Job detail for Key Account Manager, Companion Animal Business Unit – Animal Health

Job Description

Key Account Manager, Companion Animal Business Unit – Animal Health Canada

Reporting to the Associate Director – Sales Manager, Key Accounts and Remote Account Management, the Key Account Manager is responsible for managing assigned key accounts within the Companion Animal Business Unit. This role focuses on developing, negotiating, and growing long-term relationships and sales opportunities for our Animal Health products and services.

The Key Account Manager will work collaboratively with the commercial organization, including Sales, Marketing, and Veterinary Services, to build strong relationships with key decision makers and influencers. The role will establish regular contact with customers, deepen account understanding, and execute both short- and long-term account plans to strengthen our reputation as a trusted business partner while maximizing sales and market share.

Key :

• Implement the key account management model across Companion Animal Business Unit accounts by engaging, creating value, retaining, and growing accounts.
• Develop deep customer understanding and account insights to enhance relationships and create differentiated value propositions.
• Build strong relationships and drive agreements and partnerships across both emerging and established key accounts.
• Coordinate and support tasks related to key account sponsorships, conferences, promotional activities, and other account initiatives.
• Develop relationships across multiple levels within key account organizations to strengthen engagement, improve account access at clinic level, and enhance communication between customers and our company.
• Provide the sales team with targeted support in key accounts, including sales calls, implementation of value-added programs, and support for account agreement execution.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify business opportunities and investment strategies that demonstrate the value of the partnership with the customer.
• Execute individual key account plans in close collaboration with Regional Business Managers, Marketing, and Veterinary Services.
• Conduct business analysis and account reviews as required, providing relevant sales and performance information such as growth trends, occupancy, and clinic performance.
• Ensure all activities are performed in compliance with the company’s Code of Conduct, Values and Standards, policies, procedures, industry standards, and applicable laws and regulations.

Qualifications:

Required Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Sales, Business Management, or another related field.
• Solid experience in marketing and/or sales of Animal Health products, or equivalent experience in key account management, training, strategy development, or execution in a relevant industry.
• Experience in the Companion Animal business is an asset.
• Strong negotiation and commercial skills, with the ability to identify and close opportunities in complex, large-scale negotiations.
• Proven success in account management, with the ability to build and sustain strong customer relationships and influence at all levels.
• Ability to work collaboratively and influence cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Sales, Regulatory, and Legal.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret business metrics and use Microsoft Excel and Word effectively.
• Strategic and innovative approach to marketing and business development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with key account stakeholders.
• Fluency in French is required (for candidates based in Quebec only).

Candidate should reside in one of the following provinces: Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, or British Columbia.

Travel requirement:

• Approximately 25%.

This job posting is for an existing vacancy position.

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $81,280 – $121,920 CAD. At our company, we are firmly committed to provide fair and equitable pay for similar work and experience as a fundamental aspect of our workplace culture. Individual employee salaries will be based on several factors such as relevant experience, skills & proficiency, and/or other bona fide factors relative to appropriate internal comparators.

At our Company, we lead with people. This role includes eligibility to our discretionary short-term-incentive plan which fosters a pay-for-performance culture. Also, our contemporary rewards and benefit programs go beyond traditional medical plans and retirement programs, to create a flexible, inclusive workplace to support employee well-being, development and long-term success.

We may use artificial intelligence and automated tools to support our recruitment process. AI tools are used to support, but not replace, human judgment. All hiring decisions are made by our hiring managers.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

We encourage applications from all qualified candidates. In accordance with our accommodation policies and applicable provincial and federal accessibility legislation, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process.

Required Skills:

Account Management, Adaptability, Animal Health Sales, Customer-Focused, Customer Relationship Building, Data Analysis, Data Analysis Reporting, Key Account Management, Key Account Relationships, Lead Generation, Microsoft Tools, Pharmaceutical Sales, Product Knowledge, Sales Strategy Development, Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Secondary Language(s) Job Description:

Key Account Manager, Companion Animal Business Unit - Animal Health Canada

Reporting to the Associate Director – Sales Manager, Key Accounts and Remote Account Management, the Key Account Manager is responsible for managing assigned key accounts within the Companion Animal Business Unit. This role focuses on developing, negotiating, and growing long-term relationships and sales opportunities for our Animal Health products and services.

The Key Account Manager will work collaboratively with the commercial organization, including Sales, Marketing, and Veterinary Services, to build strong relationships with key decision makers and influencers. The role will establish regular contact with customers, deepen account understanding, and execute both short- and long-term account plans to strengthen our reputation as a trusted business partner while maximizing sales and market share.

Key :

• Implement the key account management model across Companion Animal Business Unit accounts by engaging, creating value, retaining, and growing accounts.
• Develop deep customer understanding and account insights to enhance relationships and create differentiated value propositions.
• Build strong relationships and drive agreements and partnerships across both emerging and established key accounts.
• Coordinate and support tasks related to key account sponsorships, conferences, promotional activities, and other account initiatives.
• Develop relationships across multiple levels within key account organizations to strengthen engagement, improve account access at clinic level, and enhance communication between customers and our company.
• Provide the sales team with targeted support in key accounts, including sales calls, implementation of value-added programs, and support for account agreement execution
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify business opportunities and investment strategies that demonstrate the value of the partnership with the customer.
• Execute individual key account plans in close collaboration with Regional Business Managers, Marketing, and Veterinary Services.
• Conduct business analysis and account reviews as required, providing relevant sales and performance information such as growth trends, occupancy, and clinic performance.
• Ensure all activities are performed in compliance with the company’s Code of Conduct, Values and Standards, policies, procedures, industry standards, and applicable laws and regulations.

Qualifications:

Required Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Sales, Business Management, or another related field.
• Solid experience in marketing and/or sales of Animal Health products, or equivalent experience in key account management, training, strategy development, or execution in a relevant industry.
• Experience in the Companion Animal business is an asset.
• Strong negotiation and commercial skills, with the ability to identify and close opportunities in complex, large-scale negotiations.
• Proven success in account management, with the ability to build and sustain strong customer relationships and influence at all levels.
• Ability to work collaboratively and influence cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Sales, Regulatory, and Legal.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret business metrics and use Microsoft Excel and Word effectively.
• Strategic and innovative approach to marketing and business development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with key account stakeholders.
• Fluency in French is required (for candidates based in Quebec only).

Candidate should reside in one of the following provinces Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia

Travel requirement:

• Approximately 25%.

This job posting is for an existing vacancy position.

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $81,280 – $121,920 CAD. At our company, we are firmly committed to provide fair and equitable pay for similar work and experience as a fundamental aspect of our workplace culture. Individual employee salaries will be based on several factors such as relevant experience, skills & proficiency, and/or other bona fide factors relative to appropriate internal comparators.

At our Company, we lead with people. This role includes eligibility to our discretionary short-term-incentive plan which fosters a pay-for-performance culture. Also, our contemporary rewards and benefit programs go beyond traditional medical plans and retirement programs, to create a flexible, inclusive workplace to support employee well-being, development and long-term success.

We may use artificial intelligence and automated tools to support our recruitment process. AI tools are used to support, but not replace, human judgment. All hiring decisions are made by our hiring managers.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

We encourage applications from all qualified candidates. In accordance with our accommodation policies and applicable provincial and federal accessibility legislation, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process.

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:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

10/7/2026

*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.