Executive Director, National Sales Leader, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)

Job description

Job Description We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and inspirational sales leader to lead the field sales organization in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). This leader will be accountable for delivering growth for a high-priority rare disease business, managing operating expenses, driving market development, and ensuring compliant execution across a high-performing specialty sales organization. This role is critical to help appropriately expand utilization of our company's increasing role as a leader in the PAH ecosystem. Reporting to the Vice President, PAH & Rare Disease Business Unit and serving as a member of the PAH Leadership Team and the US Human Health (USHH) Sales Council, the National Sales Director will set strategy and operational plans, lead the field sales organization, and partner closely with Marketing, Market Access, Sales Operations, Training, Medical, and other stakeholders to deliver sustainable commercial growth and superior customer engagement. Primary Responsibilities: Develop and execute the national business plan informed by brand strategy, market insights, customer data, access dynamics, and competitor activity. Translate corporate and brand strategies into operational objectives, KPIs, and field execution plans; track progress and refine plans to meet business targets. Drive launch readiness and lifecycle management, partnering with cross-functional teams to optimize product positioning, field execution, and customer engagement in a concentrated rare disease market. Lead, recruit, develop, and optimize a high-performing sales organization in a highly specialized and competitive market environment, including sales managers and field sales representatives, as applicable. Establish clear performance standards, set annual objectives, conduct regular reviews, coach managers, and provide succession planning and professional development. Build an inclusive culture that values collaboration, accountability, patient-centricity, and ethical conduct. Serve as a subject matter expert on brand commercial strategy and contribute as a core member of the therapeutic area and commercial team to create integrated strategies. Work closely with Marketing, Market Access, Sales Training, Sales Operations, and Medical to align programs, messaging, and resources that drive field adoption and customer impact. Promote use of omnichannel approaches and technology tools for consistent customer experiences and effective account and territory management. Build and maintain productive relationships with key specialists, centers of excellence, and other healthcare system stakeholders to support uptake and optimal patient care. Define sales force customers in focus and deployment to maximize coverage, productivity, and ROI in a concentrated customer base. Manage operating expense budgets, ensure compliant activity, and drive disciplined, fact-based decision-making across the team. Use data and metrics to monitor performance, identify opportunities for optimization, and implement change while maintaining employee engagement during transitions. Foster a transparent, ethical, and patient-centric culture; ensure all sales activities conform with company policies, industry standards, and applicable regulations. Education Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, or related field required Advanced degree preferred Required Experience and Skills Minimum 10–12 years combined experience in pharmaceutical/biotech sales, sales leadership, and commercial strategy Demonstrated ability to develop strategic business plans, implement omnichannel and field engagement strategies, and partner cross-functionally to achieve launch and growth objectives Strong knowledge of US healthcare dynamics, including provider organizations, IDNs, specialty pharmacies, centers of excellence, and access/reimbursement considerations Track record of building and developing high-performing teams Strengths in strategic agility, business acumen, decision quality, driving results, managerial courage, and building effective teams At least 5 years leading national or regional sales teams Preferred Experience and Skills Deep experience in rare disease commercialization, ideally within PAH market Experience in specialty markets with a concentrated customer base Proven success in competitive markets and product launches Travel Requirements Up to 50% Required Skills: Analytical Problem Solving, Analytical Problem Solving, Business Agility, Business Decisions, Business Growth Strategies, Business Metrics, Business Planning, Customer Centricity, Customer Needs Assessments, Engagement Strategies, Financial Acumen, Goal Setting, Inbound Phone Sales, Lead Generation, Market Opportunity Analysis, Metrics Development, New Product Marketing, Partnership Development, People Leadership, People Management, Performance Metrics, Professional Networking, Progress Monitoring, Retail Management, Sales Goal Achievement {+ 9 more} Preferred Skills: Current Employees apply HERE Current Contingent Workers apply HERE US and Puerto Rico Residents Only: Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process. As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit: EEOC Know Your Rights EEOC GINA Supplement​ We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts The salary range for this role is $255,800.00 - $402,700.00 This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits. You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting. San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, i