Associate Director, Digital & Customer Engagement Strategy

Job DescriptionAnimal Health — NORAM Digital TeamDigital Business Liaison, LivestockFunctionAD, Digital & Customer Engagement Strategy — LivestockReports ToDirector, Digital OperationsPartners WithCompanion Animals Brand/Species marketing teams; Digital Operations team (Content, Analytics, Web, SFMC), Global Costumer engagement team, IT, among others.LocationLenexa, KS — Hybrid (3 days/week onsite)Role PurposeThe Digital Business Liaison is the strategic connective layer between the Livestock business (marketing teams) and the Digital Operations execution engine. Acting as a true business partner. This person aligns business strategy across the full digital ecosystem (web, email/Sales Force Marketing Cloude (SFMC), digital content) into cohesive omnichannel strategies for both farmers/producers and veterinary professionals.This is a strategic, execution-accountable role: the Liaison translates business priorities into clear internal digital briefs, plans and prioritizes the digital campaign backlog, and reports performance in ways that inform future business decisions — contributing directly to the long-term growth of the Animal Health business.Key Responsibilities1. Strategic Business Partnership Serve as the primary point of contact and trusted advisor between Livestock Brand/Species stakeholders and the Digital Operations team, embedding digital and omnichannel thinking into brand and media planning from the outset.2. Omnichannel Alignment Align the business unit's strategy across the full digital ecosystem — web, SFMC/email, digital content— into unified omnichannel strategies that engage farmers/producers and veterinary professionals throughout the customer journey.3. Brief Development & Intake Translate business needs into clear, complete, and actionable internal digital briefs — scoping objectives, timelines, and success metrics at intake — so the digital team is well coordinated to execute the digital strategy (Content, Analytics, Web, SFMC) can deliver without rework or back-and-forth. As well as coordinate global lead campaigns and local lead campaigns.4. Backlog Prioritization & Governance Own and prioritize the multi-brand digital backlog, balancing urgency, capacity, and strategic value. Facilitate regular intake and prioritization sessions with stakeholders, and maintain the templates, criteria, and SLAs that keep the model scalable as demand grows.5. Performance Reporting Consolidate campaign and channel performance into business-relevant narratives and recommendations that inform future business decisions.6. Risk Management & Feedback Loop Proactively flag capacity constraints, conflicting priorities, or scope changes before they become delivery risks. Maintain a two-way flow of context — carrying execution constraints back to the business and business nuance forward to execution.7. Ongoing / As-NeededEnsure content accuracy and execution alignment with strategic campaignsBuild success plans and benchmarks for campaign performanceChampion cross-species best-practice sharingLead quarterly planning cycles with Marketing & Digital stakeholdersRequirements & SkillsStrong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate ambiguous business requests into structured, executable digital briefs and act as a fluent "translator" between business stakeholders and specialist digital teamsExperience managing a backlog or intake process (e.g., prioritization frameworks, ticketing/briefing systems) across multiple concurrent stakeholders or brandsWorking knowledge of digital channels and campaign types (web, email/SFMC, content, paid/organic) sufficient to scope and brief omnichannel and media work accurately — execution expertise not requiredAbility to build trust and credibility with business stakeholders while managing expectations against execution capacityComfort working with performance data and dashboards to build reporting narratives for business audiences — building the dashboards themselves is not requiredA proactive collaborator who can drive execution excellence across a matrixed team without formal authority over execution resourcesEducation & ExperienceBachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field5+ years of experience in digital marketing, marketing operations, or a business-facing digital liaison/account roleExperience working within a shared services or Center of Excellence operating model is a plus, particularly in highly matrixed teamsFamiliarity with Veeva, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, or similar CRM/marketing platforms sufficient to brief and interpret execution workProject management experience is a plusCore CompetenciesAccountability — takes full ownership of outcomes, following through on commitments even amid ambiguity or shifting prioritiesCollaborative Mindset — builds trust and alignment across cross-functional, matrixed teams, prioritizing shared success over individual winsProblem-Solving — navigates complexity with sound judgment, translating challenges into clear, actionable paths forwardSense of Urgency — moves with pace and purpose, balancing speed with quality to keep initiatives on trackAdaptability — adjusts quickly and effectively to shifting priorities, structures, or ways of working, staying productive and steady through changeChange Catalyst — drives momentum for new ways of working across a matrixed, multi-stakeholder environmentRequired Skills: Business Translations, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Customer Engagement, Digital Marketing, Direct Marketing, Innovation, Livestock Management, Marketing, Marketing Management, Marketing Operations, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking, Vendor ManagementPreferred Skills: Current Employees apply HERECurrent Contingent Workers apply HEREUS 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:EEOC Know Your RightsEEOC GINA Supplement​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 ActsThe salary range for this role is$142,400.00 - $224,100.00This 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 .You can apply for this role through (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 OrdinanceLos 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 OrdinanceSearch 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: RegularRelocation:DomesticVISA Sponsorship:NoTravel Requirements:10%Flexible Work Arrangements:HybridShift:Not IndicatedValid Driving License:NoHazardous Material(s):N/AJob Posting End Date:10/14/2026*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. SummaryLocation: USA - Kansas - LenexaType: Full time