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Executive Director, Public Policy & Government Relations Animal Health Europe

msd
Companymsd
CategoryLegal & Compliance
LocationBrussels
RemoteOn-site (inferred)
EmploymentNot stated
LevelExecutive
SalaryNot stated by the employer
Posted24 Jul 2026
Last verified11 Aug 2026
SourceEmployer ATS (workday)
Applications are handled by the employer, not by us.Apply on the employer's site →
Description
Stellenbeschreibung We are searching for an Executive Director, Public Policy and Government Relations to join our team in Brussels with responsibility for for developing and executing public policy and government relations activities in line with the Europe animal health business.  This position will report directly to the Associate Vice President of Global Animal Health Public Policy and Government Relations with a dotted line of reporting into the Senior Vice President for EURAM (Europe, Russia, Africa, Middle East) and will sit on the Leadership Teams of both Animal Health Global Public Policy & Government Relations and the EURAM Commercial regional leadership team (RLT). The scope of the business portfolio includes all species of livestock, poultry, aquaculture, equine and companion animal  across every product portfolio—vaccines, antibiotics, anti-parasiticides, and reproduction.  In addition to biopharma, this position will be responsible for overseeing the strategic development of the Technology intelligence product and solutions portfolio, which will include stakeholders outside of the animal health biopharma industry. This role will oversee the strategic engagement and execution of legislative and regulatory policies at the European Union institutional level .  The issue areas will include but are not limited to animal health and welfare, food safety, trade, sustainability, traceability and monitoring and data policy. Primary Activities • Partners with the EURAM leadership team and key stakeholders towards building successful business strategies. • Lead a multi-faceted team that works at the EU Institutional level, within the Brussels-based Embassy community, as well as multi-lateral organizations such as the regional representatives at the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). • Engage across the complex animal health eco-system with diverse customer and specie (cattle, swine, aqua, poultry, small animal, equine) strategies across bio-pharma and technology business approaches. • Lead with a strategic and enterprise-wide mindset by collaborating with other business functions and regions of the business to develop and execute regional strategic priorities in line with enterprise wide business priorities. • Position the business and advocate on issues related to digital, data and technology including stakeholder analysis, engagement, and management. • Represent the company in trade associations such as AnimalhealthEurope (AHE), manage the relationships with key customer trade associations within the  food/agriculture industry, companion animal, policy/trade associations and business groups. • Reputation management as One Company including both human and animal health. • Partner with other animal health policy regional and country leads and multi-lateral colleagues to develop global strategies for execution in Europe region to achieve a business objective or reputational need. • Prepare regional budget, manage external consultants, and exhibit a high level of financial acumen. • Management of a team of policy professionals as well as consultants. • Provide regional input into enterprise-wide strategic activities and priority setting. • Serve on internal company working groups or projects representing the animal health business or public policy function with an enterprise wide mindset. To be successful in this role, you will have the following skills: • Demonstrate a high level of strategic thinking as well as project management simultaneously across multiple levels of government and stakeholder priorities to align with business objectives. • Understands the animal health business needs and partners across the business to ensure successful business outcomes. • Ability to manage a high performing team, provide feedback and create development opportunities that align to the businessfor the team members. • Lead initiatives for diversity and inclusion t to contribute to the company’s s global ESG targets. • Exhibit leadership style with a high level of collaboration at all levels and across both internal and external stakeholders. • Demonstrated commitment to science and rules-based policy decision making with an enterprise mindset. • Contribute strategic thinking and policy acumen to develop enterprise-wide strategy. • Ability to understand the dynamics of the external environment and translate these into to effective communication on business impact and opportunities. • Engage and communicate at the highest levels across multiple stakeholder groups, including senior leadership. • Operate at the highest levels of ethics and compliance. Qualifications • 10 or more years’experience in Brussels-based public policy and government relations in a trade association, government or business. • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience. • People management experience • Excellent communication skills in English and French Preferred • Advanced degree in animal science, veterinary medicine, technology field or related fields of study. • Experience working in a large organization within a matrix work environment. • Knowledge of key public policy issues in food, ag, innovation, digital and companion animal policies • Speaking any other additional European language would be a plus Location Brussels, Belgium Travel Up to 50% Required Skills: Advocacy-Kommunikation, Advocacy-Kommunikation, Gesundheitspolitik, Handelsverbände, Internationale Handelspolitik, Internationale Regierungsbeziehungen, Kommunikationsarten, Kommunikationskoordination, Multilaterale Organisationen, Öffentliches Reden, Pharmazeutische Biologie, Politische Foren, Politische Interessenvertretung, Rechtsbeziehungen, Regierungsbeziehungen, Regulatorische Richtlinien, Regulatorisches Bewusstsein, Staatliche Politik, Stakeholder-Analyse, Stakeholder-Engagement, Stakeholder-Management, Strategieentwicklung, Strategisches Denken, Tierphysiologie, Veterinärmedizin {+ 2 more} Preferred Skills: Current Employees apply HERE Current Contingent Workers apply HERE Personalberatungsvertreter, bitte sorgfältig lesen Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, auch als Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, bekannt, akzeptiert keine unaufgeforderte Unterstützung von Personalvermittlungsfirmen. Alle Lebensläufe, die von Personalberatungen an einen Mitarbeiter unseres Unternehmens gesendet werden, ohne dass eine gültige schriftliche Vermittlungsvereinbarung für diese Position besteht, gelten als alleiniges Eigentum des Unternehmens.  Im Falle der Einstellung eines Bewerbers durch unser Unternehmen in Folge einer Agenturempfehlung wird keine Gebühr entrichtet, sofern keine entsprechende vorherige Vereinbarung besteht. Wenn Vereinbarungen mit der Agentur vorhanden sind, sind die Einführungen positionsspezifisch. Bitte keine Anrufe oder E-Mails. Mitarbeiter-Status: Fest angestellt Umzug: Visa-Sponsoring: Reiseanforderungen: Flexible Arbeitszeitvereinbarungen: Hybrid Schicht: Gültige Fahrerlaubnis: Gefahrstoff(e): Job Posting End Date: 08/10/2026 *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.