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  • Posted: Jun 29, 2017
    Deadline: Not specified
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    Not intended for US & CA visitors. Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees in 66 countries work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific...
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    Head of Government Affairs and Policy and Market Access South and East Africa

    Job description

    A career at Merck is an ongoing journey of discovery: our 50,000 people are shaping how the world lives, works and plays through next generation advancements in healthcare, life science and performance materials. For 350 years and across the world we have passionately pursued our curiosity to find novel and vibrant ways of enhancing the lives of others.

    The importance of Government Affairs and Business Relations in the biopharmaceutical industry has grown significantly in the past 10 years. Government legislation, regulation, policy, and politics play an increasingly important and impactful role on Merck’s business operations and access to innovative treatments and health solutions in Country and around the world. Active leadership and engagement in government affairs, with payer organisations, health ministries and other key stakeholders in relevant markets has become a necessity in today’s competitive and challenging environment.

    Area of responsibility are all relevant countries in South East Africa (SEA).

    PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

    The Head of Government Affairs and Policy (GA&P) and Market Access and Pricing (MAP) is ahigh impact position and a member of the Country Leadership Team and the Regional Government Affairs and Policy and Market Access and Pricing Leadership Team. The incumbent will beresponsible for all legislative, policy, political, and advocacy strategy and execution for Merck’s Biopharma business within the region, as well as managing key stakeholders (non HCPs) for Merck’s business. Within this remit falls the development and execution of strategies and concepts to improve access to and ensure reimbursement of Merck’s product portfolio, in particular for the innovative pipeline products. This position is responsible forachievingoptimal pricing, reimbursement, and other access conditionsfor all Merck Biopharma products in-line & future pipeline products, and related services. The position servesas the Merck representative with government officials, industry trade associations, think tanks and influential policy organizationsin alignment with the General Manager and Managing Director.

    KEY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

    Government Affairs and Policyresponsibilities include:

    • Both internal and external strategic and operational activities (both risk management and opportunity creation) related to government effects on access to and regulation of products (pipeline and marketed) and business operations.
    • Be an active contributor and member of the Country Leadership Team and the Region Government Affairs and Policy Leadership Team
    • Anticipate and predict changes in the external legislative, regulatory, policy and political environments in SEA in the short, mid and long term
    • Identify company opportunity and risk in the government legislative, regulatory, policy and political realms in SEA
    • Create specific opportunities for Merck Biopharma’s business and operations in the legislative, regulatory, policy, and political environments in SEA
    • Analyze the potential impacts of government action, both offensively and defensively, to the business (operational and strategic)
    • Recommend company positioning, priorities, internal and external strategy, and tactics to the General Manager of Merck Biopharma SEA, the Country Leadership Team, and the Region Government Affairs and Policy Leadership Team as it relates to legislation, regulation, policy and politics
    • Execute company strategy and influence the legislation, regulation, policy and politics in support of Merck Biopharma’s purpose and mission to minimize risk and maximize opportunity
    • Create and implement the SEA government affairs and policy plans, ensure strong functional connection to and alignment with the business i n both the short and long term
    • Represent Merck with external stakeholders, including senior government officials of SEA
    • Serve as primary liaison to all relevant trade associations in SEA, ensuring coordination alignment on policy and advocacy matters, and Board-level staffing
    • Develop and build a proactive, credible Merck Biopharma political profile in SEA
    • Ensure that the company is compliant with all local laws associated with interactions with government officials in close collaboration with the company’s Compliance Officer
    • Market Access and Pricing Responsibilities include:
    • Contributes to the development of the SEA commercial strategy, leading development and implementation of SEA MAP strategy
    • Develops and executes strategies that increase access to Merck Biopharma products across the South East Africa region
    • Ensures the optimal reimbursement/adoption of existing and new drugs by private and public payers/health insurance schemes in all relevant markets
    • Develops, implements and maintains the optimal pricing strategies for the Merck Biopharma portfolio across the South East Africa region
    • Contributes to the strategic management of cross border trade activities within SEA
    • Advises SEA Leadership Team in MAP topics, sharing regular updates on key developments
    • Develops and executes the SEA MAP strategy, in collaboration with Country LT and Regional MAP
    • Assures implementation of MAP activities included in country Operational Plan
    • Contributes to Regional MAP Strategy, for in-line and pipeline products, and shares country performance in the area of MAP with Regional Head of MAP
    • Serve as the country contact person for all MAP matters for Global and Regional MAP
    • Achieve and maintain pricing, reimbursement, and other access conditions in the country on target and strategy
    • Leads SEA MAP Committee, and fosters across functional collaboration in pricing and access activities, in alignment with SEA General Manager and Regional Head of MAP
    • Assures excellence in value communication to public and corporate payers of country MAP team members, and leads the identification of payer-value evidence needs (economic & clinical) in SEA and participates in its generation
    • Prepares the pricing and reimbursement negotiation strategy, fall back options and underlying documentation, seeking internal approvals in line with company processes
    • Leads pricing negotiations with public and institutional payers in the country, in collaboration with Franchise Leads, and General Manager
    • Assures compliance with Merck Biopharma pricing Governance in SEA
    • Manages list and net prices in SEA according to the Pricing Governance rules and in alignment with the franchises and the General Manager
    • Remains up to date about forthcoming tenders, and intends to shape the tender requirements
    • Prepares and submits the bid, abiding the Pricing Governance rules and timelines
    • Understands when contracts or alternative contracting models can be beneficial and develops and implements the contracting strategy, abiding the Pricing Governance rules
    • Assures Merck Biopharma’s strategic partnership, and leads negotiations with key public and institutional payers at country level
    • Ensures a complete overview of payers in the country, including their names and coordinates, their importance, decision drivers, value approach, and other relevant characteristics
    • Creates a payer engagement strategy for Tier 1 products (and other products according to business priorities), including payer prioritization and segmentation by decision drivers
    • Builds and maintains good contacts with key public and corporate payer stakeholders, and positions him/hers
    • elf as a reliable and consistent source of information at SEA
    • Leads negotiations with key public and institutional payers at country level
    • Leads country MAP team and drives superior performance in team members
    • Leads implementation of Merck Bipharma’s MAP Operational Model
    • Leads implementation of the Country Organizational Model of MAP assuring optimal size and Organizational Model of the function in the country, in collaboration with Regional Head of MAP General Manager
    • Assures superior performance of all MAP team members
    • Leads Competency Development program, and Career Development Plan for the MAP team in the Country, in alignment with the Head of Regional MAP and General Manager
    • Assures effective implementation of best practices (internal and external), and participation in cross-country projects
    • Fosters efficient communication of Market Access and Pricing topics across the country and across Regional and Global MAP, in alignment with the Head of Regional MAP
    • Supports the development of National Gov. Affairs & Policy strategies & plans for MAP topics

    MAIN INTERFACES

    INTERNALLY:

    • General Manager, Merck Biopharma
    • SEA Leadership Team
    • Head, Region Global Government Affairs and Policy
    • Lifesciences Regional Manager Emerging African Countries
    • Consumer Health General Manager Africa
    • Region Government Affairs and Policy Leadership Team
    • Heads of Departments in South East Africa: Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Compliance, Marketing, Supply Chain, Commercial/Business Units, Medical Affairs

    EXTERNALLY:

    • Governmental bodies and individuals
    • Quasi-governmental policy setting organizations
    • Industry trade associations
    • Patient advocacy organizations
    • Business advocacy organizations
    • Policy organizations and think tanks
    • Political organizations
    • The diplomatic corps
    • Government affairs and policy consultants
    • Biopharmaceutical industry leaders
    • Country payer & reimbursement agencies at all levels in the Government (National, Regional, Provincial, City...)
    • All other types of public and corporate payers: Managed Care Organizations, Payer Advisors, Regional/P rovincial Payers, Hospital Payers, Procurement
    • Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) opinion leaders in the country.
    • National Key Regional Key Opinion Leaders of the main therapeutic areas of the company (Oncology, Fertility, Neurology, Endocrinology & General Medicine)

    QUALIFICATIONS

    EDUCATION/LANGUAGES

    • An undergraduate degree is required
    • Advanced degree/Masters level education is highly desirable
    • English isrequired; other languages a plus

    PROFESSIONAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

    • A thorough understanding of legislative and regulatory processes, proven track record of successful advocacy
    • Significant business and stakeholder relationship experience
    • Experience working in a large, global corporation with a matrix organization
    • Preference given to individuals with current, established relationships with government officials, agency heads and policymakers in Country
    • Clear reputation for ethical conduct
    • Strong business and financial skills: P&L experience and overall budget responsibility a plus
    • Strong knowledge of the pricing and reimbursement environment for biopharmaceutical products a plus
    • PERSONAL SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
    • Superior negotiating skills
    • Excellent written and oral communications
    • Strong interpersonal skills
    • Ability to multitask
    • Entrepreneurial nature
    • Strategic thinking
    • Team player
    • Keen business acumen with strong analytical skills
    • High energy, self motivated, positive attitude
    • Ability to build relationships and interface effectively at all levels of the organizations
    • Operate comfortably across many different cultures, time zones, languages, political systems, environments
    • Knowledge of legislative, regulatory, policy and political processes
    • Knowledge of pharmaceutical industry business
    • Very Strong:
    • Leadership and management skills;
    • Written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make complex concepts conversational;
    • Engage in focused dialogue, and demonstrate good listening skills;
    • Ability to present to small and large groups and deal with unexpected questions and challenges while presenting;
    • Analytical skills: Ability to consider and analyze a broad range of factors such as policies, practices and trends to make decisions, design plans, develop tactics negotiating skills;
    • Interpersonal skills, with the ability to foster collaborative decision making;
    • Ability to drive business results by working with all relevant groups and networks effectively across the Company and cross-functionally with multiple stakeholders;
    • Flexibility in leading through change, driving through unexpected challenges to deliver on business imperatives; and,
    • Strategic thinking
    • nternational travel required (approximately 20%)

    What we offer: At Merck, there are always opportunities to break new ground. We empower you to fulfil your ambitions, and our diverse businesses offer various career moves to seek new horizons. We trust you with responsibility early on and support you to draw your own career map that is responsive to your aspirations and priorities in life. Join us and bring your curiosity to life!

    Curious? Apply and find more information at come2merck.com

    Method of Application

    Interested and qualified? Go to Merck Group on career5.successfactors.eu to apply

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