features introduced in THEOREM releases. 
• Assists with THEOREM user questions that are specific to model calculations and logic functions. 
• Helps THEOREM team triage and address incoming questions, new requests, feature requirements, and user support needs from HEDS. 

Specific to Strategic and Operational Tasks (25%)

Under the guidance of Regional HEDS Executive Director

• Coordinates health economic modeling activities across 4 regions to ensure consistency and share learnings
• Helps with communication of HEDS Regional impact to senior management/other stakeholders through preparation of slide decks, newsletters etc
• Helps with HEDS 2030 strategy
• Helps with HEDS digital strategy

Position Qualifications

Education Requirement

• PhD or Master’s degree, in Health Economics, Outcomes Research, Biostatistics, Health Services Research, Actuarial Sciences or a closely related, quantitative field

Required Experience and Skills

• A minimum of 5 years of experience (for Master’s degree)/3 years of experience (for PhD) in health economics and modeling working for a Pharma company or in an external supplier.
• Experience submitting health economic models to HTA bodies, decision makers in markets in the covered region and understanding of their requirements.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and project management skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with strong collaborative mindset.
• Strong Leadership skills, with experience in managing resources, budget and driving implementation.
• Fluency in English.

BARDS2020

#EligibleforERP

Required Skills:

Actuarial Science, Biopharmaceutical Industry, Data Management, Global Health, Health Economics, Health Outcomes Research, Outcomes Research, Patient Access, Program Implementation, Researching, Slide Decks, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, Technical Leadership, User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Preferred Skills:

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.

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.

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The salary range for this role is

$156,900.00 - $247,000.00

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:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

07/2/2026

*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.