At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead market access strategies for cardiovascular disease, ensuring patient pathways are ready for product launches.
- Company: Join a leading UK pharmaceuticals company focused on improving cardiovascular care.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Work collaboratively with NHS leaders and cross-functional teams for impactful healthcare solutions.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in patient access to life-saving cardiovascular treatments.
- Qualifications: Experience in market access and strong understanding of NHS structures required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
There are 6 roles across the UK defined territories – please indicate preferred location with your application: North East & Yorkshire, North West, Midlands, East of England, South West, South East.
Business Unit: UK Pharmaceuticals – Cardiovascular Disease
Reporting to: National Healthcare Director – CVD & Portfolio
Location: United Kingdom (field‑based, regional remit)
Role Purpose: The Market Access Lead – CVD is a senior, field‑based role accountable for promotional and non‑promotional, system‑level pathway leadership to support the successful product launch and appropriate patient access across cardiovascular disease pathways. The role focuses on primary and secondary care pathway readiness, enabling market and patient access, identification, diagnosis, referral and initiation through effective engagement with NHS systems. Acting as a trusted partner to NHS leaders, the role translates national strategy into regional and local execution, ensuring pathways, guidelines and operational enablers are in place ahead of and following launch.
Key Responsibilities
- System Strategy & Planning (CVD): Develop regional system and pathway plans aligned to the national CVD strategy and launch priorities. Segment and prioritise Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), Trusts and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) based on unmet need, pathway maturity and readiness. Identify structural barriers to optimal lipid and cardiovascular risk management (e.g. diagnostics, referral routes, service capacity, commissioning models). Translate national policy, guidelines and launch strategy into clear, executable regional plans.
- System Readiness: Initiate early strategic conversations with NHS stakeholders to ensure system readiness (formularies, guidelines, pathways, prescribing systems, homecare where applicable).
- Pathway Development: Lead pathway‑led initiatives to enable prevention, diagnosis, initiation and optimisation of CVD care across primary and secondary care. Map end‑to‑end lipid and ASCVD pathways, identifying gaps in patient flow, referrals and accountability. Support implementation of service redesign and collaborative working projects that deliver shared value for patients, the NHS and our organization.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Influence: Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior NHS stakeholders including ICB leaders, clinical leads, medicines optimisation teams and pathway owners. Facilitate insight‑led, outcome‑focused discussions that position our organization as a credible partner in cardiovascular pathway improvement. Ensure all engagements are compliant with ABPI Code and internal governance, maintaining a clear separation from promotional activity.
- Cross‑Functional Working: Work in close partnership with cross functional teams - Medical Affairs, Value, Access & Devolved Nations, Marketing and Corporate Affairs - to deliver a joined‑up approach to CVD. Align regional activity with national priorities set by the National Healthcare Director – CVD. Act as a conduit of high‑quality regional insight into Head Office to inform launch optimisation and ongoing strategy.
- Insight, Measurement & Continuous Improvement: Capture and synthesise system insights to inform national planning and refinement of pathway strategy. Track progress against system readiness milestones (e.g. guideline inclusion, pathway adoption, commissioning progress). Share best practice across regions to accelerate learning and consistency of execution.
Skills & Capabilities
- Strong understanding of the UK NHS structure, including ICBs, primary care, secondary care and commissioning processes.
- Proven experience in pathway development, market access enablement or service redesign and collaborative working, ideally within cardiovascular disease or long‑term conditions.
- Senior‑level influencing and relationship‑building skills with NHS decision‑makers.
- Ability to operate confidently within market access governance frameworks.
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability, with the ability to prioritise high‑impact system opportunities.
Leadership Behaviours
- Win as One Team: Collaborates effectively across functions and geographies to deliver aligned system impact.
- Focus on What Matters: Prioritises pathways and initiatives with the greatest patient and system benefit.
- Act with Urgency: Anticipates policy and system changes and mobilises early to support launch and access readiness.
- Experiment, Learn & Adapt: Uses insight and feedback to identify and refine pathway solutions and ways of working.
- Speak Up & Be Open‑Minded: Escalates risks early and contributes constructively to national discussions.
Experience Required
- Significant experience in UK healthcare‑facing, market access roles with system‑level engagement.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver pathway or service initiatives and collaborative working within the NHS.
- Strong understanding of cardiovascular disease pathways and lipid management desirable.
- Proven judgement, autonomy, collaboration and professionalism appropriate to a senior field based role.
This role is a critical enabler of launch success, ensuring NHS systems are prepared to deliver equitable and sustainable cardiovascular care.
Required Skills
- Account Management
- Adaptability
- Cardiovascular Pharmacology
- Clinical Trials
- Commercial Contract Management
- Customer Needs Analysis
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Financial Acumen
- Healthcare Industry
- Identifying Sales Opportunities
- Learning Effectiveness
- Management Meetings
- Market Access
- Medical Affairs
- Operational Delivery
- Patient Flow
- Patient Identification
- Pharmaceutical Sales
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacotherapeutics
- Primary Care Sales
- Strategy Development
- Sales Target Achievement
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Strategic Thinking
Market Access Lead – Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) employer: MSD in the UK
As a Market Access Lead for Cardiovascular Disease, you will join a dynamic and innovative team dedicated to improving patient access to vital healthcare solutions across the UK. Our company fosters a collaborative work culture that prioritises employee growth through continuous learning opportunities and cross-functional partnerships, ensuring you can make a meaningful impact in the NHS landscape. With a focus on strategic engagement and system readiness, we offer a unique chance to be at the forefront of cardiovascular care transformation while enjoying the flexibility of a field-based role.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Market Access Lead – Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
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We think you need these skills to ace Market Access Lead – Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:When applying for a role in the pharmaceutical industry, it's crucial to highlight any relevant experience you have. Whether that's internships, lab work, or even related coursework, make sure to weave this into your CV and cover letter. We want to see how your background aligns with the role you're applying for at MSD in the UK!
Emphasise Your Understanding of Regulations:The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated, so it's important to indicate your familiarity with industry standards and regulations. In your cover letter, mention any training or certifications you've received that are relevant, or discuss projects where you’ve navigated compliance. This will show MSD in the UK that you're not just a fit for the job but also a safety-conscious candidate!
Tailor Your CV to Be Result-Driven:Craft your CV to highlight quantifiable achievements, especially if you have previous roles in pharmaceuticals or related fields. Use metrics to demonstrate your impact, such as improved processing times or successful project completions while working on trials. This analytical approach will resonate well with hiring managers at MSD in the UK!
Convey Your Passion for the Industry:In your cover letter, express why you are passionate about working in the pharmaceutical sector. Whether it’s your desire to contribute to groundbreaking drug research or improve patient outcomes, let it shine through! At MSD in the UK, we value candidates who are truly enthusiastic about their work—you might just stand out from the crowd.
How to prepare for a job interview at MSD in the UK
✨Understand the Science
Make sure you brush up on key pharmaceutical concepts and recent developments in the industry. You might get asked some technical questions during the interview at MSD in the UK that show your grasp of drug development processes or regulatory requirements, so be ready to discuss them clearly.
✨Showcase Relevant Experience
If you have any hands-on experience or internships in a laboratory setting, be sure to highlight these in your responses. Think about the projects you worked on, the methodologies you used, and the impact you made. It's all about telling a story that connects your background to the role you're applying for.
✨Know Their Products
Take some time to familiarise yourself with MSD in the UK’s product range and recent breakthroughs. Understanding their portfolio not only shows your enthusiasm for the role but also allows you to ask insightful questions that demonstrate your interest in actively contributing to their projects.
✨Be Ready for Regulatory Scenarios
In a full-time pharmaceutical role, understanding the regulatory landscape is crucial. Prepare for situational questions that may test your problem-solving skills concerning compliance and safety standards. You could be asked how you'd handle a hypothetical issue regarding a drug’s market release, so think through your approach.
