Associate Director, Thought Leader Marketing Liaison

Associate Director role supporting Merck's immunology brand marketing for inflammatory bowel disease therapies. Responsible for identifying and engaging key opinion leaders, managing speaker programs, coordinating congress participation, and aligning scientific insights with brand strategy across the US market.

Responsibilities
Identify and map national and regional scientific leaders and emerging experts across IBD landscape
Execute engagements with key opinion leaders including congress participation, site visits, and advisory boards
Gather actionable insights from leaders to inform brand planning and marketing strategies
Develop and manage US IBD speaker bureau including faculty identification and training
Coordinate congress participation and secure engagement meetings between company employees and KOLs
Requirements
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MS, PharmD) preferred
5-8 years pharmaceutical sales, marketing, field medical engagement, or KOL management experience
5+ years as Thought Leader Liaison or Regional Marketing role
3+ years IBD experience with established KOL networks strongly preferred
Demonstrated success building and maintaining KOL relationships in regulated environments
Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
Ability to influence across matrixed organizations without direct authority