Payer & Health Systems Oncology, Medical Affairs Director (PHSO MAD) (PA, MD, Upstate NY)
Listed compensation
$210k-$331k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Role Summary
The Payer & Health Systems Oncology Medical Affairs Director (PHSO MAD) is a therapeutic and disease expert who develops ongoing professional relationships with healthcare decision makers across key payer and provider organizations.
The PHSO MAD provides accurate information across the full oncology product portfolio, clinical science, and quality management in a balanced and credible manner consistent with the regulatory environment and company’s ethical standards. This role also serves as a resource for the Medical Affairs (MA) management team on strategic planning and provides mentoring for other team members.
Responsibilities and Primary Activities
Develops ongoing professional relationships with key decision makers in organized health systems to ensure access to medical and scientific information on the full oncology product portfolio and areas of therapeutic interest.
Develops strategic account plans in partnership with the Integrated Account Management (IAM) Account Executive teams and executes medical activities in alignment with agreed plan.
Serves as the primary resource for market dynamics within the territory to understand decision makers’ evolving information needs to feed into the ongoing value-proposition development process for oncology product and non-product offerings.
Effectively communicates and coordinates with Regional Medical Scientific Director (RMSD) regarding medical and scientific support needs in key health systems accounts.
Serves as a resource for the PHSO MAD Team Lead, PHSO MAD Executive Director Medical Affairs, and other members of Country Medical Affairs on other relevant strategic planning.
Attends and supports scientific and medical meetings and prepares post-meeting deliverables.
Location: This is a remote position that serves PA, MD, & Upstate NY.
- Candidates should reside in the territory.
- Must be available for travel up to 50%.
- Required Qualifications, Skills, & Experience
Minimum
MD, PhD, or PharmD.
3 years of dedicated experience in a field-based MA role working with regional and/or national payers, integrated delivery systems, or scientific leaders OR 5 years of clinical oncology experience working within a health system OR the equivalent.
Experience with organized healthcare system(s) or payer organization(s), including ability to develop peer-to-peer relationships with key decision makers.
Thorough knowledge of clinical medicine, healthcare delivery system structure and function, pharmacoeconomics, disease management, quality management, value-based payment, and healthcare delivery policy and trends.
Excellent interpersonal communication skills, ability to network, strong personal integrity, collaborative mindset, and a strong customer focus.
- Thorough understanding of ethical guidelines relevant to the pharmaceutical industry.
- Ability to organize, prioritize, and work effectively in a constantly changing environment.
- Demonstrable project leadership abilities.
Preferred
Field-based medical experience working with regional and/or national payers, integrated delivery systems, or scientific leaders.
Formal training in health economics and/or outcomes research.
#eligibleforERP
Required Skills
Clinical Oncology, Healthcare Access, Health Economics, Medical Affairs, Medical Knowledge, Oncology, Payer Reimbursement, Pharmaceutical Industry, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Stakeholder Management
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.
Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts
The primary location for this posting is:
USA - Remote - Remote
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$210,400.00 - $331,100.00
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 jobs.merck.com.
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
50%
Flexible Work Arrangements
Remote
Shift: Not Indicated
Valid Driving License
Yes
Hazardous Material(s)
n/a
Job Posting End Date
11/19/2026
*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.
Key Responsibilities
Build professional relationships with decision makers in payer and organized health system organizations, provide balanced oncology medical and scientific information, and develop strategic account plans with account teams. Monitor market dynamics and information needs, coordinate medical support with regional colleagues, contribute to strategic planning, mentor team members, and support scientific meetings and follow-up deliverables.
Requirements
Requires an MD, PhD, or PharmD, plus either at least three years of relevant field-based Medical Affairs experience, five years of clinical oncology experience in a health system, or equivalent experience. Candidates need experience with payer or health system organizations, strong knowledge of oncology, healthcare delivery, pharmacoeconomics, and relevant ethical guidelines, as well as communication, collaboration, organization, and project leadership skills.
Qualifications
- Education
- Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
- Experience
- 5+ years of experience
Key Skills
Medical Affairs — Physician Career Context
Medical Affairs pay on WeekdayDoc is up 8.0% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Work-life score | 6.8 / 10 · top 25% in medical affairs | ranked against 279 Medical Affairs listingslisting-based score, 0–10 |
| Listed pay | $210k–$331k | Medical Affairs median $85k (middle half $66k–$100k)12 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | sign-on bonus | US Physician listings: 19% state a sign-on bonus (median $75k) · 13% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| Medical Affairs hiring demand | #6 of 28 specialties | postings stay open a median 69 days · 44% state a sign-on bonusWeekdayDoc Hiring Index, October 2026 · 162 postings, 36 closed |
| New Medical Affairs listings | 113 in the last 30 days | 90 the 30 days before (+26%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Medical Affairs pay trend | +8.0% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Payer & Health Systems Oncology, Medical Affairs Director (PHSO MAD) (PA, MD, Upstate NY) at MSD a 6.8 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Medical Affairs — ranked against 279 active Medical Affairs listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, remote work flexibility.
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