Senior Director, Group Portfolio Execution Lead, Integration & Carve-Out

Merck•Burlington, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As Senior Director, Group Portfolio Execution Lead (Integration & Carve-Out), you will own the end-to-end execution of our large-scale strategic integration and carve-out programs. In this role, you will shape organizational performance while managing complex projects with high risk and global reach. Reporting to the Head of Group Portfolio Execution, you will join a highly energetic, mission-driven team of experienced integration and carve-out leaders delivering strategic initiatives across our three sectors.

Requirements

Master’s degree (e.g., Business Administration, Economics, Finance, or related fields), MBA is preferred
Minimum 10 years of experience in global, matrixed organizations.
Minimum 8 years of experience in management consulting or similar roles, with demonstrated success steering large cross-functional teams and overseeing substantial resources in complex environments.
Minimum 8 years leading operational post-merger integrations and/or carve-out executions/business separations across deal types (e.g., share deals, asset deals, IPOs/spin-offs, standalone/incubator integrations, partial integrations), with a proven track record in high-stakes environments.
Proficient financial literacy and experience in financial due diligence, valuation, and the M&A lifecycle.
Broad-based knowledge and project experience in our relevant industries (Life Science, Healthcare, and/or Electronics) with curiosity about technologies shaping our company´s future.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, underpinned by systems thinking and attention to detail.
Skilled at communication and building credibility and networks—from working teams to C-suite—internally and with external partners.
Strong business acumen: deep understanding of business processes and operating models; knowledge of financial analysis, ROI analysis, and key performance indicators.
Continuous learning orientation; ability to quickly acquire new skills and domain knowledge in evolving business contexts.
Strong AI literacy or interest in AI, including critical thinking and experience with AI tools, concepts, and prompt engineering to accelerate project execution and knowledge management.

Responsibilities

End-to-end program ownership: Own and lead assigned integration and/or carve-out projects and programs end-to-end, serving as the primary point of contact with full accountability across all workstreams.
Due diligence and scope definition: Represent integration interests during due diligence and Define and document deal scope (including separation/integration boundaries, deliverables, milestones, and dependencies).
Execution strategy and governance: Design, drive, and monitor a structured, disciplined implementation strategy—from project set-up and timeline planning through milestone delivery.
Stakeholder leadership and alignment: Build trusted partnerships and engage internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders and key decision-makers; maintain alignment and drive timely decisions.
Cross-functional mobilization: Mobilize and coordinate cross-functional team members; provide clear direction and oversight for accountabilities and assignments.
Operating model & organizational design: Drive creation and sign-off of the future (target) operating model. For carve-outs, drive creation and sign-off of the future (functional) operating model, legal entity structure, and pre-structuring. Ensure people and organizational aspects (culture, org design, retention and engagement, capability identification and preservation) are appropriately considered and managed.
Country-level delivery: Ensure smooth integration delivery at country level. Drive execution of country separation cross-functionally for carve-outs.
Risk, compliance, and decision-making: Drive fast decision-making by proactively identifying and resolving risks and pivoting course decisively to protect deal success. Ensure full compliance with legal and regulatory requirements throughout the transaction lifecycle, safeguarding our organizational and financial interests.
Financial stewardship: Plan and manage overall integration/separation cost budgets.
Post-closing agreements and service delivery: For carve-outs: Lead end-to-end definition, implementation, and delivery of post-closing services, including Manufacturing Supply Agreements (MSAs) and Transitional Service Agreements (TSAs). For integrations: Lead and manage post-closing agreement exits in a fast and cost-effective way.
Value realization and performance tracking: Understand and communicate concerns, motivations, and needs of all entities to ensure maximum benefit is realized and business momentum is maintained/increased. Track and report performance against milestones, deliverables, and synergy/value-creation targets (including top- and bottom-line synergies where applicable).
Communication and escalation: Maintain a structured approach for keeping stakeholders informed—reporting progress against financial and non-financial targets, surfacing roadblocks, and driving timely escalation to senior leadership.
Handover and sustainability: Create a clear roadmap and transition plan for handover and ongoing ownership.
Team leadership and capability building: Lead, mentor, and support a high-performing project team, fostering collaboration, professional growth, and knowledge sharing. Continuously evolve integration/carve-out execution best practices and contribute to best-practice building across the company