Executive Director, Technical Product Management

Merck

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Our company is seeking an Executive Director to lead the Value Team responsible for the Development Data Platform & Services — the backbone of our company's modern clinical, safety, regulatory, and quality data ecosystem. This leader will own three integrated product lines: Core Data Platform, Data Processing Services, and Platform Services, collectively enabling data-driven Clinical Trial development at global scale. The role combines enterprise technology leadership with deep data platform expertise to deliver trusted, governed, and AI-ready data products across our Research and Development (R&D) Division. Scope of Responsibility - Three Product Lines: Core Data Platform — End-to-end data lifecycle management: ingestion (Clinical, Safety, Regulatory, External Partners, Self-Serve), Data HUB (Raw/ Curated), Data Model/Domain (Clinical Operational, Patient, Analytics, Master & Reference), and Data Products (SDTM, ADaM, Operational Reports). Governed access via the Data Integration & Access Layer (DIAL) serving Databricks, Domino, visualization tools, and citizen application developers. Data Processing Services — Managed services for core clinical data operations: Encoding, Database Lock, Masking & Blinding, SDTM Mapping/Generation, P21 Validation, and extensible service framework. Platform Services — Shared foundational capabilities including Centralized Clinical Trial Metadata Repository (MDR), Unified UI, and OneTouchID (identity governance and management Engine) enabling consistency and governance across the platform.

Requirements

Enterprise Technology Leadership: 15+ years of progressive IT leadership; 5+ years at the Director/Executive Director level managing large-scale data platform programs in a regulated industry.
People & Organization: Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and retain globally distributed technical talent. Experience leading large teams across multiple geographies and cultures. (Multi Team Leader Experience)
Strategy & Value Delivery: Track record of translating business strategy into platform roadmaps, articulating ROI to C-suite and Board-level stakeholders and delivering measurable outcomes.
Stakeholder Management: Skilled at navigating complex multi-stakeholder environments spanning IT, R&D, Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and external partners (CROs, technology vendors).
Product Operating Model: Experience operating under a product-led or value-stream organizational model; ability to prioritize backlogs, manage platform OKRs, and balance innovation with operational excellence.
Program Governance: Strong command of portfolio management, risk mitigation, vendor governance, and compliance in GxP or other regulated environments.
Change Leadership: Proven ability to lead organizational transformation — migrating from legacy systems to modern cloud-native data platforms while maintaining continuity of critical operations.
Modern Data Management: Deep expertise in data product thinking, data mesh/fabric architectures, data governance, metadata management, and data quality at enterprise scale.
Data Platform Engineering: Hands-on background or strong oversight experience in building and operating cloud-native data platforms — ingest, transform, model, serve — supporting both application consumers and analytical users.
AI/ML Enablement: Experience enabling AI/ML workloads on a shared platform — supporting federated learning, model development (Domino Data Lab, Databricks ML), and ML-driven applications embedded in business workflows.
APIs & Data Access Patterns: Familiarity with data integration patterns, API-based data access, DIAL-style access layers, and serving data to downstream consumers ranging from BI tools to citizen developers.
Data Security & Compliance: Experience with data masking, access control, audit logging, and GxP/regulatory compliance (21 CFR Part 11, GDPR, ICH guidelines).
Cloud & Infrastructure: AWS (preferred), cloud data architecture, IaC principles, and operating at enterprise cloud scale.
Accountability
Asset Management
Benefits Management
Management System Development
Product Management
Product Strategies
Requirements Management
Software Product Management
Stakeholder Relationship Management
Strategic Planning
System Designs