Executive Director, HR Business Partnership & IT Solutions Lead

Merck • Rahway, NJ

7d • $231,900 - $365,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Director, HR Business Partnership & Solutions Lead is the senior Enterprise IT (EIT) leader accountable for partnering with Human Resources leadership to shape and execute the enterprise HR digital, data, technology and AI strategy. The role connects HR strategy, workforce priorities, employee experience, operating-model transformation, enterprise platforms, data, AI, products and delivery into an integrated transformation agenda. Its primary emphasis is HR business expertise and transformation leadership: the leader co-shapes HR strategy and operating-model change, then mobilizes technology, data and AI to deliver outcomes.

A defining mandate is to lead AI-enabled transformation of HR by reimagining work, services, decisions and experiences through responsible generative AI, agents, analytics, intelligent workflow and automation. The role establishes the integrated portfolio, translates strategy into multi-year roadmaps and investment choices, and ensures adoption and measurable business value.

The Executive Director owns the integrated HR technology and solutions portfolio and leads an ecosystem spanning HR services, talent, learning, recruiting, workforce insights, and employee and manager experiences. The role directs portfolio governance, product and platform decisions, process reimagination, data and AI foundations, delivery, adoption, risk and value realization. It is also accountable for the reliability, continuity and operational performance of business-critical HR technology services, and leads a multidisciplinary organization while developing the capabilities needed for a product-, data- and AI-enabled HR organization.

The position is based in Rahway, New Jersey, with a hybrid work arrangement. The listed base salary range for the primary location is $231,900 to $365,000. The successful candidate is eligible for an annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable. The role is a regular employee position.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Psychology, Industrial/Labor Relations, Information Systems or a related field.
• 15 or more years of progressive experience spanning HR, HR transformation, employee experience, HR operations, digital transformation, technology or product leadership, including significant leadership in a complex global organization.
• Deep understanding of HR operating models, employee and manager journeys, and multiple HR domains such as talent acquisition, learning, talent management, workforce planning, core HR, rewards or HR service delivery.
• Demonstrated success advising senior HR executives, shaping strategy, leading transformation, and translating priorities into roadmaps, investment decisions, operating-model change and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience leading AI-enabled transformation, process reimagination, intelligent automation, advanced analytics or responsible agentic capabilities.
• Strong technology fluency across enterprise HR platforms, digital products, data, integrations, workflow, automation and AI-enabled capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead through influence across global, cross-functional organizations and mobilize business, product, technology, data, risk and delivery teams around shared outcomes.
• Strong business and investment acumen, executive communication, transformation leadership, organizational change, commercial judgment and strategic partner-management skills.
• Required skills listed: accountability, benefits management, business analysis, business process improvements, coaching, competency development, global HR leadership, governance management, HR strategic management, human resource management, HR technology, HR transformation, human resources consulting, human resources operations, implementation methodologies, industrial and organizational psychology, intelligent agents, leadership, organizational leadership, pharmaceutics, product management strategy, program management, stakeholder relationship management and strategic planning.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in HR, business, organizational development, technology or a related field.
• Experience with Workday, ServiceNow HR, learning ecosystems, HR data and analytics, or comparable enterprise HR platforms.
• Experience in pharmaceuticals, life sciences or another highly regulated global industry.
• Experience scaling responsible AI, generative AI, intelligent automation or agentic solutions within HR or another enterprise function.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior HR leaders to shape HR strategy, transformation priorities, workforce capabilities, employee experience and the future HR operating model.
• Establish an integrated, multi-year HR digital, data, technology and AI strategy aligned with enterprise priorities.
• Translate strategic priorities into sequenced process, experience, data, platform, product and AI investment roadmaps, with clear business cases and outcomes.
• Bring external insight on HR, workforce and technology trends to identify opportunities to reinvent work rather than merely digitize existing processes.
• Own the integrated HR technology and solutions portfolio and establish accountability across business ownership, product leadership, platforms, data, delivery, adoption and value realization.
• Set portfolio priorities, product investment recommendations, platform direction, delivery sequencing and lifecycle decisions; serve as the senior EIT escalation point for material decisions, dependencies, investment trade-offs and delivery risks.
• Promote reuse of enterprise platforms, data products, AI capabilities and common technology patterns, while determining when differentiated HR capabilities are justified.
• Establish and govern an integrated HR AI transformation portfolio spanning employee and manager support, HR services, talent, recruiting, learning, workforce planning, insights, knowledge and HR operations.
• Lead end-to-end reimagination of HR journeys and processes using generative AI, responsible agents, predictive analytics, intelligent workflow and automation.
• Partner with HR leaders to redesign work, service models, decision points and human-machine interactions as AI changes how HR expertise and services are delivered.
• Determine the appropriate delivery approach for AI capabilities, including enterprise platforms, embedded HR products, reusable enterprise capabilities, HR-specific solutions or strategic partners.
• Reduce fragmented AI experimentation through common priorities, reusable patterns, data requirements, governance and value measures; sponsor responsible agentic solutions with human accountability for consequential decisions.
• Lead an integrated solutions ecosystem spanning HR services, talent, learning, recruiting, workforce insights, and employee and manager experiences; align DigitalU with the broader HR strategy and talent agenda.
• Translate priorities into outcome-based product strategies, roadmaps, experience designs and adoption plans while enabling technical teams to determine implementation approaches.
• Establish the data, content, knowledge, access and governance foundations required for trusted digital, analytics and AI-enabled experiences.
• Orchestrate delivery across HR, product, engineering, data, architecture, cybersecurity, privacy, Legal, Compliance, vendors and enterprise platform teams.
• Ensure solutions are intuitive, inclusive, accessible, globally scalable and responsive to applicable local requirements.
• Establish transparent governance for prioritization, funding, capacity, delivery, risk, adoption and value realization.
• Define outcome commitments for major investments, covering employee and manager experience, service quality, process performance, productivity, decision quality, adoption, control effectiveness and business value.
• Evaluate investments against strategic alignment, adoption, delivery confidence, risk and realized value to inform future portfolio decisions.
• Ensure HR products, platforms, data, AI capabilities and services meet privacy, security, compliance, architecture, resilience, accessibility and lifecycle expectations.
• Be accountable for the reliability, continuity and operational performance of business-critical HR technology services, including service expectations, incident leadership and operational-health measures.
• Keep the portfolio modern, supportable, scalable and economically sustainable.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization spanning HR business partnership, product and solution leadership, digital capabilities and related technology disciplines.
• Build capabilities for a product-, data- and AI-enabled HR organization, including process reimagination, experience, change and value realization.
• Develop leaders and talent through coaching, succession planning, capability development, purposeful mobility and continuous learning.
• Build strong partnerships across HR Centers of Excellence, HR operations, DigitalU, EIT, enterprise data and AI, architecture, cybersecurity, privacy, Legal and Compliance, and strategic vendors.
• Create a culture grounded in business understanding, empathy, disciplined delivery, responsible experimentation and accountability for outcomes.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

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