Associate Director, Patient Experience, Respiratory

Job Description Our company is dedicated to delivering innovations that extend and improve the lives of patients worldwide. We are committed to ensuring that patients can access and benefit from our therapies through thoughtful, patient-centered solutions and strong cross‑functional collaboration. The Associate Director, U.S. Patient Experience – Respiratory will play a critical role in shaping and delivering a best‑in‑class patient experience across the end‑to‑end journey—from prescription through access, onboarding, and long‑term adherence. This individual will serve as a key member of the Patient Experience team, operating within a highly integrated ecosystem across hub services, specialty pharmacy, field access, and data/analytics. This role is responsible for translating the patient strategy into clear specifications, SLAs and enhanced service requirements for Hub, SP and other delivery partners, managing the day‑to‑day brand‑side interface with internal and external partners on program activation, performance and issue resolution, and helping drive the orchestration and continuous optimization of the patient journey. The Associate Director will combine strategic thinking, cross‑functional leadership, and strong executional discipline to deliver measurable patient and business impact. Key Responsibilities Support the operationalization, activation and optimization of the end‑to‑end patient experience strategy, spanning access, fulfillment, and adherence. Translate operational insights into prioritized experience improvements and strategic recommendations. Champion a test‑and‑learn approach to continuously enhance the patient experience, including identifying digital/data‑driven opportunities. Journey Orchestration & Cross‑Functional Integration Partner across hub services, specialty pharmacy, field access, market access, marketing, data/analytics, legal, and compliance to ensure coordinated execution. Enable seamless integration across stakeholders, ensuring effective handoffs and alignment across all touchpoints in the patient journey. Support a proactive, insight‑driven model that enables early identification and resolution of patient access and adherence risks. Program Leadership & Execution Lead execution of key patient experience initiatives, translating strategic priorities into clear, actionable plans, deliverables, SLAs, requirements and enhanced services. Drive disciplined execution across multiple workstreams, including timeline management, risk mitigation, and stakeholder alignment. Support management of external partners and vendors, including agency and service providers, ensuring high‑quality delivery and performance. Education Bachelor's degree or equivalent (BA/BS) required. Requirements 5+ years of experience in pharmaceuticals or healthcare, with a background in patient experience, patient support programs, access/reimbursement, specialty pharmacy, or related areas. Demonstrated experience supporting or optimizing end‑to‑end patient journeys and patient support models. Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate insights and data into actionable business recommendations. Proven ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and influence without direct authority in a matrixed environment. Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering results in a fast‑paced, complex environment. Strong communication and storytelling skills, including ability to synthesize insights for senior stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to leverage data analytics, customer insights, and operational learnings to inform decision‑making. High degree of integrity, attention to detail, and accountability. Preferred Skills Experience in respiratory, specialty therapeutics, or complex reimbursement/access environments. Strong understanding of hub services, specialty pharmacy operations, and patient support ecosystems. Experience with customer experience tools (journey mapping, CRM/case management systems, call analytics). Familiarity with business intelligence platforms (Tableau, Power BI). Experience managing vendors, agencies, and external partners, including contracts and performance management. Leadership Profile Demonstrate a strong patient‑first mindset and passion for improving real‑world outcomes. Thrive in ambiguity and complexity, bringing structure and clarity to evolving initiatives. Balance strategic thinking with executional excellence. Exhibit strong collaboration and influence skills, building alignment across multiple stakeholders. Embrace a growth mindset, continuously seeking opportunities to learn, innovate, and improve. Salary & Benefits Salary range: $142,400.00 – $224,100.00. Eligible for annual bonus and long‑term incentive, if applicable. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 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 Equal Employment Opportunity Statement We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and 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 Rights and EEOC GINA Supplement. We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together talented, 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 U.S. State Acts. #J-18808-Ljbffr Merck & Co.