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Job Description
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join one of the UK’s leading pharmaceutical and healthcare companies as a Scientific Engagement Lead within Oncology. This role will play a critical part in developing and delivering the scientific engagement strategy, within our lung cancer portfolio, with a strong focus on building meaningful partnerships with Scientific Leaders, Oncologists, Cancer Nurse Specialists, and multidisciplinary teams.
The Scientific Engagement Lead will use external insights, clinician feedback, congress outputs, and emerging scientific developments to inform strategic planning and shape high-quality engagement across the franchise. Working as a core member of the cross-functional team, the successful candidate will partner closely with medical, marketing, sales, corporate affairs, and other internal colleagues to ensure scientific engagement activities are insight-led, strategically aligned.
A key focus of the role will be the development and execution of peer-to-peer medical education, scientific content, and value-adding partnerships that support appropriate advocacy, behavior change, and, ultimately, improved outcomes for patients, the NHS, and the company.
This is a highly collaborative, field-based role for a scientifically credible and commercially astute individual who is passionate about oncology, stakeholder engagement, and translating scientific insight into impactful strategic activity.
Key Activities
- Defined through the development of quarterly priorities aligned to the strategic and operational requirements to deliver on the strategic plan – will include:
- Monitoring the external environment (publications, clinician feedback, congresses, social media, etc), the SEL will drive the integration of key scientific topics and insights into the commercial activities within the franchise.
- Development of stakeholder plans to drive adoption of strategic objectives, behavior change & advocacy for the brand.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration with medical, sales, corporate affairs, and HHI, partnering to ensure a customer-centered engagement strategy.
- Tactical delivery through a range of traditional and innovative channels.
- As a core member of the XF team, you collaborate with team members to ensure integration and alignment with other campaigns and activities.
- The SEL will be responsible for the development and execution of strategic partnerships with key professional groups and organizations within the therapy areas of responsibility.
- Moving beyond the execution of typical promotional activities, the SEL will identify common goals to create sustainable and value-adding partnerships benefiting patients, our company, and the NHS.
- Supporting Medical Education activities by collaborating with Scientific Leaders, Brand & Customer Managers, as well as Brand Champions to develop relevant content that drives advocacy for on-license indications.
- Development and execution of peer-to-peer medical education aligned to the strategic and operational plans.
- Identify ways to multipurpose relevant content, find synergies, and participate in content creation.
- Proactively seek to engage external stakeholders in novel and compelling ways leveraging technology.
- Planning and execution of HCO filming and post-production of video content that can later be used online in a promotional context.
- Leading the approval/certification of content in accordance with the ABPI code of practice and internal policies and procedures.
- Working with the marketing and external affairs team, the SEL will drive elements of internal awareness and disease awareness campaigns aligned to the therapy area.
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Role Location
- Field-Based Role
Skills/Competencies
- Understand, interpret, and articulate key clinical data and insights to ensure we can deliver value to patients through our engagements with the oncology community.
- Understanding of key marketing principles such as brand planning, campaign execution, and pharmaceutical promotion.
- Development of KOL engagement strategy and associated operational plan.
- Input into overall strategic and operational brand planning: contributing relevant insights that support integrated, value-adding activities.
- Develop key relationships with HCPs and professional bodies with alignment of strategic objectives and activities to educate and advocate for better patient outcomes.
- Maintains consistent, meaningful interactions with relevant stakeholders (e.g., healthcare professionals & professional bodies) resulting in advocacy and behavior change.
- Develop content and implement channel activities aligned with business objectives and deliver measurable benefits to patients, our company, and the NHS.
- Collaborate, lead, and leverage the diversity of our individuals and teams to deliver on our business aspirations through our engagement strategies.
- Consistently operates in compliance with the ABPI Code and internal governance across all activities.
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Experience
- Degree (or equivalent qualification) in Life Sciences discipline preferred.
- Evidence of capability in a complex technical disease area will be required.
- Oncology experience preferred.
- Experience in developing customer relationships at Scientific Leader level and/or with professional bodies.
- Strong project management skills, ideally with experience managing certification of assets via the Med-Leg review process.
- Strong knowledge and experience of working within the ABPI code of practice.
- Experience with Vault PromoMats (VPM), agency management, and budget planning.
- A strong working knowledge of the NHS.
Required Skills
- Customer Management
- Digital Consumer Engagement
- Market Research
- Product Management
- Project Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Strategic Planning
- Strategic Thinking
Preferred Skills
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
VISA Sponsorship
- No
Travel Requirements
- 75%
Flexible Work Arrangements
- Remote
Shift
- Not Indicated
Valid Driving License
- Yes
Hazardous Material(s)
- N/A
Job Posting End Date
- 07/24/2026
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.
Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where we have codified our legacy for over a century. Our success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.
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