Assoc. Dir, Data Science Market Activation

Job Description

Associate Director, Data Science

As an Associate Director in Data Science Market Activation , you will be focused to lead our data science team and drive the development and implementation of innovative data-driven strategies. This role is critical to shaping our data science initiatives, building advanced analytical models, and collaborating cross-functionally to enhance decision-making processes across the organization.

Associate Director is expected to lead a function of data scientist. Is accountable for business delivery, growth, value realization and strategy. Availability in office is MUST and Expected to lead on below aspects.
 

Roles and Responsibilities: 

1)     Functional R&R

• Be thought leader to our Business Engagement Leads and Marketing team to understand the business problem and provide consultative and analytical solution
• Should have strong understanding of Pharma healthcare industry and therapy knowledge
• Design & build predictive models to forecast patient outcomes, such as readmission risk, disease progression, or response to treatment, enabling proactive care management.
• Strong subject matter expertise in Data Science and Statistical Models, Experience to drive patient, HCP, Payer and Consumer related analytics. Strong hands on with US datasets, IQVIA, Komodo,  Epsilon, McKesson and others. MUST have experience in new launch analytics and GTM strategy.
• Identify & define HCP segmentation and targeting, micro segmentation by content, call planning
• Analyze longitudinal healthcare data to track patient journeys over time, providing insights into disease progression and treatment efficacy.
• Ensure data solutions are interoperable across different healthcare systems and platforms, facilitating seamless data exchange and collaboration.
• Collaborate with data engineering, data science & IT teams to deliver business friendly dashboard & reporting solutions 
• Evaluate the effectiveness of treatments and interventions by analyzing patient outcomes data to inform clinical decision-making and improve care quality 
• Should be hands on with Python, SQL, Databricks, Dataiku and other platforms. Should have product mindset to build process and analytical solution as enterprise products
• Provide thought leadership and data science best practices to the broader Data & Analytics organization  
• Provide training & coaching to internal stakeholders to enable a self-service operating model 
• Co-create information governance & apply data privacy best practices to solutions 
• Continuously innovative on best practices & technologies by reviewing external resources & marketplace 

2)     People Management R&R

• ·       Leadership: Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to Senior Managers and Managers of analysts and data scientists. and create opportunities for professional growth.
• ·       Team Culture: Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment, encouraging knowledge sharing and professional growth, timely connect with associates and respect for opinion from all.
• ·       Recruitment: Participate in the recruitment process by identifying talent needs, interviewing candidates, and making hiring decisions.
• ·       Capability Building: Develop training programs and initiatives to enhance the skills and capabilities of team members in alignment to their career aspiration and organizational demand and scalability.
• ·       Performance Management: Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular performance evaluations, and provide timely feedback to team members being assertive and clear.
• ·       Career Development: Work with team members to define career goals and create development plans to support their advancement within the organization in alignment with their aspirations.
• ·       Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborate with other departments and teams to ensure alignment on analytics initiatives and projects
• ·       Recognize Talent: Create platform for talent showcasing and visibility. Reward and recognizing for their contributions
• ·       People Engagement: Engage with team members, create speak up and cohesive culture

3)     Business Management R&R

• ·     Strategy Development: Contribute to the development of the analytics strategy aligned with the overall business objectives.
• ·     Project Management: Oversee the planning demand, execution, and delivery of analytics projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget.
• ·     Insights Delivery: Ensure the delivery of actionable insights and recommendations to key stakeholders to drive business decisions.
• ·     Data Governance: Establish and enforce data governance policies and procedures to ensure data quality, integrity, and security.
• ·     Performance Measurement: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of analytics initiatives and track progress against business goals. Measure P&L of the function.
• ·     Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency gains within the analytics function.
• ·     Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks associated with analytics projects, such as data privacy and security risks.

4)     Organization R&R

• ·     Organization Vision: Understand organization and leadership to map team strategy accordingly.
• ·     Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the organization to understand their analytics needs and priorities. Brand HHDDA services and support to help them scale business initiatives.
• ·     Resource Allocation: Allocate resources effectively to prioritize and support high-impact analytics projects.
• ·     Budget Management: Develop and manage the analytics budget, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and cost-effectively.
• ·     Communication: Communicate analytics findings, insights, and recommendations effectively to non-technical stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.
• ·     Change Management: Lead change management efforts related to the adoption of analytics tools, processes, and methodologies within the organization.
• ·     Compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards related to data analytics and privacy.

Required Experience and skills: 

• · years relevant experience in data Science, consulting, analytics and data modelling with storytelling and people management
• ·       Working experience and knowledge in pharma dataset leveraging, Python, SQL, DataBricks DataIKU and other data science technologies  
• ·       Working experience and knowledge in ETL process, data modeling techniques & platforms
• ·       Experience working with Database technologies (Redshift, Oracle, Snowflake, etc) & data processing languages (SQL, Python, R, etc.) 
• ·       Experience in leveraging and managing third party vendors and contractors 
• ·       Self-motivation, proactivity, and ability to work independently with minimum direction 
• ·       Excellent interpersonal and communication skills 
• ·       Excellent organizational skills, with ability to navigate a complex matrix environment and organize/prioritize work efficiently and effectively 
• ·       Demonstrated ability to collaborate and lead with diverse groups of work colleagues and positively manage ambiguity 
• ·       Experience in Pharma and or Biotech Industry is a plus  

Our Human Health Division maintains a "patient first, profits later" ideology. The organization is comprised of sales, marketing, market access, digital analytics and commercial professionals who are passionate about their role in bringing our medicines to our customers worldwide.  

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another's thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

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:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Required Skills:

Analytics Strategy, Business Intelligence (BI), Business Management, Communication, Database Design, Data Engineering, Data Governance, Data Modeling, Data Science, Data Visualization, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Machine Learning, Management Process, Marketing, Organizational Performance Management, People Management, Performance Measurement, Project Management, Resource Allocation, Self Motivation, Software Development, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Waterfall Model

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

09/30/2025

*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:R365230

---