Executive Director, Development Project Management

Merck•North Wales, PA

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) sits in the Research and Development organization. The Project Managers and Alliance Managers in GPAM are core members of development and alliance teams. Project Managers drive these cross-functional teams to deliver projects and products that improve human health and our company's business, and Alliance Managers ensure successful collaborations with our R&D alliance partners. Position Description: This position may be based in either Rahway, NJ, or Upper Gwynedd, PA. Under the broad guidance of the AVP/VP, Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM), the incumbent will spend 50-70% of their time focused on one or more of the following: Leading the project management efforts to support a set or series of therapeutically aligned development programs Acting as a PM and Drug Development Advisor to staff and project teams Leading and/or directing a critical change project relating to systems and operations or our company's strategic planning Governance processes or processes within the development sphere Identifying and evaluating PM best practices Representing our companyh through participation and/or leadership in external PM societies and organizations and overseeing implementation of identified best practices within our company. In performing these responsibilities, the incumbent is expected to demonstrate enterprise leadership through strategic planning, execution excellence, and the cultivation of internal and external networks and partnerships to advance our company's long‑term development and business objectives. The remaining 30-50% of time will be devoted to developing talent in GPAM and in ensuring that the operations of the department are running smoothly. Emphasis will be on development of PM talent through management of project managers and those who manage PMs, as well as effective communication and collaboration with all stakeholder groups. Management of Development/ Change Projects: The Executive Director, Development PM (General and Specialty Medicine) will be expected to be expert in the principles of project management and must be able to apply these skills effectively, with relatively broad managerial direction and minimal oversight, to the management of development or change projects which are of significant impact to our company. Assigned development projects and/or project portfolios would be those that require extensive experience with drug development across divisions and company processes and procedures related to drug/ vaccine/ biologics development due to their significant importance to the company or complexity. The incumbent is expected to plan strategically by obtaining and integrating relevant information, identifying key issues, interdependencies, and risks, and evaluating alternative approaches before committing to a course of action that supports long‑range organizational goals, available resources, constraints, and company values. Change projects and/ or strategic planning efforts would be those that significantly impact the functioning of Development Teams, company processes relating to the progression of the development pipeline, or company operations overall. This includes identifying, designing and implementing efficient and effective project and portfolio management systems and information sharing modalities. The incumbent will inspire excellence and drive execution by translating strategic priorities into compliant operational plans, establishing clear standards, roles, accountabilities, and governance, and ensuring that execution is supported by appropriate resources, internal processes, and performance measurement systems that yield measurable and sustainable results. The incumbent will be expected to represent our company and be active in external PM societies and organizations, actively identifying new trends and/ or best practices in project management and determining which should be evaluated and/ or implemented within our company. This includes leveraging external insights and relationships to continuously strengthen our company's project management capabilities. A view towards improving PM skills and fostering a more widespread use of useful PM tools more fully within our company is expected. The incumbent will be expected to lead and/ or actively participate in change/ process improvement initiatives within our company that require extensive product development experience and understanding of our company's procedures and policies. The incumbent will be expected to be networked within our company and work effectively across divisions Networking and Partnerships: The Executive Director is expected to actively cultivate and sustain strategic networks and partnerships across our company and with external stakeholders, including alliance partners, vendors, professional organizations, and industry peers. These relationships are used to obtain critical information, ideas, expertise, and influence needed to advance understanding of business issues, enable effective decision‑making, and achieve development and business goals. The incumbent will initiate and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders across R&D, manufacturing, commercial, regulatory, quality, and corporate functions, and will leverage these partnerships to resolve issues, align priorities, and accelerate execution. Talent Development: The incumbent is expected to contribute to the setting of the tone and direction, within the context of the broader GPAM extended leadership team, for the development of project management professional staff within the department. This will include development of and continued re-evaluation/ refinement of competency models and job descriptions for Project Management Staff, new requests for additional staff roles within the broader organization, assignment of projects and opportunities such that development of staff is optimized and ensuring that PM staff have meaningful and actionable development plans. Talent development responsibilities will be executed with a strategic, enterprise mindset, ensuring that current and future capability needs are anticipated and addressed. The incumbent will be expected to direct and develop a group of PM Directors and hold these employees accountable for developing their own staff groups (line or matrix). In particular, the Executive Director will be responsible for ensuring they as well as their PM Directors understand the projects of their staff as well as the developmental needs of their staff. They will be held accountable for ensuring performance of their staff consistent with objectives and expectations, and for ensuring that if expectations are not met, appropriate corrective measures are taken. Ensuring the development of this next set of PM Leaders is a critical component of the Executive Director role. As a member of the GPAM Extended Leadership Team, the incumbent will be an active member of the Development PM Leadership Team, expected to actively participate in departmental administrative processes which relate to talent development/ management and improving the standards of the PM organization, act as a PM and Drug Development Advisor and coach to PM professionals and other development leaders within the broader R&D organization. The incumbent is also expected to demonstrate courage of conviction, constructively challenging assumptions, raising enterprise level issues, and influencing decisions to support our company's long-term strategy and execution excellence

Requirements

Bachelor's degree with a concentration in a scientific-related discipline
Eight (8) years of experience in PM or related role/expertise in pharma and/or biotech required.
Extensive experience with the planning and execution of strategies for drug/ vaccine product registration and commercialization/ life-cycle management (can be R&D, manufacturing or commercial perspective) strongly preferred, with demonstrated ability to translate knowledge and expertise to other development teams and areas.
Demonstrated experience as a people manager, including leading and developing managers and/or senior professionals, with accountability for performance management, coaching, succession planning, and building high‑performing teams in a complex, matrixed environment
Effective at conveying a vision, energizing others, establishing goals, delegating responsibility, mentoring and coaching.
Demonstrated ability to plan strategically, translate strategy into execution, and build collaborative networks and partnerships across organizational boundaries.
Budget Development
Change Management
Clinical Trial Management
Construction
Cross-Cultural Awareness
Detail-Oriented
Drug Registration
Feasibility Studies
Performance Monitoring
Pharmaceutical Project Management
Project Management
Risk Management
Stakeholder Management
Strategic Planning
Team Management
Technical Mentoring
Visionary Thinking

Nice To Haves

Advanced scientific degree (e.g., MS, PharmD, Ph.D.)
Fifteen (15) + years of relevant experience preferred, or equivalent combination of advanced education and relevant experience and/or training.
Project Management certification/ training (PMP) and / or coursework & training in Project Management preferred.
Demonstrated ability to establish networks, build connections and work across boundaries. Must be connected in external PM/ pharma related networks/ organizations.
Proven ability to analyze, integrate, recommend, contribute to development of conceptual plans for, and lead implement of, strategic, process, and team improvement and change initiatives cross-functionally.
Demonstrated ability to effectively manage scope, time and cost of assigned projects; is business savvy and results oriented.
Advocate for best practices / change agent - successful in working with other functions/divisions to create excellence in PM and drug development.
Well-developed and effective team facilitation and leadership skills; consistently establishes cooperative team environments.
Knows when and how to appropriately raise issues and drive discussion within peer group and with management.
Demonstrated courage of conviction - able to speak up/ contribute in all circles; comfortable challenging ideas or proposals, including senior management.
Brings forward creative ideas and contributes to setting strategic plans for assigned projects.
Excellent communicator. Demonstrated accomplishment and skill in oral and written communication.
Keeps relevant stakeholders fully apprised of project/ initiative status and issues.

Responsibilities

Leading the project management efforts to support a set or series of therapeutically aligned development programs
Acting as a PM and Drug Development Advisor to staff and project teams
Leading and/or directing a critical change project relating to systems and operations or our company's strategic planning
Governance processes or processes within the development sphere
Identifying and evaluating PM best practices
Representing our companyh through participation and/or leadership in external PM societies and organizations and overseeing implementation of identified best practices within our company
Management of development or change projects which are of significant impact to our company
Plan strategically by obtaining and integrating relevant information, identifying key issues, interdependencies, and risks, and evaluating alternative approaches before committing to a course of action that supports long‑range organizational goals, available resources, constraints, and company values
Identifying, designing and implementing efficient and effective project and portfolio management systems and information sharing modalities
Inspire excellence and drive execution by translating strategic priorities into compliant operational plans, establishing clear standards, roles, accountabilities, and governance, and ensuring that execution is supported by appropriate resources, internal processes, and performance measurement systems that yield measurable and sustainable results
Actively identifying new trends and/ or best practices in project management and determining which should be evaluated and/ or implemented within our company
Lead and/ or actively participate in change/ process improvement initiatives within our company that require extensive product development experience and understanding of our company's procedures and policies
Actively cultivate and sustain strategic networks and partnerships across our company and with external stakeholders, including alliance partners, vendors, professional organizations, and industry peers
Initiate and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders across R&D, manufacturing, commercial, regulatory, quality, and corporate functions, and will leverage these partnerships to resolve issues, align priorities, and accelerate execution
Contribute to the setting of the tone and direction, within the context of the broader GPAM extended leadership team, for the development of project management professional staff within the department
Direct and develop a group of PM Directors and hold these employees accountable for developing their own staff groups (line or matrix)
Actively participate in departmental administrative processes which relate to talent development/ management and improving the standards of the PM organization
Act as a PM and Drug Development Advisor and coach to PM professionals and other development leaders within the broader R&D organization
Demonstrate courage of conviction, constructively challenging assumptions, raising enterprise level issues, and influencing decisions to support our company's long-term strategy and execution excellence