Geography Functional Lead Associate Director – Study Execution

MSD•North Wales, PA

1d•$142,400 - $224,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Geography Lead oversees day-to-day data-management operations and resources within an assigned geography. The role ensures operational efficiency, compliance, and high-quality delivery; supports regional strategy and resourcing; and partners with other leaders to promote consistent practices and staff development across sites. The position leads and develops local teams, aligns performance with Global Data Management and Standards (GDMS) expectations, and supports onboarding and technical skill-building. It partners with Portfolio & Resource Operations and functional leads on workload planning, capacity, operational metrics, forecasting, and consistent practices across regions. It also supports compliance with GDMS and Global Clinical Trial Operations processes and local regulations, identifies and escalates operational or compliance risks, contributes to mitigation and inspection readiness, and shares lessons learned and best practices. People-management duties include setting team direction and objectives, assigning and prioritizing work sustainably, conducting check-ins and annual reviews, coaching and recognizing employees, developing career plans and growth opportunities, leading recruiting and hiring, and overseeing performance management. The role coordinates onshore, offshore, and contingent resources, manages an operating budget, and supports effective handoffs and high-performing teams. The role requires clinical data-management expertise, knowledge of regulatory requirements and Good Clinical Practice, and the ability to contribute to audit and inspection readiness. It calls for strong communication, influencing, coaching, stakeholder-management, and decision-facilitation skills; the ability to lead cross-functional and virtual teams, manage change and continuous improvement, and deliver standardized, risk-based, digital practices. The position is hybrid, based primarily in North Wales, Pennsylvania, with 10% travel.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Life Science, Management, or a related field and at least 8 years of organizational-management experience in Biopharma or a related industry, including at least 2 years of people-management experience; OR an advanced degree in Life Science, Management, or a related field and at least 4 years of such experience, including at least 2 years of people-management experience.
Proficiency in workload planning, resourcing systems, and performance-metric tools.
Familiarity with continuous-improvement methodologies.
Understanding of audit processes and ability to contribute to audit readiness.
Ability to implement and execute inspection-readiness practices in collaboration with Process & Quality partners.
Demonstrated ability to drive high-quality clinical data-collection design, validation, and delivery in alignment with protocol requirements.
Understanding of local and global regulatory requirements, including Good Clinical Practice guidelines, 21 CFR Part 11, and related processes.
Exceptional communication and influencing skills, including the ability to engage and align stakeholders across functions, geographies, and levels.
Effective coaching and mentoring skills and ability to develop direct reports and teams.
Strong stakeholder-management and collaboration capabilities.
Ability to lead through influence and guide cross-functional and virtual teams without direct reporting authority.
Adaptability and resilience, with the ability to prioritize and perform under pressure in a fast-changing environment.
Ability to work independently with accountability, sound judgment, and initiative while staying aligned with organizational priorities.
Ability to facilitate decision-making, coordinate others, and drive timely resolution of complex issues.
Fluency in English and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to drive large-scale change, embed innovation, and lead continuous-improvement initiatives while ensuring adoption of standardized, risk-based, and digital practices.

Responsibilities

Oversee day-to-day data-management execution within the assigned geography, ensuring efficiency, quality, compliance, and inspection readiness.
Review and provide input on work performed by direct reports.
Manage and develop local teams, align performance with GDMS standards, and guide onboarding and technical skill-building.
Partner with the Portfolio & Resource Operations Specialist team on workload tracking, capacity and utilization, operational metrics, forecasting, and workload balance across studies and therapeutic areas.
Ensure adherence to GDMS and GCTO processes and local regulatory requirements, and drive consistent execution of GDMS ways of working.
Partner with functional leads to align oversight and promote consistent practices across regions.
Identify and escalate operational or compliance risks and support mitigation and preventive actions.
Share lessons learned and best practices within the geography and support change initiatives.
Set team direction and objectives, assign work, set priorities, and account for sustainable work-life balance.
Conduct regular check-ins and annual reviews, coach for performance, and provide recognition.
Develop career plans and growth opportunities, support promotion cases, and ensure appropriate training and mentoring.
Lead recruiting and hiring and oversee performance-management activities, including sensitive employee-relations matters in partnership with HR.
Coordinate onshore, offshore, and contingent resources and ensure role clarity and effective handoffs.
Manage an operating budget and optimize spending against priorities.
Develop KPI-driven measurement approaches and drive reliable, high-quality, submission-ready delivery across studies.
Build and sustain cross-functional and external partnerships to advance functional objectives.