Analyste principal, affaires – Automatisation, analytique et IA / Senior Business Analyst – Automation, Analytics & AI

Merck•Kirkland, QC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Business Analyst (BA) – Automation, Analytics & AI operates at the country level within Global Clinical Trial Organization in Canada to identify, design, and deliver technology-enabled solutions that improve clinical trial operations efficiency, quality, and compliance. The role leads the intake, assessment, and delivery of local automation, analytics, and AI initiatives, creates compelling business cases, builds or oversees development of country tools, and scales fit-for-purpose solutions to other countries or the Region when applicable. The Senior Business Analyst reports to the Clinical Research Director and partners closely with country, regional and headquarters roles and teams, such as, Regions Operational Excellence, regional/country stakeholders, Automation/Analytics/AI partners and, as needed, Information Technologie. As needed, the Sr BA may also support initiatives driven by Regional Operations teams. The role ensures adherence to ICH (International Counsil for Harmonisation of technical Requirements for Pharmaceutical industry) et GCP (Good Clinical Practices), company policies, and local regulations, and drives measurable impact through robust Key Performance Indicators and change enablement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a life science discipline, business analytics, computing science, engineering, or related field.
5 years of relevant experience in data/analytics, process improvement, or technology-enabled transformation within life sciences/healthcare or a comparable regulated environment which includes:
Successfully designing and delivering automation/analytics/AI-enabled solutions (e.g., dashboards, workflow automation, AI/ML pilots) that produced measurable improvements.
Experience coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, with hands-on project management in a matrix environment.
Business process modeling and requirements techniques: e.g., process mapping, user stories, acceptance criteria, functional specifications
End-to-end product and solution ownership mindset: with accountability for value delivery across the full solution lifecycle (ideation, rollout, scaling, maintenance, and retirement).
Data literacy and analytics: ability to translate business questions into metrics; hands-on with BI tools (e.g., Power BI/Tableau) and data querying basics (SQL or equivalent).
Automation/AI awareness: practical experience with workflow automation/Robotic Process Automation platforms; exposure to AI/Machine Learning (ML) use cases and constraints in clinical operations.
Program/project management: planning, prioritization, risk/issue management, and delivery at pace; comfortable with Agile/Lean practices.
French with proficiency in English to communicate with the global teams.
Communication; ability to influence across functions and present technical topics to non-technical audiences.
Change enablement: stakeholder engagement, training, and adoption support.
Problem-solving & critical thinking: structured analysis, hypothesis-driven approach, and pragmatic delivery mindset.

Nice To Haves

Experience working across multiple countries or in regional programs.
Exposure to integrations with IT/data science teams and vendor coordination.
Familiarity with clinical trial processes and operational metrics.
Compliance/regulatory: understanding of ICH GCP and applicable quality and data protection requirements.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Clinical Research Director, country leadership team, and the AA & AI Lead to surface priority pain points and high-value opportunities for automation, analytics, and AI.
Lead development of business cases including problem definition, options analysis, solution scope, resource/cost estimates, benefits/KPIs, risks, and compliance considerations.
Align local opportunities with Global Clinical Trial organization's priorities; verify with relevant central repositories and teams if there are for similar tools to avoid duplication; summarize reuse opportunities and recommendations for the – Automation, Analytics & AI Lead.
Lead and drive the end-to-end delivery of country-level tools and solutions (e.g., dashboards, workflow automation, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), AI-assisted processes) using appropriate platforms and methods.
For multi-country or regional solutions, co-lead with the AA & AI Lead to ensure harmonization, scalability, and governance alignment.
Responsible for escalation to centralized assessment when project requirements exceed local capability or scale.
Translate business requirements into functional/technical specifications and oversee build, testing, validation, and controlled deployment; ensure security, privacy, and quality.
Conduct life cycle management of the developed solutions, including rollout, maintenance and disposal, as required.
Develop or oversee development of analytics and visualization (e.g., operational dashboards, performance metrics) to drive data-informed decision-making.
Define and track success metrics (e.g., time-to-deploy, cycle-time reduction, accuracy/data quality, adoption/satisfaction, cost avoidance/Full Time Equivalent savings) and embed learning loops for continuous improvement.
Ensure solutions comply with ICH GCP, Company policies, and local regulations; partner with Compliance/Legal as needed.
Maintain project tracking and provide periodic updates to Clinical Research Directors, AA & AI Lead, and relevant governance forums; support governance processes.
Lead change management for local deployments, including training plans, communications, and stakeholder engagement; contribute to capability uplift in data literacy and digital ways of working.
Serve as the primary country liaison with the AA & AI Lead, Automation/Analytics/AI partners, and when required, IT and external vendors for integration and support.
Share learnings and reusable assets with other countries and regional teams; assess and adapt regional/global tools for local use.