Director, Regional Strategy and Operations Asia Pacific

Job Description

• Serve as the Asia Pacific (AP) Regions strategy development engine converting aspiration into clear choices disciplined trade-offs and measurable pull-through.

• Architect Go-to-Market (GTM) and New Product Planning (NPP) frameworks that raise decision quality accelerate launch readiness and strengthen cross-market consistency.

• Build regional capability and enterprise leverage connecting AP fully into Global Human Health Research Lab Manufacturing and Global Support Functions.

• Provide targeted enablement to the AP Regional President on priority engagements governance forums and decision-quality.
  

Our Purpose

We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. Every day we are guided by this purpose as we deliver innovative medicines and vaccines that protect people and communities.

Role Overview

This is a strategic thought leadership role for the AP Region. The Director Regional Strategy & Operations is the Regions strategic thought partner and execution architect connecting aspiration to action across markets franchises and functions. Reporting to the Head of AP Commercial Operations the role translates ambition into clear choices practical plans and measurable outcomes.

The role contributes across four dimensions: (1) the inline business (2) new pipeline products (3) capability enhancement and (4) strategic thought partnership. It ensures AP operates efficiently builds enduring capability and fully leverages the broader global enterprise Global Human Health (HH) Research Lab Manufacturing Division and Global Support Functions. The role specifically owns above-franchise oversight of launch planning and GTM governance anchored in the Asia Pacific Leadership Team (APLT) and aligned with Intercontinental and global stakeholders.

Location: Singapore. Asia Pacific (Regional role)

Reporting Line: Head of Commercial Operations (AP)

Level: Director

Scope: Asia Pacific Region multi-market multi-franchise (Oncology Vaccines Specialty/Pharma/ID); influences a cross-functional network of senior leaders across the Region Intercontinental and the global enterprise.

What will you do in this role:

Strategy Thought Leadership & Mobilization

• Shape and translate AP strategic priorities into clear decision points trade-offs and execution roadmaps.

• Serve as strategic thought partner to the AP Regional President and the APLT.

• Frame ambiguous complex problems into decision-ready options and mobilize leaders around measurable outcomes.

• Drive project scoping stakeholder engagement and PMO oversight for disciplined execution.
  

Go-to-Market (GTM) & New Product Planning (NPP) Architecture

• Own the AP GTM strategy framework ensuring consistency clarity and scalability across markets.

• Own AP commercial launch planning and governance in close partnership with Franchise Launch Planning Leads and New Product Leads making pipeline readiness proactive visible and decision-oriented with standardized templates and trackers that drive leadership decisions.

• Partner with cross functional teams and divisions to ensure AP launches are fully enabled by enterprise capabilities and aligned with global strategy.
  

Capability Enhancement & Enterprise Leverage

• Orchestrate APs engagement model with Global HH research manufacturing and Global Support Functions pulling through the right capabilities and expertise at the right time.

• Embed global best practice into AP ways of working raising the standard of strategy launch excellence and operating discipline.

• Identify and close capability gaps strengthening tools operating rhythms and decision-making muscle so AP delivers at pace.
  

Targeted Enablement of the AP Regional President up to 30% of time

• Prepare and frame decisions for the Regional Presidents priority engagements and President-led forums (e.g. APLT Commercial Meeting Regional Huddle AP Core) shaping agendas sharpening choices and driving follow-through.

• Own end-to-end content development for the Regional Presidents strategic presentations and leadership engagements from narrative architecture and storytelling to data-driven content delivering executive-ready output with clarity impact and autonomy.

• Mobilize cross-functional contributor stakeholders across the Region and global enterprise to source inputs drive alignment at pace and ensure seamless execution.
  

What should you have to be successful in this role

Required

• 10 years of progressive experience in strategy formulation and execution PMO/program leadership commercial operations or business transformation in a matrixed multi-market environment.

• Executive-ready communication and influence; ability to synthesize complex inputs into clear narratives decisions and actions.

• Strong financial literacy and the ability to link actions to business outcomes.

• High judgment discretion and comfort handling confidential and sensitive topics at the most senior levels.

• Demonstrated ability to frame ambiguous complex problems into clear decision options and mobilize cross-functional teams to measurable outcomes.

• Track record of working effectively across the global enterprise to bring enterprise capabilities to bear on regional priorities.
  

Preferred

• Management consulting experience (strategy operations or transformation) applied pragmatically in a business setting.

• Experience in pharma/healthcare and/or multi-market regional environments.

• Exposure to GTM launch governance NPP and forecasting processes.

• Experience partnering with digital and analytics teams to improve decision quality.
  

What Success Looks Like

• AP strategy is translated into a small set of clear choices and priorities with disciplined pull-through to measurable outcomes.

• GTM and NPP decisions are higher-quality faster and more consistent across markets.

• AP is fully plugged into the global enterprise with Global HH Research Lab Manufacturing and Global Support Functions actively leveraged to accelerate regional performance.

• President-led forums and key engagements are consistently well-prepared efficient and decision-oriented.

• Markets experience greater clarity less noise and stronger mobilization on the few initiatives that matter most.
  

Who We Are

We are known as Merck & Co. Inc. Rahway New Jersey USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century we have brought forward medicines and vaccines for many of the worlds most challenging diseases.

What We Look For

We are looking for a leader who combines strategic thinking operational discipline and clear compelling communication. If you bring intellectual rigor comfort with ambiguity and the ability to convert ideas into measurable outcomes across a complex matrix we invite you to help shape how Asia Pacific turns strategy into sustained performance and patient impact.

Required Skills:

Acquisitions Divestitures Acquisitions Divestitures Adaptability Analytical Tools Business Operations Business Transformation Data-Driven Decision Making Developing Proposals Environmental Scanning Executive Communications Financial Education Forecasting Global Health Global Strategy Go to Market (GTM) Go-to-Market Strategies Influencing Skills Market Access Market Research Oncology Marketing Pharmaceutical Industry Product Planning Results-Oriented Stakeholder Engagement Strategic Planning 2 more

Preferred Skills:

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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:

08/31/2026

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