About this role
Job Description Job Description In Primary Posting Language (Include Requirements For Education, Experience And Skills) The Associate Director, Market Access will play a critical role in developing and executing patient access strategies for medicines and vaccines in Korea. This role is responsible for supporting optimal pricing, reimbursement, and access conditions in alignment with business priorities, local healthcare policy, and global access strategies. The position will work closely with the Market Access Director and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure timely and sustainable patient access, particularly for priority products and pipeline assets.
The role will also contribute to pricing governance, health technology assessment strategies, evidence generation, and external stakeholder engagement with key healthcare authorities and medical societies. As a senior member of the Market Access team, the Associate Director will provide strategic guidance, mentor team members, and serve as deputy to the Market Access Director when required. This role is expected to demonstrate strong functional expertise, strategic thinking, stakeholder management capabilities, and leadership potential as a future Market Access Director.
Key Responsibilities Develop and execute comprehensive patient access strategies for products and pipeline assets to support optimal pricing, reimbursement, and accelerated access in Korea. Lead access strategy planning in alignment with business priorities, local healthcare environment, and global and regional market access strategies. Drive pricing and reimbursement governance in collaboration with internal cross-functional partners, including Marketing, Medical, Policy, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, Commercial Operations, Global Pricing, CORE, and Regional/Global Market Access teams.
Lead local adaptation of health economic models and value dossiers to demonstrate product value in the Korean healthcare system. Identify and execute local data generation opportunities in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including Medical, CORE, Global Market Access, health technology assessment experts, and medical societies. Lead communication and engagement with external stakeholders such as HIRA, NHIS, MOHW, medical societies, and industry associations to support successful reimbursement listing and access expansion.
Represent Market Access in short-term and long-term business planning, portfolio strategy discussions, and cross-functional decision-making forums. Monitor healthcare policy, pricing, reimbursement, and HTA trends in Korea and assess implications for products and pipeline assets. Provide strategic input to optimize product value, manage pricing risks, and support sustainable access throughout the product lifecycle.
Mentor and coach Market Access team members by sharing technical expertise, strategic perspectives, and best practices. Serve as deputy to the Market Access Director as needed, supporting team leadership, governance, and strategic decision-making. Required Qualifications and Competencies Strong knowledge of medicine, epidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, statistics, public health, healthcare policy, pricing, reimbursement, and health technology assessment.
Solid experience in pharmaceutical market access, pricing, reimbursement, health economics, or healthcare policy. Strong understanding of the Korean healthcare system, including HIRA, NHIS, MOHW processes, reimbursement decision-making, and external stakeholder dynamics. Proven ability to develop access strategies and translate scientific, clinical, economic, and policy evidence into compelling value propositions.
Experience in health economic model adaptation, data analysis, evidence generation, reimbursement submissions, and documentation. Strong communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills. Ability to work effectively with local, regional, and global stakeholders in a matrix organization.
Strategic thinking with strong business acumen and the ability to connect patient access priorities with broader business objectives. Demonstrated leadership behaviors, including customer and patient focus, collaboration, accountability, and results orientation. Ability to mentor junior colleagues and contribute to team capability building.
Oncology market access experience is preferred. Working-fluent English proficiency is required. Experience and Education Minimum 7–10 years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical market access, pricing, reimbursement, health economics, healthcare policy, or related functions.
Master’s degree or above is preferred. Relevant majors include pharmacy, public health, health economics, healthcare policy, nursing, medicine, or related disciplines. Leadership Expectations The Associate Director, Market Access is expected to demonstrate strategic ownership, strong execution discipline, and collaborative leadership.
The role requires the ability to navigate complex pricing and reimbursement environments, influence internal and external stakeholders, and contribute to sustainable access solutions that deliver meaningful value for patients, healthcare systems, and the business. This position also requires the ability to act as a senior team member, provide guidance to colleagues, and support the Market Access Director in shaping team priorities, governance, and future capability development. Required Skills: Adaptability, Adaptability, Business Decisions, Collaborative Leadership, Commercial Operations Management, Creativity, Data Analysis, Data Management, Developing Pricing Strategies, Digital Marketing Analytics, Enterprise Leadership, Executive Leadership, Healthcare Policies, Health Economics Research, Interpersonal Relationships, Leadership Theories, Liaison Work, Market Access, Market Data, Market Development, Market Opportunity Identification, Market Research, Matrix Management, Organizational Leadership, Outcomes Research {+ 8 more} Preferred Skills: Current Employees apply HERE Current Contingent Workers apply HERE 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: VISA Sponsorship: Travel Requirements: Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid Shift: Valid Driving License: Hazardous Material(s): Job Posting End Date: 09/30/2026 *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.