Job Description

As the Manager (m/f/d) Federal States Policy & Governmental Affairs, you will drive our government affairs engagement at federal states (Länder) level across Germany.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Federal States Policy & Governmental Affairs, you will be responsible for executing federal states strategies within your assigned regions, building and maintaining relationships with key political stakeholders, and delivering high-quality political intelligence, stakeholder engagement activities, and measurable policy outcomes.

As the day-to-day relationship owner for a defined set of federal states, you will play a key role in ensuring that regional priorities and narratives align with national policy positions. Working closely with colleagues across Market Access, Communications, Business Units, Medical Affairs, Patient Engagement, and New Products, you will help translate strategic priorities into coherent, compliant, and locally relevant stakeholder engagement.

This position can be based in Munich, Berlin, or in a federal state capital within Germany.

Your Responsibilities

• Own Federal States segmentation and prioritisation based on political relevance, policy impact, company footprint, and strategic objectives

• Serve as primary relationship owner for 1–2 priority federal states, engaging directly with State Ministers, State Secretaries, senior staff, and relevant parliamentary stakeholders. Maintain light-touch oversight across all federal states to ensure consistent messaging, early risk identification, and opportunity sensing

• Ensure tight alignment with the National Policy team: translate national positions into regional narratives, surface Federal States insights for federal advocacy, and prevent fragmentation of messages and positions. Oversee narrative assets and toolkits (message grids, framing documents, federal states specific value propositions, executive briefing packs)

• Apply strong political judgement and antenna; engage credibly up to minister level in bilaterals, roundtables, and strategic dialogues. Design and deliver high-impact engagement formats (political roundtables, ministerial site visits, cross-sector coalition meetings)

• Monitor developments, drive prioritisation, ensure decision transparency, and provide regular updates to Policy and senior leadership

• Drive cross-functional orchestration across Market Access, Communications, Business Units, Medical, Patient Engagement, and New Products

Your Profile

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Significant experience in Government Affairs and/or political institutions, ministries, or parliamentary processes

• Strategic acumen linking federal states and national policy dynamics to business priorities and translating them into coherent, compliant strategies

• High political sensitivity and integrity, combined with sound judgement, discretion, and the ability to remain effective under pressure

• Ability to translate complexity into actionable guidance

• Excellent communication skills, including structured writing and executive-level briefing capabilities

• Fluent in German and English, both written and spoken

• Willingness to travel regularly within Germany for stakeholder engagement, roundtables, and site visits

Preferred Skills

• Proven exposure to federal states politics in Germany

• Strong matrix leadership and stakeholder orchestration skills

People with severe disabilities and their equivalents will be given preference if they are equally qualified.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Analytical Problem Solving, Communication Coordination, Cost Forecasting, EHS Program Management, Environmental Policy, Environmental Research, Laboratory Compliance, Media Communications, Policy Implementation, Project Management, Public Relations (PR) Management, Public Speaking, Regulatory Compliance, Teamwork

Preferred Skills:

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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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

09/22/2026

*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.