Executive Director, Oncology Business Unit

Job Description

Job Description –Oncology Business Unit Executive Director (m/f/d)

As the Austrian Oncology Business Unit Executive Director, you will be at the forefront of transforming oncology care at the Company. The role of the Business Unit Director is today a strategic senior leadership position where you will have full business ownership and be responsible for driving innovation and growth in a complex and dynamic healthcare environment.
 

In this role, you will not only oversee marketing and sales but also shape the strategic direction of our oncology portfolio. You will be expected to lead with a visionary mindset, embracing change and leveraging insights to anticipate market trends and patient needs. Your leadership will be crucial in fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability across functions, ensuring that our teams are aligned and motivated to achieve our ambitious goals.
 

As a senior leader, you will embody our commitment to excellence, driving impactful initiatives that enhance patient outcomes and solidify our position as a leader in oncology.
 

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Oncology Business Unit Director is a full member of the Country Leadership team, and the country representative in the Mid-Europe Oncology Leadership Forum (OLF).
 

MAJOR ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 Key priorities for the role include:

A) Shape the Future

• Aspirational Leader: Inspire and motivate your team by setting ambitious goals and demonstrating a clear vision for the future of oncology. Lead with passion and enthusiasm, creating an environment where creativity and calculated risks are encouraged.
• Strategy Architect: Develop and execute comprehensive marketing and commercial strategies that align with our multi-polar portfolio, ensuring successful product launches and operational excellence.
• Entrepreneurial Leader: Foster a culture of innovation by developing imaginative, customer-driven approaches to business opportunities. Adaptive and forward looking approach that integrate all functions and aspects of our Oncology franchise in shaping a future health care environment and policy that support innovative cancer care.

B) Deliver Impact

• P&L Management: Take full accountability for the Oncology Business Unit's P&L, driving financial performance through effective resource allocation and operational commitments. Achieve top-line revenue growth and market share improvement in a highly competitive environment.
• Business Leader: Act as a cross-functional orchestrator, aligning diverse teams around strategic objectives and ensuring seamless execution of plans. Lead with a clear understanding of the end-to-end Oncology Business and takes on the role and responsibility as business owner beyond commercial responsibility.
• Execution Excellence:  Build and sustain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, payers, and policy makers. Engage in meaningful dialogue to shape market environments that benefit our portfolio and the patients we serve. Engage, motivate and inspire his/her organization (marketing, sales and support functions). Set direction for the business and align the team to enthusiastically execute on Oncology strategy.
   

C) Unlock Potential

• Team Leadership: Develop, coach, and lead a high-performing team of leaders, ensuring that each member is empowered to contribute to the overall success of the business. Attract and retain diverse talent to secure succession planning and business continuity.
• Culture Ambassador: Promote a collaborative and inclusive culture where all employees feel respected and valued. Advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization.
• Communicator: Effectively convey vison, goals and expectations and to motivate teams from ongoing communication and celebration. Able to clearly articulate ideas, active listening and providing constructive feedback
   

REQUIREMENTS

• Strong experience in the Pharmaceutical industry, with emphasis in sales and marketing progressive positions.
• Solid understanding of market access (pricing & reimbursement) environment, strategies & processes is required, in order to provide input into decisions and influence internal stakeholders on issues such as Early Access, reimbursement dossiers, pricing negotiations.
• Strong experience in people management and leadership skills on teams.  
• Fluency in English is required
• Experience in Oncology is preferable

COMPETENCIES

• External Market Analysis and Impact - Understands category, business and competitive assessment in order to build strategies and tactics to generate growth and profitability. 
• Network - Builds and sustains relationship with key internal and external stakeholders, customers, and scientific leaders by demonstrating expertise, competence and trustworthiness.
• Strategic Thinking & Planning – Leads business initiatives with external and internal stakeholders (Market Access, Business Development and Policy). 
• Marketing Communication - Solid understanding of marketing communication tools and methods (internal and external) that will allow effective messaging with target customers. 
• Financial Acumen – Develops revenue, volume, profit goals across brands and/or segments. Manages P&L throughout the year and adjusts volume changes, cost parameters in collaboration with Finance.
• Customer Relationship Management - Identifies and understands customer/patient needs, and make them the focus of his/her strategies, initiatives, and decisions.
• Cross-Functional Capability - Strong working knowledge of all functional areas (e.g. market access, sales, medical, regulatory affairs, compliance, legal and public relations
• Field Force Effectiveness Management – Shows solid understanding of strategies, tools, processes and methods that optimize field force effectiveness with a view of maximizing field force capabilities.

We offer an attractive salary, outstanding social benefits and an exciting work environment with varied tasks in an international environment. The minimum annual salary for this position is EUR 135,000 and varies according to the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. We are looking forward to receiving your application.

Required Skills:

Accountability, Biopharmaceutical Industry, Biopharmaceutics, Change Management, Communication Strategy Development, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Customer Relationship Building, Direct Marketing, Financial Analysis, Healthcare Business, Leadership, Management Process, Market Access Strategies, Market Research, Oncology, Oncology Marketing, People Leadership, Product Management, Relationship Building, Results-Oriented, Sales Management, Strategic Planning

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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:

01/5/2026

*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.

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