Associate Director, Patient Affordability Solutions, Patient Access

Job Description

The Associate Director, Patient Affordability Solutions, Patient Access supports the design and ongoing operation of patient affordability programs such as copay, savings card, and free-drug offerings. Manages vendor contracting and performance, KPIs, and program execution while monitoring affordability-related patient drop-off and continuously optimizing programs to improve patient access and persistence. Partners closely with brand, hub and adherence operations, measurement, and legal/compliance stakeholders to deliver consistent, compliant, and launch-ready affordability offerings within the broader Patient Engagement experience.

Key Responsibilities

Points of Collaboration:

Assess and select affordability vendors, including evaluation, program setup, contracting, and ongoing performance management.

Coordinate with Hub Operations and Brand patient support leads to ensure Affordability offerings provide a consistent E2E experience within the full scope of Patient Engagement offerings.

Design affordability programs, and available offerings (e.g. CoPay Savings Card) including eligibility criteria, program duration, quantity limits, business rules, and patient support requirements.

Define affordability program operational readiness, including workflow requirements, SOPs, vendor testing, and handoffs prior to program launch.

Define affordability performance management approach, including KPIs, dashboards, enrollment metrics, eligibility verification, and free-drug shipment monitoring.

Monitor affordability program execution, including vendor performance, patient outcomes, and affordability-related patient drop-off.

Track affordability-related gaps and optimize programs accordingly, including identifying opportunities to improve patient access and persistence.

D, Patient Affordability Lead: Operational performance reporting, budget management, vendor strategy decisions.

D, Health Equity Solutions: Incorporating relevant equity interventions into operational programs; providing operational baselines for equity measurement.

D, Patient Engagement Measurement: Vendor performance data, operational KPIs, patient journey drop-off analysis.

Hub Operations & Adherence Operations: Ensure program design effectively aligns offerings across Access, Affordability, and Adherence.

Affordability vendors: Primary owned relationship with Affordability vendors: QBRs, SLA management, contract negotiations.

Brand Patient Strategy & TA-aligned marketing: Launch readiness, brand-specific program configuration, operational escalations.

Legal, Privacy, & Compliance: Program compliance, patient data handling, government program requirements.

Education:

Minimum of BA/BS required.

Necessary Skills & Competencies:

5+ years in biopharma patient services, hub operations, or specialty pharmacy operations management

Prior experience designing and operationalizing affordability programs, including vendor management, program rules, launch readiness, and performance optimization

Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including brand, access, legal, compliance, finance, vendors, and patient support teams

Strong understanding of patient affordability barriers, including cost-related drop-off, access delays, and financial access challenges

Strong understanding of affordability program models, including copay, bridge, free-drug, voucher, eligibility, and reimbursement support programs

Experience leading and developing teams, including hiring, performance management, and talent development

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Business Performance Management, Collaboration, Creativity, Data Analysis, Data Management, Digital Marketing Analytics, Engagement Strategies, Government Programs, Healthcare Policies, Health Economics Research, Interpersonal Relationships, Liaison Work, Market Access, Market Research, Multidisciplinary Teamwork, Operations Management, Outcomes Research, Partner Relationship Management (PRM), Patient Assistance, Patient Care, Patient Engagement, Patient Management, Patient Referrals {+ 8 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:

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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.

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The primary location for this posting is:

USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is:

$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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 .

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

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, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

10/28/2026 *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:R420259