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Job Description
Note. There are 6 roles across the UK defined territories - please indicate preferred location with your application. North East & Yorkshire, North West, Midlands, East of England, South West, South East,
Role Title
Market Access Lead - Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Business Unit: UK Pharmaceuticals - Cardiovascular Disease
Reporting to: National Healthcare Director - CVD & Portfolio
Location: United Kingdom (field‑based, regional remit)
Role Purpose
The market Access Lead - CVD is a senior, field‑based role accountable for promotional and non‑promotional, system‑level pathway leadership to support the successful product launch and appropriate patient access across cardiovascular disease pathways.
The role focuses on primary and secondary care pathway readiness, enabling market and patient access, identification, diagnosis, referral and initiation through effective engagement with NHS systems. Acting as a trusted partner to NHS leaders, the role translates national strategy into regional and local execution, ensuring pathways, guidelines and operational enablers are in place ahead of and following launch.
Key Responsibilities
1. System Strategy & Planning (CVD)
* Develop regional system and pathway plans aligned to the national CVD strategy and launch priorities.
* Segment and prioritise Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), Trusts and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) based on unmet need, pathway maturity and readiness.
* Identify structural barriers to optimal lipid and cardiovascular risk management (e.g. diagnostics, referral routes, service capacity, commissioning models).
* Translate national policy, guidelines and launch strategy into clear, executable regional plans.
2. System Readiness
* Initiate early strategic conversations with NHS stakeholders to ensure system readiness (formularies, guidelines, pathways, prescribing systems, homecare where applicable).
3. Pathway Development
* Lead pathway‑led initiatives to enable prevention, diagnosis, initiation and optimisation of CVD care across primary and secondary care.
* Map end‑to‑end lipid and ASCVD pathways, identifying gaps in patient flow, referrals and accountability.
* Support implementation of service redesign and collaborative working projects that deliver shared value for patients, the NHS and our organization.
4. Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
* Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior NHS stakeholders including ICB leaders, clinical leads, medicines optimisation teams and pathway owners.
* Facilitate insight‑led, outcome‑focused discussions that position our organization as a credible partner in cardiovascular pathway improvement.
* Ensure all engagements are compliant with ABPI Code and internal governance, maintaining a clear separation from promotional activity.
5. Cross‑Functional Working
* Work in close partnership with cross functional teams - Medical Affairs, Value, Access & Devolved Nations, Marketing and Corporate Affairs - to deliver a joined‑up approach to CVD.
* Align regional activity with national priorities set by the National Healthcare Director - CVD.
* Act as a conduit of high‑quality regional insight into Head Office to inform launch optimisation and ongoing strategy.
6. Insight, Measurement & Continuous Improvement
* Capture and synthesise system insights to inform national planning and refinement of pathway strategy.
* Track progress against system readiness milestones (e.g. guideline inclusion, pathway adoption, commissioning progress).
* Share best practice across regions to accelerate learning and consistency of execution.
Skills & Capabilities
* Strong understanding of the UK NHS structure, including ICBs, primary care, secondary care and commissioning processes.
* Proven experience in pathway development, market access enablement or service redesign and collaborative working, ideally within cardiovascular disease or long‑term conditions.
* Senior‑level influencing and relationship‑building skills with NHS decision‑makers.
* Ability to operate confidently within market access governance frameworks.
* Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability, with the ability to prioritise high‑impact system opportunities.
Leadership Behaviours
* Win as One Team: Collaborates effectively across functions and geographies to deliver aligned system impact.
* Focus on What Matters: Prioritises pathways and initiatives with the greatest patient and system benefit.
* Act with Urgency: Anticipates policy and system changes and mobilises early to support launch and access readiness.
* Experiment, Learn & Adapt: Uses insight and feedback to identify and refine pathway solutions and ways of working.
* Speak Up & Be Open‑Minded: Escalates risks early and contributes constructively to national discussions.
Experience Required
* Significant experience in UK healthcare‑facing, market access roles with system‑level engagement.
* Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver pathway or service initiatives and collaborative working within the NHS.
* Strong understanding of cardiovascular disease pathways and lipid management desirable.
* Proven judgement, autonomy, collaboration and professionalism appropriate to a senior field based role.
This role is a critical enabler of launch success, ensuring NHS systems are prepared to deliver equitable and sustainable cardiovascular care.
Required Skills:
Account Management, Adaptability, Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Clinical Trials, Commercial Contract Management, Customer Needs Analysis, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Financial Acumen, Healthcare Industry, Identifying Sales Opportunities, Learning Effectiveness, Management Meetings, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Operational Delivery, Patient Flow, Patient Identification, Pharmaceutical Sales, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacotherapeutics, Primary Care, Sales Strategy Development, Sales Target Achievement, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking
Preferred Skills:
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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:
Remote
Shift:
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Hazardous Material(s):
Job Posting End Date:
06/20/2026
*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:R394835