Job Description

This role is accountable for end-to-end business ownership (P&L) and overall brand & portfolio strategy for the Pediatric portfolio, ensuring strong market positioning, sustainable growth, and successful product launches.

The Brand Strategy Manager acts as the business and strategic leader, shaping portfolio direction and orchestrating all key growth drivers across brand strategy, demand generation, pricing, forecasting, channel strategy, and customer engagement.

The role partners closely with HCP Product Managers, Commercial/Trade, Medical, Market Access, Regulatory, and Global/Regional teams to ensure strategies translate into impactful and compliant execution.

Success in this role is defined by the ability to drive portfolio performance, optimize commercial levers, enable best-in-class execution through teams, and deliver strong and sustainable business growth.

Primary Activities

P&L Ownership & Business Performance
Own full P&L (revenue, volume, budget, and profitability) for Pediatric portfolio
Drive achievement of sales targets, market share, and growth objectives
Lead financial planning, budget allocation, and resource prioritization across brands
Monitor business performance and take proactive actions to close gaps and maximize opportunities
Balance short-term performance with long-term portfolio sustainability
Portfolio & Brand Strategy Leadership
Define and lead portfolio and brand strategies aligned with business objectives
Establish clear brand positioning, value proposition, and competitive differentiation
Translate market insights, competitive dynamics, and customer needs into sharp strategic direction
Drive portfolio optimization and lifecycle management
New Launch Strategy & Market Shaping
Own pre-launch and launch strategy, including market shaping and demand creation
Define launch ambition, roadmap, KPIs, and success metrics
Ensure alignment between global strategy and local market execution
Lead cross-functional readiness and ensure strong launch impact and uptake
Portfolio Activation & Demand Generation (Beyond HCP)
Define and drive holistic portfolio activation strategy, integrating all demand drivers
Orchestrate activation across

HCP engagement
Channel and customer access
Trade and distribution
Institutional partnerships and ecosystem stakeholders

Ensure alignment across HCP, Commercial/Trade, Access, and Medical initiatives
Drive seamless and impactful customer journey across all touchpoints
Demand Forecasting & Business Planning
Lead demand forecasting and scenario planning for the portfolio
Ensure forecasts reflect market reality, access dynamics, and commercial drivers
Partner with Finance and Commercial teams to align forecast with business targets and supply planning
Continuously refine forecast based on performance trends and market signals
Pricing Strategy & Commercial Optimization
Own and drive pricing strategy in alignment with brand positioning and market dynamics
Evaluate trade-offs across volume, value, and access to maximize portfolio performance
Partner with Market Access, Finance, and Regional teams to ensure competitive and sustainable pricing
Monitor and optimize pricing based on market response and performance
Commercial & Trade Partnership
Partner closely with Commercial/Trade teams to develop and optimize go-to-market strategies
Ensure strong alignment between brand strategy and trade execution
Identify opportunities to enhance channel performance, coverage, and customer penetration
Support development of customer segmentation and channel strategies
Cross-Functional & Regional Leadership (One VACC)
Act as the strategic integrator across all functions, including Marketing, Medical, Sales, Market Access, Regulatory, Finance
Ensure full alignment behind a single portfolio strategy and business objective
Partner with HCP Product Managers to enable best-in-class execution
Collaborate with regional and global teams to align on strategy and leverage best practices
Foster a One VACC mindset, prioritizing collaboration, ownership, and shared success
KOL & Scientific Strategy Alignment
Provide strategic direction for KOL engagement aligned with portfolio objectives
Ensure KOL strategy supports market shaping, scientific leadership, and adoption
Partner with Medical and HCP teams to ensure consistent and high-impact execution
Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Within Compliance)
Challenge status quo and identify new growth opportunities across portfolio and channels
Drive innovation in business models, activation strategies, and go-to-market approaches
Ensure all initiatives are executed in full compliance with company policies and local regulations

Education, Experience & Competencies

Education

Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Medicine, Life Sciences, Business, Marketing, or related field
MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred
Have OTC/ pharma experience

Experience

Minimum 6–8 years in pharmaceutical/vaccine marketing or related roles
Proven experience in brand strategy, portfolio management, and product launches
Strong experience in P&L management, pricing, forecasting, and commercial strategy
Experience working with cross-functional and regional/global teams
Experience in Pediatric, vaccines, or specialty portfolios preferred

Required Skills

Adaptability, Adaptability, Agile Methodology, Animal Health Sales, Brand Growth, Brand Positioning Strategy, Business Compliance, Business Planning, Creative Campaign Development, Customer Engagement, Demand Forecasting, Ethical Standards, Interpersonal Relationships, Marketing Budget Management, Marketing Data Analysis, Marketing Strategy Implementation, Market Research, Market Share Analysis, Pricing Strategies, Product Forecasting, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Project Management, Roadmapping, Sales Objectives, Strategic Planning + 1 more

Preferred Skills

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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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

VISA Sponsorship

Travel Requirements

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid

Shift

Valid Driving License

Hazardous Material(s)

Job Posting End Date

06/30/2026

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.

Requisition ID R397718

Pediatric, Brand Strategy Manager