Pediatric, Brand Strategy Manager

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

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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