Job Description:

Government Relations & Policy Associate Director:

Job purpose
The Government Relations & Policy Associate Director leads the development and execution of strategies to engage key government stakeholders and shape healthcare policies that support sustainable access to the company’s medicines and vaccines in Vietnam.

This role focuses on building trusted partnerships with policymakers, monitoring policy developments, and advocating for a transparent and enabling regulatory environment aligned with national healthcare priorities.

Key responsibilities

1. Government & policy engagement

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key government stakeholders including the Office of the Government, Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, Ministry of Health (MOH), relevant Ministries, regulatory authorities, and policy institutions

• Lead engagement with relevant departments of the MOH and other agencies involved in healthcare policy and access

• Represent the company in policy dialogues, government consultations, and industry forums

2. Policy monitoring & analysis

• Monitor and analyze healthcare policy developments, including regulations related to: pharmaceutical and vaccine policy, drug pricing and reimbursement, regulatory frameworks and access programs

• Provide strategic insights and policy risk assessments to senior leadership

3. Policy advocacy & strategy development

• Develop and implement policy advocacy strategies to support patient access and business sustainability

• Lead policy initiatives related to: vaccine policy, pricing and reimbursement frameworks, patient access programs and healthcare partnerships

• Prepare policy position papers, briefing materials, and strategic recommendations

4. Cross-functional leadership

• Collaborate closely with global and regional teams including: Market Access, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Legal & Compliance, Commercial teams

• Ensure alignment between policy engagement strategies and business priorities

1. Industry collaboration

• Engage with industry associations and healthcare stakeholders to support collective advocacy initiatives

• Participate in policy consultations and public-private dialogue platforms related to healthcare development

6. Compliance & governance

• Ensure all government interactions comply with company policies, industry codes, and applicable laws

• Promote ethical, transparent, and responsible engagement with public officials

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Pharmacy, Public Health, Law, Political Science, or related field

• A Master’s or doctoral degree in Public Policy or Business Administration is highly desirable

• 10+ years of experience in government affairs, public policy, market access, or regulatory strategy within the pharmaceutical or healthcare sector

• Strong understanding of: Vietnamese healthcare system, policy development process, regulatory environment for pharmaceuticals and vaccines

Key Competencies

• Government stakeholder management

• Strategic policy analysis

• Healthcare policy advocacy

• Strategic planning: Shaping strategy; establishing and committing to a long-term business direction based on an analysis of systemic information and consideration of resources, market drivers, organizational values, and emerging economic, technological and regulatory conditions

• Execution excellence: Inspiring excellence and driving execution, translating strategic priorities into operational reality per compliance standards; establishing high standards, communication, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes and ongoing measurements systems to ensure that strategic priorities yield measurable and sustainable results

• Negotiation and influencing skills

• Excellence written and verbal communication skills in Vietnamese and English

Reporting line

Reports to External Affairs Director:

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Biopharmaceutics, Business Administration, Creativity, Data Analysis, Data Management, Developing Pricing Strategies, Digital Marketing Analytics, Government Relations, Healthcare Policies, Health Economics Research, Interpersonal Relationships, Management Process, Market Access, Market Research, Medical Affairs, Operations Management, Outcomes Research, Patient Advocacy, Pharmaceutical Market, Pharmacology, Pharmacy Regulation, Policy Monitoring, Political Sciences {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE:

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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

05/31/2026

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.