Director, Global Clinical Supply Planning, Project Management - Hybrid

MSD • Upper Gwynedd Township, PA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Clinical Supply (GCS) organization is accountable for managing the 'end-to-end' integrated clinical supply chain across the full of our company's Research Laboratories portfolio of Human Health clinical trials. GCS is accountable for the planning, sourcing, labeling, packaging and delivery of clinical supplies to clinical sites globally. The GCS Planning (Planning) organization is the key interface between clinical development teams and the operational/executional arms within the business. The Director, Global Clinical Supply Planning is responsible for the planning, execution, and delivery of clinical trial supplies across one or more clinical development programs. The Director ensures timely, compliant, and cost‑effective availability of IMP and comparators to support global clinical trials while operating within a GxP‑regulated environment. The role manages a team of global clinical supply planners, communicates status and risk to senior stakeholders, drives mitigation plans and ensures timely, compliant delivery of clinical supplies. The team leader partners closely with Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO), Development, Quality, Regulatory, Technical Operations, and external vendors to manage supply risks, support protocol execution, and meet program timelines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in clinical supply planning, pharmaceutical development, clinical operations, supply chain, or related biopharmaceutical functions, with experience leading global, cross-functional workstreams and teams.
• Strong knowledge of global clinical development, GMP and quality expectations, clinical supply chain operations, order management, and end-to-end supply processes.
• Demonstrated leadership across selected development phases and/or therapeutic areas, with experience supporting moderately to highly complex global programs.
• Experience supporting pivotal studies, accelerated development programs, and launch readiness within a defined portfolio or area of responsibility.
• Proven ability to lead teams, coach and develop talent, manage performance, and influence cross-functional stakeholders in a matrix environment.
• Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, project management, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, resolve issues, and operate through ambiguity.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and comfortable using planning and analytics tools.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (PhD, MBA, PharmD, or equivalent) preferred.
• Exposure to M&A integration and/or pipeline expansion activities preferred.
• Clinical supply planning leadership across one or more therapeutic areas and development stages (Phase I–IV, IIS, partnerships/collaborations, post-merger integration/acquisitions support).
• Ownership of global supply plans, demand/supply balancing, and execution for complex clinical programs.
• Stewardship of program-level budgets and resources; ability to operate within defined financial targets.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including coaching, feedback, and performance management.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management in a global matrix environment.
• Ability to lead process improvements and drive adoption of standard work across teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make sound decisions in ambiguous or time-sensitive situations.
• Experience with program/project governance, milestone tracking, and operational excellence.
• Clear, concise communication and presentation skills for senior internal stakeholders.
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills in support of planning priorities and supply decisions.
• Understanding of risk management, KPI tracking, and use of leading indicators to anticipate supply issues.
• Working knowledge of GMP, quality systems, SOPs, and clinical supply documentation requirements.
• Experience with order management, supply chain coordination, and document control processes.
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and planning/analytics tools used for supply forecasting and reporting.
• Global mindset and cultural agility; ability to work effectively across regions and time zones.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the development & execution of clinical supply plans for an assigned portfolio (Phase I–IV, IIS, collaborations, acquisitions-related programs) in alignment with therapeutic‑area strategy.
• Accountable for demand forecasts and supply strategies that account for enrolment variability, protocol amendments, and country activation.
• Ensuring integrity of supply timelines, contingency plans and program-level risk registers, report progress, risks and mitigation actions to the Therapeutic Area Senior Director and other stakeholders.
• Ensures appropriate integration with IRT/RTSM systems and clinical trial timelines.
• Prioritize program-level resource allocation and schedule trade-offs to support portfolio objectives and business continuity.
• Provide input to portfolio-level decisions affecting clinical supply (resource trade-offs, change-control priorities, regulatory constraints).
• Leads a team of global clinical supply planners: recruit, deploy, coach and develop staff to meet operational needs.
• Conducts performance management and career development for direct reports; mentor planning managers and team leads to build capability and succession pipelines and future-ready capabilities.
• Ensures team competency in planning practices, regulatory/GMP expectations and operational execution.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, quality and continuous improvement driving measurable performance against objectives.
• Implements and standardizes planning processes and governance for the portfolio; establish relevant metrics and leading indicators (risk, change-control, continuity).
• Drives local remediation, preventive actions and training to address process gaps and recurring failures.
• Ensures compliance with GMP, company policies and SOPs; support updates to SOPs and team training materials as required.
• Supports budget stewardship for portfolio-level clinical supply spend and collaborate with finance to align forecasts and actuals.
• Build and maintain working relationships with Clinical Operations, Clinical Research, Quality, Finance, Procurement, Business Analytics and external partners (CMOs/CROs, collaborators).
• Act as the primary GCS Planning contact for portfolio stakeholders, influencing delivery timelines and resolving cross-functional issues.
• Support cross-divisional initiatives and contribute to due diligence or integration activities where portfolio responsibilities apply.
• Provide subject‑matter expertise and real‑time operational support to resolve complex planning issues across sites and functions.
• Contribute to departmental strategy and participate in cross-functional projects as required by the therapeutic area leadership.
• Monitor industry best practices, regulatory and GMP developments and recommend process or policy changes to improve planning effectiveness.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

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