Director, Site Budgets

Merck • North Wales, PA

22h • $173,200 - $272,600 • Onsite

About The Position

The Head, Site Budgets serves as the global capability leader for clinical trial site budgeting within Regional Operations. The role is accountable for the performance, quality, consistency, competitiveness, and strategic advancement of the company’s site budget capability worldwide. Through leadership of the Trial Initiation Specialist (TIS) organization and partnership with Regional Operations, Clinical Operations, Compliance, Finance, and Site Budgets and Payments Operational Excellence, the position ensures that site budget expertise, negotiation practices, decision frameworks, and organizational capabilities evolve to meet changing portfolio, market, and business needs while enabling timely and compliant trial execution.

The position owns the global Site Budgets capability and leads the TIS organization, while serving as the senior business authority for clinical trial site budgeting. It establishes a globally consistent operating model, develops strategic stakeholder relationships, promotes risk-based governance, and uses operational data and market intelligence to inform priorities and decisions. The role also represents Regional Operations in governance forums and ensures site budget strategies align with regulations, Fair Market Value principles, standard-of-care requirements, and compliant business practices.

The primary location is North Wales (Upper Gwynedd), Pennsylvania. The role is regular, with a first-shift schedule and 25% travel. Relocation is not offered. The salary range for the primary location is $173,200 to $272,600, with eligibility for an annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; scientific, business, or related discipline preferred.
• At least 10 years of clinical research experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, including experience leading operational teams and driving business outcomes in complex environments.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of clinical trial financial operations, including site budgets, investigator grants, payments, Fair Market Value principles, and related operational processes.
• Experience managing teams of professional employees directly or indirectly.
• Proven success leading teams, developing talent, and driving operational performance in a matrixed environment.
• Ability to leverage data and insights to support decision-making, continuous improvement, and achievement of business objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues and influence decision-making at senior leadership levels.
• Strong collaboration, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to develop effective partnerships across functions and geographies.
• Initiative, innovative thinking, and a continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to challenge traditional approaches and identify opportunities to simplify, modernize, and transform work.
• Strong communication, presentation, and change leadership skills.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply Good Clinical Practice (GCP), International Council for Harmonisation (ICH), and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and execution management skills.
• Required skills listed: Business Decisions, Clinical Trial Management, Clinical Trials Operations, Ethical Standards, Executive Presence, ICH GCP Guidelines, Motivating People, Multiple Therapeutic Areas, Organizational Leadership, People Leadership, Process Improvements, Relationship Management, Stakeholder Analysis, Strategic Analysis, Strategic Thinking, and Strategy Development.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.
• Clinical research experience listed as a preferred skill.
• Global experience.

Responsibilities

• Own the global Site Budgets capability, defining its strategic direction and evolving budget expertise, methodologies, negotiation practices, and organizational capabilities.
• Lead the Trial Initiation Specialist (TIS) organization, with accountability for workforce capability, organizational performance, service delivery, budget quality, and stakeholder outcomes.
• Serve as the senior business authority for clinical trial site budgeting, providing leadership on budget strategy, competitiveness, negotiation approaches, Fair Market Value application, and emerging industry trends.
• Establish and maintain a globally consistent site budget operating model that incorporates regional and country perspectives and promotes clear decision rights, escalation pathways, and appropriate local ownership.
• Build strategic relationships across country, regional, global, and external stakeholders to strengthen delivery.
• Promote risk-based decision-making and governance frameworks that empower country and regional teams while ensuring oversight of complex, novel, or higher-risk scenarios.
• Use operational data, market intelligence, and stakeholder insights to guide strategic priorities, workforce planning, performance improvement, and business decisions.
• Partner with Site Budgets and Payments Operational Excellence to define business requirements, priorities, and future capability needs, ensuring processes, systems, analytics, training, governance, and change solutions support business outcomes.
• Represent Regional Operations in governance forums and cross-functional partnerships as the accountable leader for the Site Budgets capability.
• Ensure site budget strategies and decisions align with applicable regulations, Fair Market Value principles, standard-of-care requirements, and compliant business practices.
• Foster a culture of accountability, sound judgment, negotiation excellence, continuous improvement, innovation, collaboration, and empowered decision-making.
• Sponsor responsible digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled ways of working.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision healthcare benefits and other insurance benefits for employees and family.
• Retirement benefits, including 401(k).
• Paid holidays, vacation, compassionate days, and sick days.
• Annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

What This Job Offers

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