Head of Core Franchise

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Merck Group seeks a Global Head of Core Franchise for BioReliance Contract Testing Services, owning the full P&L and end-to-end lifecycle of the Core Franchise across segments, with responsibility for leading Strategic Product Managers and Product Managers. You will drive growth and innovation through portfolio management, Annual Marketing Plan ownership, GTM execution, and cross‑functional collaboration with R&D, Operations, and Regulatory to deliver sustainable performance. Ideal candidates bring 10+ years in life sciences product or portfolio leadership (PhD/MBa with 7+ years) and 3+ years of people management; US work eligibility is required, sponsorship not offered. Location: Rockville, MD preferred, with Glasgow or Darmstadt as options. Pay range $160,400–$290,200. Tips for applying: quantify P&L impact, demonstrate multi‑segment portfolio growth, and tailor your resume and a concise cover letter to the Core Franchise.

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This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US. 

Your Role:

As the Global Head of Core Franchise, you will serve as the end-to-end P&L business owner for the Core Franchise portfolio, spanning multiple business segments within BioReliance Contract Testing Services. In this senior leadership role, you will drive business growth and innovation by owning franchise portfolio management and leading a team of Strategic Product Managers (SPMs) and Product Managers (PMs). The ideal candidate will combine strong commercial acumen with strategic vision, scientific depth, and the leadership capability to inspire cross-functional teams, shape the long-term direction of the franchise, and deliver sustainable portfolio performance across the full product lifecycle.

Main Responsibilities:

E2E Portfolio Ownership & Performance:

• Own the full P&L for the Core Franchise, including current and future business performance across all segments.
• Accountable for the entire lifecycle of the franchise portfolio, from development and market launch through maturity and evolution.
• Own and drive the Annual Marketing Plan (AMP) process for your franchise, ensuring alignment with broader business strategy.
• Ensure the franchise portfolio continuously meets market demands and aligns with strategic objectives, including E2E responsibility for the portfolio's performance and evolution.
• Engage in customer-facing activities, new product updates, and long-term capacity discussions, among others.

Leadership & Team Management:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Strategic Product Managers and Product Managers, fostering professional growth and high performance.
• Drive broader business case development and assign support responsibilities within the team based on the specific nature and scope of each case.
• Identify and address risks affecting product innovation and market success for your portfolios.
• Lead the team on areas of innovation collaboration from a marketing standpoint.

Strategy & Business Planning:

• Report on a regular basis to the CTS Leadership Team on franchise performance, including TDP/PDP progress in alignment with R&D and Operations.
• Participate in and oversee key annual processes including Strategy Development (SD) and Operational Planning (OP).
• Drive/Oversee the business case development, including CPRB and IVC presentations as per scope.
• Cascade and translate market intelligence and broader strategic guidance into actionable recommendations for the franchise and R&D.

Innovation:

• Own the ideation process management and innovation roadmap for the franchise along innovation deliverables, including portfolio mapping, prioritization, portfolio readiness, and portfolio review by franchise.
• Serve as Franchise PDP & TDP business owner.
• Assign PMs and SPMs to collaborate on transformative cross-value stream innovation or improvement initiatives.

Commercial Enablement & Go-to-Market:

• Drive go-to-market (GTM) alignment in close partnership with Business Development, Field Marketing, and Marcom teams.
• Collaborate with Regional Commercial Heads on sales objectives, new product targets, tactical plans, pricing, discounts, and marketing materials.
• Support conference, symposia, and key industry event strategies.
• Align with Operations leadership teams on capacity planning, innovation, and client communications.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with the Head of R&D on innovation pathway, investment priorities, expense and capacity alignment, and delivery of CTO objectives.
• Collaborate with Heads of Global Franchise (other franchises) on marketing plans, HC resources, Marcom budget, CTS priorities, and multi-VS projects.
• Engage with Scientific & Regulatory teams to stay informed on the regulatory environment and provide liaison for industry guidance and collaborative meetings (e.g., FDA, AVDTIG, ICH, USP).
• Work with Transformation Office/Processes & Technology Enablement on capacity, new product activities, new technologies for data capture/analysis, and non-assay regulatory requirements and implications.
• Collaborate with Controlling on budget, HC, expenses, business cases, and PDP financial analysis.

Location: Rockville, MD, USA (preferred); Glasgow, UK or Darmstadt, Germany 

Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, or a related field
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in product management, portfolio management, or a commercial/marketing leadership role within the life sciences or biotechnology industry, including at least 3 years in a people management capacity.

-OR-

• PhD/Master's degree in Business, Life Sciences, or a related field
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in product management, portfolio management, or a commercial/marketing leadership role within the life sciences or biotechnology industry, including at least 3 years in a people management capacity.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven track record of owning and growing a complex, multi-segment product or service portfolio with full P&L accountability.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire cross-functional and geographically distributed teams.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate market intelligence into actionable franchise strategies and innovation roadmaps.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership and engaging external partners.
• Familiarity with biosafety testing, contract testing services (CTS), or a closely related life sciences services environment is strongly preferred.

Pay Range for this position: $160,400 - $290,200

The offer range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base pay compensation for this position. The actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level of experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors. Position may be eligible for sales or performance-based bonuses. Benefits offered by the Company include health insurance, paid time off (PTO), retirement contributions, and other perquisites. For more information click here.

Direct link to benefits site if the hyperlink no longer works: https://careers.emdgroup.com/us/en/benefits].

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