Job Description
The Franchise Lead, Infectious Diseases is responsible for defining and executing the strategy across the Infectious Diseases portfolio in Saudi Arabia, including Antibiotics, Anesthesia, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and HIV. This role leads portfolio growth, maximizes patient impact and business performance, and drives cross-functional excellence to deliver sustainable long-term success.
The Franchise Lead combines strategic leadership, commercial excellence, stakeholder engagement, and leadership of both the Marketing and Sales organizations, and cross-functional team leadership to accelerate growth and strengthen our leadership position in Infectious Diseases.
Key Responsibilities:
Portfolio Strategy & Business Leadership
- Own the overall strategic direction and performance of the Infectious Diseases portfolio in Saudi Arabia.
- Lead the Infectious Diseases franchise with end-to-end accountability for strategy, commercial performance, and leadership of both Marketing and Sales teams, ensuring alignment between strategic priorities and field execution.
- Develop and execute integrated brand and franchise strategies aligned with business objectives and market opportunities.
- Lead long-term portfolio planning, lifecycle management, and launch readiness for new indications and assets.
- Identify growth opportunities and translate insights into actionable strategies that create sustainable competitive advantage.
Commercial Excellence & Execution
- Deliver sales, market share, profitability, and operational targets across the portfolio.
- Drive execution excellence through robust business planning, performance tracking, and agile decision-making.
- Optimize resource allocation and investment decisions to maximize portfolio value.
- Lead forecasting, financial planning, and budget management with strong business stewardship.
Market & Customer Engagement
- Generate deep insights into customer needs, market dynamics, healthcare trends, and the evolving policy environment.
- Build strategic partnerships with key external stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, KOLs, scientific societies, and health authorities.
- Champion customer-centric solutions that improve access, experience, and outcomes for patients.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Lead and inspire cross-functional teams across Commercial, Medical, Market Access, Policy, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Finance.
- Foster collaboration and alignment to deliver integrated customer solutions and business priorities.
- Influence and mobilize stakeholders without direct authority to achieve strategic objectives.
Leadership & Culture
- Provide leadership, coaching, and development to Marketing and Sales teams, building a high-performing culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Drive alignment and seamless execution across commercial teams to deliver franchise objectives.
- Champion agility, learning, and a growth mindset.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance culture that empowers teams, develops talent, and drives continuous improvement.
Compliance & Governance
- Ensure all activities are executed in full compliance with company policies, industry regulations, ethical standards, and internal standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Ensure all promotional activities comply with regulatory and company standards.
- Ensure that all relevant company policies, business practices, local Laws and regulations, and compliance guidelines are being followed ensuring high compliance and ethics standards. Ensure highest level of integrity in the territory.
Skills and Qualifications Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, marketing, or commercial leadership roles.
- Demonstrated success in strategic planning, portfolio management, and delivering sustainable business growth.
- Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives in complex and dynamic environments.
- Enterprise mindset with the ability to lead a business with end-to-end accountability.
- Strong strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
- Exceptional cross-functional leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to align and mobilize stakeholders without direct authority paired with excellent communication, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
- Customer and patient-centric mindset.
- Execution excellence with a strong focus on results and accountability.
- Ability to thrive in ambiguity, drive change, and lead through complexity.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for innovation and continuous improvement.
- Experience in Infectious Diseases or Specialty Care is preferred.
Required Skills:
Business Management, Commercial Excellence, Data Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Infectious Disease, Performance Tracking, Product Management, Results-Oriented, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking, Team Leadership
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:
Not Applicable
Shift:
Valid Driving License:
Hazardous Material(s):
Job Posting End Date:
07/10/2026
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