MSD
Strategic Marketing Lead - Paediatric Vaccines
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Strategical Marketing Lead: Paediatric Vaccines
Reporting to: Vaccines & Public Health Marketing Director Location: United Kingdom (minimum 2 days/week in Moorgate, London office, full-time)
Role Purpose
An enterprise-minded leader who defines and delivers the long-term portfolio, brand, and customer strategy for the organisation’s Paediatric Vaccines business in the UK, covering key products such as:
- Enfluvia (RSV)
- ProQuad (MMRV)
- Varivax (varicella)
- MMRVAXPRO (MMR)
The role fosters growth opportunities, shapes commercial decision-making and aligns global priorities with UK market needs, ensuring strategic leadership and commercial performance for the portfolio while driving growth, lifecycle optimisation, forecasting excellence and long-term business opportunities.
Strategic collaboration across Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Commercial Excellence, Pricing, Corporate Affairs and Field Teams ensures that customer insights, business dynamics and public health impact are prioritised.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and own the long-term portfolio, brand, and customer strategy, ensuring alignment between global priorities, UK market dynamics and business objectives.
- Lead strategic planning processes, setting priorities for growth, commercial ambition and success metrics that sustainably drive business performance.
- Develop and maintain strategic relationships with key external stakeholders via local and international congresses, creating actionable insights and shaping the portfolio strategy, market-shaping opportunities and customer-led decision-making.
- Translate customer insights, market intelligence, competitive developments and performance data into actionable strategic recommendations.
- Develop portfolio strategies optimising product launches, lifecycle management, customer engagement and long-term growth.
- Lead portfolio investment planning and resource prioritisation, ensuring strategic alignment and measurable business impact.
- Accountable for forecasting assumptions, demand planning oversight and input into financial planning, including budget and long-range planning cycles.
- Monitor portfolio performance to identify and execute growth and ROI optimisation opportunities.
- Conduct strategic scenario planning to anticipate future market opportunities, risks and healthcare landscape changes.
- Lead strategic preparation for market opportunities, procurement, and evolving policy environments through cross-functional collaboration.
- Provide strategic leadership to ensure goal alignment, accountability, and effective execution across business initiatives.
- Ensure timely governance, decision-making, risk mitigation and performance monitoring against set priorities.
- Represent the UK business in global/regional forums, contributing local insights and shaping future strategic direction.
- Collaborate with stakeholders across Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Corporate Affairs and Commercial Excellence to develop customer-centric strategies for portfolio optimisation.
- Provide strategic commercial input for external engagements that address system priorities and enhance customer outcomes.
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Additional Note:
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Commercial signatory qualifications are advantageous but not mandatory.
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The role requires strong familiarity with company policies, governance and the ABPI Code of Practice, including compliant development/review of promotional activities.
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Champion excellence in strategic marketing, fostering a culture of customers-centricity, data-driven thinking and performance-focused mindset while developing organisational capabilities.
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Required Skills and Competencies
Core Expertise
- Deep knowledge of strategic marketing, portfolio management, lifecycle optimisation and business planning.
- Commercial acumen, including:
- Forecasting and financial planning
- Strategic investment decision-making
- Ability to synthesise complex market insights into clear strategic recommendations.
- Strategic thinking, prioritisation and scenario planning capability.
- Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder influencing skills.
- Effective engagement within complex matrix organisations.
- Executive communication, presentation and decisive decision-making expertise.
- Proficiency in balancing short-term execution with long-term strategic objectives.
Essential Experience and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences or related fields; advanced qualifications preferred.
- Significant experience in pharmaceutical, vaccine or public health marketing.
- Proven track record in portfolio, franchise or brand strategy development and execution.
- Experience in leading cross-functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
- Success in strategic planning, forecasting, financial management and commercial delivery.
- In-depth understanding of NHS structures, healthcare policy and market access dynamics.
- Comprehensive knowledge and application of the ABPI Code of Practice.
Preferred Skills
- Digital consumer engagement, content creation, omnichannel marketing and segmentation strategies.
A Merck & Co. role – advances made possible through science and accessibility Job Posting End Date: 17 July 2026 (Applications should be submitted no later than 16 July 2026).
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