Associate Director, Community Engagement Lead

MSD • Upper Gwynedd Township, PA

8d • $129,000 - $203,100 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a leader in our biopharmaceutical manufacturing network, the Community Engagement Lead drives the design and execution of an integrated, long-range workforce development and community engagement strategy for the West Point site and greater Southeast Pennsylvania (SEPA) region. Focused on the future of biomanufacturing, this role builds sustainable talent pipelines, strengthens regional partnerships, and champions skills-based hiring.
You will connect K-12, technical education, community colleges, and non-traditional talent pathways to our business-critical manufacturing and operations needs in the North and mid-Atlantic region. Through cross-functional leadership, you will translate site production priorities into scalable programs that enhance talent attraction, readiness, and retention while advancing diversity and inclusion as foundational business imperatives.

Requirements

• Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) - Ability to analyze long-range site production capacities, retirement curves, and technological shifts (e.g., automation, digital shop floors) to project 3-to-5-year talent requirements. Prevents critical talent shortages by proactively aligning training pipelines with future manufacturing capabilities.
• "Skills-First" Architecture - Expertise in simplifying traditional roles into core competencies, implementing job-role re-credentialing, and designing non-traditional assessment frameworks. Expands the talent pool and accelerates hiring by focusing on proven capability rather than pedigree (e.g., 4-year degrees).
• Vocational & Curriculum Design - Deep understanding of curriculum mapping, apprenticeship structure regulations (such as federally registered programs), and experiential learning models. Ensures external educational programs produce graduates with day-one readiness for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) environments.
• Workforce Analytics & KPI Modeling - Proficiency in designing dashboards that track pipeline metrics from early exposure (STEM events) through conversion (hiring) and retention. Translates program success into quantifiable financial and operational ROI for executive leadership.
• Ecosystem & Public Policy Navigation - Familiarity with public workforce funding mechanisms (e.g., WIOA grants), regional economic development incentives, and educational system governance. Maximizes non-dilutive funding and co-investment opportunities with state and local entities to scale programs.
• Systemic Influence & Change Management - Proven ability to drive cultural shifts (such as adopting skills-based hiring) across deeply entrenched traditional hiring structures. Successfully aligns skeptical hiring managers, cross-functional partners, and site executives behind new talent attraction strategies.
• Ecosystem Orchestration - Superb relationship-building skills capable of aligning competing external stakeholders (academic institutions, industry peers, community groups) toward shared goals. Positions the site as the premier employer of choice and primary voice in regional workforce coalitions.
• High-Impact Communication & Advocacy - Ability to translate complex site operational data into inspiring stories for community groups, or grassroots community trends into business-case presentations for executives. Secures internal budget and external community buy-in by effectively bridging the gap between grassroots needs and corporate strategy.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Experience convening and leading matrixed teams across disparate departments, such as Engineering, Digital/IT, Legal, EHS, HR, and Operations. Eliminates operational silos, ensuring that community engagement initiatives are not just "nice to have," but are fully integrated with daily manufacturing realities.
• High School Diploma/GED with minimum 15 years of relevant experience - or Bachelor's degree in Workforce Development, Education, Human Resources, Business, Communications, Public Policy, STEM, or a related field with 11 years of relevant experience - or Master's degree in Workforce Development, Education, Human Resources, Business, Communications, Public Policy, STEM, or a related field with 9 years of relevant experience
• Relevant experience includes workforce development, community engagement, public affairs, talent strategy, workforce planning, education partnerships, program management, skills-based hiring, or manufacturing workforce initiatives.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in biopharmaceuticals, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, or other regulated industries.
• Experience building workforce pipelines, apprenticeship programs, and educational partnerships.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience with skills-based hiring, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and workforce analytics.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary external liaison representing the Southeastern PA sites across regional workforce, education, and industry ecosystems. You will build and manage strategic partnerships with K-12 schools, technical colleges, workforce boards, and community-based organizations. By representing the site on advisory boards and coalitions, you will leverage executive-ready communications to advocate for shared-value initiatives and promote our employer brand.
• Architect and operationalize multi-year, end-to-end workforce development strategies tailored to the site’s biopharmaceutical production goals and enterprise priorities. You will design, pilot, and scale high-impact pathway models—including apprenticeships, experiential learning, and STEM workforce exposure initiatives—to ensure a continuous, future-ready supply of technical and operational talent.
• Convene and lead cross-functional teams across HR, Manufacturing Operations, R&D, and Communications to ensure community initiatives seamlessly integrate with long-term site planning. You will influence stakeholders at all levels to align local execution with broader enterprise workforce strategies, effectively translating critical manufacturing capability needs into actionable education and training partnerships.
• Drive the adoption of skills-based hiring practices and role re-credentialing through structured change management. In this capacity, you will lead enterprise-aligned D&I initiatives focused on access, visibility, and career progression for underutilized and non-traditional talent populations, directly expanding the talent pool for critical manufacturing and technical roles.
• Define and track key performance indicators across the long-range talent pipeline, measuring exposure, attraction, conversion, and retention. You will translate complex workforce data into actionable insights for site leadership decision-making, utilizing feedback and operational rigor to continuously refine programs and ensure they meet the evolving, high-stakes demands of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days
• annual bonus
• long-term incentive

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: High school or GED