Strategic Account Activation Lead

Job Description

The Strategic Account Activation Lead serves as a professional sales leader in building and maintaining a profitable and proactive relationship with assigned strategic accounts; specifically, group purchasing organizations (GPO’s) and corporate accounts at our company's Animal Health Area business level, that support our company's Animal Health products and services in their offerings to veterinarians and customers.  The Strategic Account Activation Lead focuses on building strong relationships with strategic account stakeholders at the regional and field sales organization level to understand their business model, unique value offerings and partnership opportunities. The Strategic Account Activation Lead will serve as the conduit between c-suite strategic account activation, regional level leadership and field level execution, responsible for working with the area teams to translate strategy into sales results. Geography includes: CT, NYC, NJ, PA, MD, DE, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL

Reporting to the Area Business Leader, the Strategic Account Activation Lead is responsible for developing a deep understanding of account goals, needs, and pain points to drive growth and ensure stability within their strategic account base. The individual will work collaboratively with our company's Animal Health field sales leadership teams, Strategic Account Managers and territory sales representatives and play a critical role in supporting our customer centric business model.  This position is responsible for accounts critical within their assigned Area and accelerating occupancy and sales of key Animal Health products, supporting pull-through activities relative to the aligned strategy, and ensuring that our company's Animal Health is viewed as bringing value and technical innovations aligned to our strategic focus - The Science of Healthier Animals. This position works collaboratively with the sales and marketing organizations, to drive outcomes and actions, and to ensure accountability for shared organizational commitments. The Strategic Account Lead will focus on the primary accounts representing the largest opportunity of volume and sales as determined in conjunction with Area leadership teams.

The Strategic Account Activation Lead discovers field level opportunities by leveraging analytics to drive accountability and uncover opportunities to maximize growth.  Additionally, this position is responsible for understanding and utilizing market insights to drive opportunities and position Animal Health as an industry leader.  The Strategic Account Activation Lead contributes to a best-in-class Sales and Commercial Operations team by actively contributing to a culture that promotes innovation, continuous improvement, a customer-focused mindset, and values feedback and inclusion.

The Strategic Account Activation Lead advocates for our company's Animal Health with an ability to unite shared values and growth. The individual partners with cross-functional peers to rally internal resources that meet customer needs, provide value, and retain our company's industry position. The Strategic Accounts Activation Lead also influences senior leadership to think and respond innovatively to industry and account trends and opportunities identified through direct experience and market data. The selected candidate must live within the assigned geography listed above and near a major US airport to fulfill 50-60% travel requirements as needed for the role.

Strategic responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: (10%)

• Execute sales strategies within assigned accounts and communicates delivered strategies to our company's Animal Health Sales leaders

• Identify marketing opportunities across teams for partnership and shepherd the opportunities to completion

• Responsible for developing and clearly articulating the value of our full partnership with strategic account decision makers to elevate mutually beneficial outcomes

• Candidate possesses professional and advanced presentation skills, focused on providing solutions for the customer

• The Strategic Account Activation Lead will utilize “other centered selling” in their approach to the customer, with an advanced skillset in developing business planning capabilities with the outcome of maximizing sales performance within the assigned geography

Operational Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: (70%)

• Align with Area teams to build synergies at the area level between our company's Animal Health and strategic account field level management (Regional Director and Medical Directors)

• Acts as a “connector” in aligning the strategic account hierarchy with our company's Animal Health resources (marketing, professionals services, etc.)

• Works cross functionally with responsible corporate account manager to execute tactical plans within most influential regional strategic accounts

• Deliver on Key Performance Measures of primary assigned strategic accounts through collaborative efforts with internal departments and across business units

• Regularly communicate and document all key account activities, including but not limited to sales trends, performance metrics, risks, and opportunities, to appropriate individuals and teams

• Communicates about product in a way that's meaningful and relevant to the regional decision makers to drive our company's Animal Health product recommendations at clinic level; customizes discussions and interactions based on aligned goals

• Input and utilize call notes in MAXX (Salesforce)

• Attend Strategic Account Area & National Meetings, our company's Animal Health Area/Regional leadership meetings.

• Conduct quarterly business reviews ensuring that accounts understand the value of our company's Animal Health relationship and their performance relative to quarterly, semiannual, and annual growth expectations

• Troubleshoot and take the lead on resolving any account issues, shepherd, and champion resolution

• Deliver consistent messaging in communications to support our company's Animal Health’s strategic priorities

• Uses analytics and insights to enhance decision-making and tactical execution

Leadership Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: (20%)

• Take leadership role to identify and adhere to key account management timelines for critical leadership discussions, quarterly reviews, and presentations

• Take the lead on issues to understand how all scenarios and groups work together across organizations; Be an advocate for the combined goals of our company's Animal Health and strategic accounts on aligned priorities and goals.

• Partner, communicate, and facilitate collaborative interactions with peer organizations to ensure objectives, tactics, and long-term strategies are aligned and executed appropriately to achieve business goals

• Ensure plans/actions/decisions do not negatively impact other species / business units

• Share best practices and organizational learnings with the Marketing organization and company-wide, where appropriate

• Applicable candidate must be able to lead without authority, driving key strategic imperatives in conjunction with the Area RM teams and their TM’s.

Organizational Network and Collaboration

Internal Key Contacts:

• Area Business Leaders, Corporate Account Team, RM’s TM’s, Finance, Marketing, CABU Leadership, Sales Leader

External Key Contacts:

• External C-suite and strategic account s sales leadership, external company networks, industry associations

Background & Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business related field, Animal Science or related discipline

• MBA preferred

• Minimum of five (5) years account management or equivalent experience

• Demonstrated ability to work within US animal health industry landscape 

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Must be results oriented and able to work independently with little direct supervision

• Forward thinking; problem solver

• Superior organizational, analytical, and time management skills

• Ability to work collaboratively across all species, coordinating activities, leveraging resources, and knowledge of accounts to identify opportunities/solutions to resolve customer issues and drive results.

• Demonstrated understanding of positions’ contribution to the business goals and willingness to adopt changes to current processes, identifying emerging needs, and participating in defining innovative solutions to meet customer needs

• Exhibits expert skills in identifying unmet and evolving needs of customers and is sought out to provide customer-centric solutions that drive long-term sustainable results

• Demonstrates expertise in building partnerships and sustainable relationships with customers leveraging business insights to drive solutions and strategies throughout the customers’ organizations

• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement an accurate business plan

• Excellent oral, written, and presentation communication skills

• Strong understanding of financial and business metrics

• Strong selling and negotiation skills

• History of sound decision making and innovative thinking

Required Skills:

Accountability, Account Management, Animal Health Sales, Collaborative Networking, Commercial Account Management, Customer Care, Customer Experience Management, Customer Management, Dynamic Presentation, Industry Knowledge, Negotiation, Relationship Building, Sales

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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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The salary range for this role is

$153,800.00 - $242,200.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this 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.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

11/25/2025

*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.