Cyber Value & Innovation Leader Assoc. Dir , Business Agility

Merck • Upper Gwynedd Township, PA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Cyber Value & Innovation Lead partners with Core Cyber leadership and the Rapid Innovation team to enable informed, value‑driven cybersecurity investment decisions. This role combines strategic thinking, financial rigor, and innovation execution to evaluate emerging cybersecurity capabilities through proofs of concept (POCs), research, and analysis. The role is critical in translating complex cyber and technology initiatives into clear business value while ensuring adherence to financial guardrails and enterprise priorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Technology, Cybersecurity, or another field.
• 5+ years of experience in cybersecurity, technology strategy, innovation, consulting, or value management roles.
• Proven ability to evaluate and communicate the business and financial value of technology initiatives.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and presentation skills.
• Cybersecurity & Technology Acumen – Demonstrated experience working with cybersecurity concepts, operating models, and emerging technologies.
• Financial & Value Analysis – Expertise in ROI modeling, cost‑benefit analysis, and investment evaluation.
• Strategic Thinking – Ability to connect cyber initiatives to enterprise strategy, risk, and business outcomes.
• Innovation & Experimentation – Experience designing and evaluating proofs of concept and pilot programs.
• Agile Product Manager experience – Experience in collecting and prioritizing new demand
• Data‑Driven Decision Making – Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn data into insights and recommendations.
• Executive Communication – Ability to translate complex technical and financial topics into clear, compelling narratives.
• Stakeholder Management – Proven capability to influence senior leaders without direct authority.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration – Comfortable working across cyber, IT, finance, procurement, and innovation teams.
• Judgment & Prioritization – Strong decision‑making skills in ambiguous and fast‑moving environments.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA) and/or relevant certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CRISC, PMP, or SAFe).
• Experience in management consulting, enterprise strategy, or innovation organizations.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity investment portfolios, risk management, or enterprise technology environments.
• Technology Strategies

Responsibilities

• Prioritize, lead, and support proofs of concept (POCs) with the Rapid Innovation team to validate emerging cybersecurity capabilities and document results.
• Research cybersecurity trends, threats, and innovation opportunities to shape the POC and investment pipeline.
• Communicate findings through concise executive narratives that drive decisions across a matrixed organization.
• Align investment recommendations with enterprise risk posture, cyber strategy, and budget constraints in partnership with Core Cyber leadership.
• Build ROI models and value-realization hypotheses to support executive investment decisions.
• Enforce financial guardrails, funding models, and portfolio governance standards for cybersecurity initiatives.

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level