Director Field Access (South Italy)

Job Description:

The Director, Key Account Management defines, in line with the company strategy and in coordination with the Market Access Director, the priorities and operating model of the Key Account Managers (KAM), ensuring their effective implementation across the national territory. He or she is responsible for leading the KAM team and achieving the access and business objectives linked to account management, purchasing procedures and commercial policies, in compliance with current regulations and company Compliance rules.

Develops in-depth knowledge of accounts and their decision-making and purchasing processes, guiding the KAMs in defining and executing plans differentiated by priority, stakeholder and therapeutic area, with the aim of enabling timely and sustainable access to our company's products and preventing potential critical issues.

Is responsible for the quality and effectiveness of relationships with decision-makers and stakeholders relevant to accounts and purchasing processes, ensuring a clear distinction from and constant integration with the remit of the Regional Access Director, who is responsible for regional strategies and institutional access relationships.

Ensures the development of the relationship with our company among Key Customers, translating strategic priorities into account solutions consistent with the clinical, social and economic value of our products. Coordinates external activities and alignment with the Business Units and head office functions, always in compliance with current regulations, company policies and the Organizational Model 231.

Manages, as Project Leader, assigned projects, including those with national impact.

Main areas of responsibility

Company strategy

• Leads the KAM team, defines its priorities, objectives and execution standards, and supports its professional growth through coaching, feedback and individual development plans.
• Promotes the continuous development of the KAM team's capabilities and the structured sharing of best practices, fostering common standards of excellence in account management, strategic planning, negotiation and execution.
• Translates company and Business Unit strategies into a national Key Account Management strategy, ensuring its consistent and differentiated implementation across different territorial contexts.
• Ensures structured collaboration with the Regional Access Director: integrates regional access priorities defined by the RAM team into account plans, while keeping roles, accountabilities and reporting lines distinct.
• Promotes cross-functional coordination with Business Units, Value & Market Access, Tender Office, Legal, Compliance and other relevant functions, so that account initiatives are coherent, timely and fully executable.
• Acts as the organizational point of reference for the KAM model, facilitating alignment between his or her team, the Business Units and the company functions involved, managing any escalations and ensuring clarity on priorities, decisions and accountabilities.
• Develops in-depth knowledge of the organizational structures, decision-making processes, needs and purchasing dynamics of the main public and private accounts.
• Monitors and interprets key trends relating to account structures, purchasing processes, tender procedures and the evolution of healthcare procurement, assessing their impact on the KAM model and turning them into strategic guidance for the team and relevant company functions.
• Defines criteria for segmentation, prioritization and account coverage, ensuring effective allocation of KAM team resources in line with strategic and business priorities.
• Ensures annual and quarterly planning of the KAMs and the definition of integrated Key Account Plans, with clearly defined objectives, stakeholder maps, actions, responsibilities, timelines and progress indicators.
• Is responsible for the quality of the Key Account Plans and their correct implementation and execution, coordinating the input of the cross-functional team and monitoring results, risks and corrective actions.
• Leads the development of solid and transparent relationships with Key Customers and with stakeholders involved in decision-making and purchasing processes, ensuring conduct consistent with the highest ethical and Compliance standards.
• Knows the regulations governing public sector purchasing processes, including the Public Contracts Code, and ensures, through the KAM team and in close collaboration with the Tender Office, the monitoring and management of the phases of tender procedures within its remit.
• Supports the identification and development of innovative and sustainable solutions for accounts, aimed at enhancing our company's products, preventing unjustified access restrictions and supporting the company's best possible participation in purchasing procedures.
• Defines, in coordination with the Business Units, the Tender Lead and the competent functions, commercial policies and their implementation methods, in compliance with company approval levels.
• Supervises the activity of the KAMs in preparing and managing commercial offers for company therapeutic areas, including price proposals approved by the company, ensuring consistency, quality and timeliness of execution.
• Defines, in collaboration with the competent functions, the KPIs of the KAM model and systematically monitors performance, opportunities and critical issues at national level, promoting data-based decisions and continuous improvement of the operating model.
• Manages the budget assigned for initiatives and projects relating to accounts, ensuring its effective use in line with company procedures, Compliance rules and current regulations.
• Manages, as Project Leader, assigned projects, including those with national impact, coordinating peer colleagues and stakeholders without overlapping with the accountabilities of the Regional Access Director.
• Is responsible for compliance with Compliance rules, company policies and the Organizational Model 231 for the team reporting to him or her.

Qualifications

Education:

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Science, Economics or Political Science.
• Preferred: MBA

Required:

• Solid experience in Market Access, Marketing and Sales roles in the pharmaceutical sector, with management responsibilities and preferably with national scope.
• Strong knowledge of public healthcare purchasing processes, tender procedures, account dynamics and the logic behind defining and implementing commercial policies.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams, define priorities and ensure execution through people.
• Ability to build effective relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders and to operate in complex cross-functional environments.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, combined with high ethical standards and a strong Compliance culture.
• Strategic thinking, business orientation, analytical capability and the ability to turn strategies and data into concrete, measurable account plans.
• Proven ability to lead change, promote collaboration and ensure clarity of roles and accountabilities.
• High self-awareness, learning agility and willingness to develop towards roles of greater responsibility.
• Excellent command of Italian and English, written and spoken.
• Willingness to travel within the national territory for up to 45% of the time.

The Primary Location for this posting is

ITA - Lazio - Roma

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The base salary range for the primary location of this position is:

€97,100.00 - €165,100.00

This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of posting. This will be based on an individual's experience, skills, effort, responsibilities, organizational needs and compensation levels within their peer group. If applicable, employees may also be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentives or other benefits. This role is part of a collective bargaining agreement / national collective labor agreement. Our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you, if applicable.

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges and CBA information, as applicable, for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

Required Skills:

Access Control (AC), Access Control (AC), Adaptability, Business Process Improvements, Consultative Selling, Cross-Cultural Competence, Developing Pricing Strategies, Health Economics, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Leadership Development Programs, Liaison Work, Market Intelligence, Market Research, Negotiation, People Leadership, People Management, Performance Improvements, Performance Monitoring, Preparation of Financial Reports, Prioritization, Professional Networking, Program Delivery Management, Public Health, Relationship Management, Resource Allocation {+ 7 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Secondary Language(s) Job Description:

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):

Job Posting End Date:

11/1/2026

*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.