Summary written by USA Jobs 24 from Merck's advert and our data on 17,030 current US jobs. How we check every job
At a glance
Merck is hiring a Regional Medical Scientific Director (US Medical Affairs) Immunology - Gastrointestinal (Southern Midwest) in Des Moines, IA; Omaha, NE +2. It is a full-time fully remote role in Healthcare & Life Sciences, asking for at least 3 years of experience, first listed on November 4. The advertised pay is $190,800–$300,300 a year. The description mentions Google Cloud and Excel. Merck has 99 other openings in the US. Across all employers on USA Jobs 24 there are 4 Healthcare & Pharma openings in Des Moines, IA today; the typical one asks for 5 years and advertises about $180,000 a year at the midpoint.
How the pay compares
Merck advertises $190,800 to $300,300 a year, a midpoint of $245,550 a year. Where an offer lands in a range usually depends on experience and on the exact location. That is higher than about 74% of the 345 healthcare & pharma jobs across the US that publish a yearly rate on USA Jobs 24, where the typical midpoint is $179,000 a year. To see roughly what this leaves after federal and Iowa tax, try our take-home pay calculator.
Skills in this advert
How often each skill named in this advert appears across the 650 healthcare & pharma jobs we list today. Excel is the most widely requested (16% of jobs), while Google Cloud is the least common (6%). Widely requested skills are what employers expect as a baseline; rarer ones show what is special about this job.
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Before you apply
- Check it is still open. We found this job on Merck's Workday site on November 4 and checked it again November 4, 5:17 AM ET. When an employer takes a job down, we remove it at our next daily update.
- Check where you can work from. This job is listed as remote. Many US employers can only hire remote staff in states where they run payroll, so look for a list of states in the advert below.
- Match the experience. The advert asks for at least 3 years of experience. If you are a little short, a close match on the skills in the advert can still win an interview.
- Tailor your resume. Use the advert's own words, such as Google Cloud and Excel, wherever they are true for you. Our resume guide shows how.
- Know your number. Decide the lowest offer you would accept before the first call. Our salary negotiation guide explains how to ask for more.
- Apply only through Merck's own site. Our Apply button goes straight to Merck's Workday page. If anyone contacts you about this job and asks for money, gift cards or bank details, stop and check it with our scam checker. Read how to spot a fake job offer.
About hiring at Merck
Merck has 100 openings on USA Jobs 24 today across 20 states. Most are in data & AI (25), healthcare & pharma (20) and operations (16). The biggest locations are Rahway, NJ (51), North Wales, PA (19) and West Point, PA (19). 13% of them are remote, 6% are open to entry-level candidates and 95% show pay. We collect Merck's jobs every day straight from its own careers system (Workday), never from job boards or agencies.
The employer's advert
This is Merck's own description of the job, copied word for word from its careers site. We have not edited it.
Show the full advert from MerckHide the advert1,445 words
Job Description
We are seeking a Growth and Improvement minded Regional Medical Scientific Director (aka Medical Science Liaison, MSL) in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Immunology that can help drive our Strategic Operating Priorities.
Summary, Focus and Purpose
The Regional Medical Scientific Director (Medical Science Liaison) is a credentialed (i.e., PhD, PharmD, DNP, MD) Director Level Medical Affairs position and gastrointestinal (GI) / inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapeutic and disease expert who engages in bidirectional exchange of scientific or medical information with Scientific Leaders (SLs). The role provides balanced, factual, scientific information about non-product areas of interest to the Company and replies to scientific questions from SLs, including questions about Company products. The work is aligned to Scientific Exchange, Research, Scientific Congress Support, and Scientific Insights.
You will liaise between the scientific community and the Company to enhance the comprehension of scientific foundations and goals for approved, in-development, and active Company-sponsored trials and/or investigator-sponsored research studies and serve as a role model for other field medical team members in ways that include on-boarding and/or sharing of therapeutic expertise. Consistent adherence to field and corporate policies and Global Medical Scientific Affairs (GMSA) strategy, including field standard operating procedures (SOPs), Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, and administrative/operational responsibilities.
Responsibilities and Primary Activities
Scientific Exchange
- Develops professional relationships and engages with national and regional GI/IBD SLs to ensure access to company-approved medical and scientific information on areas of therapeutic interest and Company products
- Conducts peer-to-peer scientific discussions and maintains a reliable presence with those SLs to ensure they have a medical contact within the company
- Addresses scientific questions and directs SL inquiries on issues outside of scope (e.g., grants) to appropriate company resources consistent with applicable policies
- Maintains current knowledge and comprehension of dynamic scientific and clinical environment in the Company's Areas of Interest (AOI) for your specific therapeutic area
Research
- Upon Request from Global Center for Scientific Affairs (GCSA)
- Initiates discussions with SLs and/or potential investigators that include scientific/data exchange within our AOI to determine the alignment with our research strategies, studies concepts, scientific merit, and qualifications for a specific compound or trial
- Enhances the comprehension of the scientific foundations and goals of investigator-sponsored research
- Identifies barriers to patient enrollment and retention efforts to achieve study milestones
- Upon Request from Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO)
- Recommends study sites and identifies potential investigators to participate in phase II-IV clinical development programs, conducts Site Initiation Visits (SIVs), and detects barriers to patient enrollment and retention efforts to achieve study milestones
- Protocol lead responsibilities in collaboration with GCTO
- Addresses questions from investigators and provides information regarding participation in Company-sponsored clinical studies
Scientific Congress Support
- Engages in scientific congresses and medical meetings, facilitates scientific and data exchange for both Company and competitor data
Scientific Insights
- Gathers feedback, data, or information during routine activities that can help the company better comprehend medical or scientific needs, priorities, or concerns of SLs and/or patients
Inclusive Mindset and Behavior
- Work Independently and as a Team member with Integrity | Precision | Accomplishment | Motivational Ambition | Respect | Inclusion
- Demonstrates eagerness to contribute to an environment of belonging, inclusion and empowerment
- Leads by example and serves as a role model for creating, leading, and retaining an inclusive workforce
- Motivation to contribute to an environment of belonging, engagement and empowerment
- Working to transform the environment, culture, and business landscape
- Leveraging inclusion to ensure business value, per global inclusion strategy
- Ensuring accountability to drive an inclusive culture
- Strengthening the foundational elements of inclusion
Required Location:
- This role covers the Southern-Midwest region.
- Candidates must reside within the territory.
- Ability for travel up to 50% within the territory
Required Education
- PhD, PharmD, DNP, DO, or MD
Required Experience | Skills | Knowledge
- Proven competence and 3 years of relevant Immunology (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) experience beyond that obtained in the terminal degree program
- Principled verbal and written communications
- Ability to conduct doctoral-level discussions with key external stakeholders
- Dedication to scientific excellence with a strong focus on scientific education and dialogue
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and networking skills
- Thorough comprehension of FDA, OIG, HIPAA, and other ethical guidelines, laws, and regulations relevant to the pharmaceutical industry and its customers
- Ability to organize, prioritize, and work effectively in a constantly changing environment
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, OneNote)
- Familiarity with virtual meeting platforms
Preferred Experience | Skills | Knowledge
- Additional experience in Immunology Rheumatology and/or Dermatology
- Field-based medical experience
- Research Experienced
- Demonstrated record of scientific/medical publication
#eligibleforERP
Required Skills:
Clinical Trials, Gastrointestinal Disease, Immunology, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Inflammatory Diseases, Medical Affairs, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Rheumatology, Scientific Communications, Stakeholder EngagementPreferred Skills:
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:
We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts
The primary location for this posting is:
USA - REMOTE - REMOTEWhere required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$190,800.00 - $300,300.00This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
Additional location(s) Compensation Information:
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
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:
RegularRelocation:
No relocationVISA Sponsorship:
NoTravel Requirements:
50%Flexible Work Arrangements:
RemoteShift:
Not IndicatedValid Driving License:
YesHazardous Material(s):
n/aJob Posting End Date:
11/21/2026*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.
USA Jobs 24 copied this listing from Merck's official careers site on November 4, 2026 and checked it again November 4, 5:17 AM ET. Merck will never ask you to pay to apply or to buy equipment with a check they send you. If anyone does, it is a scam.
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