Key Account Manager, Vaccines at Merck

Job Description:

The Position

The Vaccines Key Account Manager (KAM) is a commercial sales role with clear accountability for revenue growth, account penetration, and portfolio adoption within assigned key accounts in Finland. The role owns the commercial outcome in each account and is responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and converting opportunities into measurable sales results, with a primary focus on pneumococcal vaccines.

The KAM leads commercial engagement across both public and private segments outside the National Immunization Programs (NIPs), translating market and system knowledge into concrete actions that remove barriers to purchase, accelerate uptake, and grow account value. While cross‑functional support is mobilized as needed, the KAM retains full commercial ownership of account strategy, execution, and results.

The role is field‑based, with up to 80% customer‑facing time, and requires disciplined prioritization to ensure field activity directly advances account growth and return on investment.

In this role you are expected to conduct business in full adherence to applicable laws and regulations, industry codes, and company policies and procedures. This includes acting with integrity, maintaining accurate and complete records, protecting confidential information and personal data, and promptly seeking guidance when requirements are unclear. Employees are expected to speak up and report potential misconduct, compliance concerns, or suspected violations through appropriate channels without fear of retaliation, and to fully cooperate with any related reviews or investigations.

In this role you will leverage modern digital tools and AI‑enabled technologies in day‑to‑day work to analyze information, generate insights, and support evidence‑based decision‑making where applicable. You are expected to continuously learn, experiment, and adapt to new technologies, applying practical improvements and sharing lessons to support business performance and responsible innovation.

What will you do?

1. Commercial sales ownership and growth

• Own full commercial responsibility for assigned key accounts, including sales performance, revenue growth, and portfolio penetration.
• Identify, prioritise, and convert commercial opportunities across public and private healthcare customers.
• Act as the primary commercial interface for all vaccines‑related business discussions within the account.
• Drive adoption and utilisation of the vaccines portfolio by advancing opportunities from identification through negotiation, closing, and implementation.

2. Market, system and customer understanding (sales‑serving)

• Develop a deep understanding of the Finnish healthcare ecosystem, including decision‑making pathways, procurement, tendering, contracting, and funding mechanisms, to proactively remove barriers to purchase.
• Analyse market dynamics, competitive landscape, and account‑specific drivers to identify where and how commercial value can be realised.
• Map key stakeholders and decision‑makers, understand their influence on purchasing decisions, and tailor engagement to progress commercial outcomes.
• Apply system and policy knowledge to navigate accounts effectively and unlock sales opportunities, without shaping policy.

3. Account planning with prioritisation and ROI focus

• Develop and own robust account plans with clear commercial objectives, prioritised opportunities, and defined success metrics.
• Allocate time and resources to accounts, segments, and initiatives with the highest commercial potential and return on investment.
• Define clear account KPIs linked to growth, penetration, and opportunity progression, and track performance rigorously.
• Continuously reassess priorities based on performance, learnings, and evolving market conditions.

4. Leading commercial discussions, negotiation and closing

• Lead commercial negotiations with occupational health providers, municipal health services, private vaccination clinics, hospital customers, and GPs, in line with company strategy and policies.
• Develop and articulate strong value‑based propositions that differentiate the vaccines portfolio and support successful deal closure.
• Own relevant contracting discussions and commercial terms in collaboration with internal stakeholders, maintaining accountability for outcomes.
• Progress opportunities decisively from dialogue to agreement, ensuring momentum and clarity at each stage.

5. Sales‑led cross‑functional execution

• Pull and orchestrate cross‑functional support (medical, market access, marketing, supply) in service of the sales objective, while retaining overall commercial ownership.
• Ensure cross‑functional activities are clearly linked to advancing deals, strengthening account position, or accelerating growth.
• Coordinate internal resources efficiently to support priority opportunities without diluting commercial accountability.

6. Field execution linked to outcomes

• Plan and execute customer interactions with a clear purpose to advance opportunities, progress negotiations, or grow account value.
• Ensure field activity translates into measurable commercial impact rather than relationship maintenance alone.
• Monitor agreed metrics and adjust tactics and engagement models to maximise sales effectiveness.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience Required

• Degree in Business (Sales/Marketing) or a relevant discipline (e.g. life sciences, public health, medicine).
• MBA preferred but not required.
• Minimum five years’ experience in a commercial, customer‑facing sales or account management role.
• Experience from the healthcare, pharmaceutical, or vaccines industry strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to drive sales growth and lead negotiations.
• Strong commercial acumen with demonstrated prioritisation and return‑on‑investment thinking.
• Solid understanding of Finnish healthcare structures and procurement processes, applied to commercial execution.
• Ability to lead cross‑functional collaboration while retaining clear ownership and accountability.
• Fluent in English and Finnish.

***Ready to take up the challenge? Apply now!**Know anybody who might be interested?*Refer this job!Required Skills:

Account Management, Adaptability, Contract Management, Customer-Focused, Customer Needs Assessments, Data Analysis, Health Care Systems, Job Descriptions, Market Analysis, Pharmaceutical Sales, Product Knowledge, Project Management, Sales Proficiency, Sales Target Achievement, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills:

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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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

50%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

05/18/2026

**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.