Ophthalmology District Sales Manager – United States

Job Requirements

This posting is intended to proactively build a pipeline of talent for roles we anticipate may open in the future. It is not tied to an active vacancy at this time. By applying to this Pipeline Advertisement, candidates are expressing interest in being contacted for potential future opportunities that align with the role described.

Why Ophthalmology. Why Merck. Why now.

Merck is advancing research focused on retinal diseases and developing therapies aimed at protecting, restoring and improving vision for people living with eye diseases. For experienced professionals, this is an opportunity to apply your expertise in an area where scientific research, customer engagement and patient-focused work come together.

Explore Ophthalmology Opportunities

For those who want to combine scientific curiosity, customer engagement, strategic influence and meaningful impact, ophthalmology at Merck offers an opportunity to contribute to work connected to retinal disease research and customer partnership.

Position Summary

Reporting to the National Sales Leader, US Ophthalmology, the District Manager will lead a district team of field-based Ophthalmology Sales Representatives responsible for executing territory and account-level plans across key customers who manage retinal vascular diseases. The District Manager will translate national sales priorities into district-level execution plans, coach and develop a high-performing sales team, and partner closely with Marketing, Market Access, Account Management, Field Reimbursement, Sales Operations, Training, and other stakeholders to deliver launch readiness, disciplined execution, high quality customer engagement, and sustainable business performance while upholding high standards to compliant execution.

This role is critical to establishing how Merck shows up in the evolving Ophthalmology market. The District Manager will build team capability in disease-state knowledge, clinical and business acumen, account planning, customer engagement, and compliant execution across retina clinics, eye care practices, academic centers, integrated delivery networks, organized customer accounts, and other priority stakeholders. This leader will be accountable for driving local execution, generating customer insights, strengthening field team effectiveness, and building an inclusive, accountable, and patient-centric team culture.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead, recruit, onboard, train, develop, and retain a high-performing district sales team in a competitive sales environment, including customer team representatives.

• Drive insight gathering and stakeholder mapping activities within the district, including appropriate disease state education before product approval.

• Drive product launch readiness and commercial growth at the district level, partnering with cross-functional teams to optimize product positioning, omnichannel engagement, and field execution.

• Translate corporate, brand, and national sales strategies into district-level operational objectives, KPIs, and execution plans; track progress and refine plans to meet targets.

• Establish clear performance standards, conduct regular reviews, coach representatives, and provide succession planning and professional development.

• Provide district-level input to salesforce alignment, territory design, incentive pull-through, and deployment to maximize team effectiveness.

• Build an inclusive culture that values collaboration, accountability, patient-centricity, and ethical conduct.

• Serve as a core member of the district Ophthalmology sales leadership team to drive integrated strategies and execution.

• Ensure robust operational support for the district sales team to optimize execution, including systems, data visibility, ongoing upskilling, AI capabilities, and other tools that can optimize sales execution.

• Engage key stakeholders in the responsible district as the district sales leader.

• Partner closely with Field Reimbursement and Account Management teams to meet the needs of customers in line with compliance standards.

• Manage district operating expense budgets, ensure compliant activity, and drive disciplined, fact-based decision making across the team.

• Support field operational activities across sales, field access, and account management, including communication planning, meeting planning, training pull-through, and operational capabilities.

• Participate as a key member of the sales leadership team and work closely with marketing team to continuously refine commercial strategies, capabilities, and operational support

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, or related field required.

• Advanced degree preferred.

Required Experience and Skills

• Minimum 8 years combined experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, specialty sales, sales leadership, or related commercial roles.

• Demonstrated experience leading, coaching, and developing field-based sales professionals or cross-functional customer-facing teams.

• Strong track record of translating sales strategy into district or territory-level execution plans, performance objectives, and measurable business results.

• Demonstrated ability to coach teams on business planning, account management, customer engagement, clinical and marketplace knowledge, compliant execution, and performance improvement.

• Strong knowledge of specialty pharmaceutical or biologics markets, including customer segmentation, territory planning, healthcare provider engagement, and field execution.

• Ability to interpret data, market insights, and performance metrics to identify opportunities, guide resource allocation, and support fact-based decision making.

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence without authority and collaborate effectively across Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Field Reimbursement, Account Management, Training, Operations, Analytics, and Compliance.

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted professional relationships with clinical, administrative, and business stakeholders in complex healthcare environments.

• Strong understanding of compliant promotional practices and ability to lead field teams in accordance with company policies, industry standards, and applicable regulations.

• Valid driver’s license required.

• Ability to travel as required for field coaching, customer engagement, internal meetings, and business priorities.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Current or recent experience in Ophthalmology, Retina, specialty pharmaceuticals, biologics, buy-and-bill products, injectable therapies, or complex launch environments.

• Experience as a Customer Team Leader, District Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Ophthalmology manager, specialty sales leader, or equivalent people leadership role.

• Experience supporting product launches, launch readiness, new market development, competitive market execution, lifecycle management, or business turnarounds.

• Experience engaging retina specialists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, academic centers, organized customer accounts, practice administrators, office managers, and healthcare system stakeholders.

• Understanding of retina practice operations, office workflow, patient throughput, access and reimbursement processes, payer dynamics, specialty distribution, GPO/MSO influence, buy-and-bill economics, and patient support considerations.

• Experience partnering with Field Reimbursement, Account Management, Market Access, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Sales Training, Sales Operations, Analytics, and Compliance in a complex specialty market.

• Strong business acumen, financial acumen, resource management, and ability to connect customer needs with approved resources and organizational priorities.

• Proven ability to lead teams through change, ambiguity, and launch preparation while maintaining engagement, accountability, and execution discipline.

The salary range for this role is

$173,200 - $272,600

#Ophtha2026

Ophtha2026