Senior Director, Project Management – Hybrid

Merck • Upper Gwynedd Township, PA

5d • $173,200 - $272,600 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Clinical Supply (GCS) organization is within our company’s Research & Development (R&D) Division and is responsible for managing the end-to-end integrated clinical supply chain for the R&D portfolio to enable execution of any clinical trial using a company asset. GCS supports more than 400+ Phase I-IV Clinical Trials, 200+ Investigator Initiated Studies and 200+ External Collaborations. GCS is accountable for the planning, sourcing, labeling, packaging and delivery of clinical supplies to clinical sites across more than 60+ countries, in compliance with worldwide regulations, company policies and standard operating procedures guided by the principle Right Drug, Right Patient, Right Time, Every Time.

Reporting to the AVP of Global Clinical Supply, the Senior Director, Strategy & Business Operations, will lead a team responsible for development, execution and realization of the organizational strategy and managing day-to-day business operations, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, efficient resource utilization, and strong cross-functional coordination to deliver business objectives. This pivotal role requires an experienced leader with extensive experience in project and program management, change management, and cross-functional collaboration. The Senior Director will work closely with the GCS leadership team and key stakeholders to translate organizational strategies and objectives into execution. This role will lead governance of all projects and initiatives, including strategic projects, system/digital projects, continuous improvement projects, and compliance projects, contributing to the overall performance oversight.

The ideal candidate should have a passion for operational excellence, as well as an established track record in leading transformation efforts, continuous improvement of processes / systems and talent development. The incumbent will need to have strong strategic and leadership skills to manage and solve problems for the different and fluid requirements of our complex clinical supply chain.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry with at least 5 years in project, program or people management roles.
• Demonstrated experience in leading organizational transformation initiatives and driving strategic change.
• Track record of successfully managing complex, cross-functional projects and initiatives.
• Experience in building and leading high-performing teams.
• Strategic thinking and independent decision-making abilities with excellent business acumen.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong, trust-based collaborative relationships to drive change and execute on priorities with different stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence and engage through clear, effective communication across all levels of the organization.
• Strong understanding of GMP and regulatory requirements associated with clinical supply / clinical trials.
• Proven ability to identify risks to project timelines, scope, or deliverables and escalate appropriately.
• Experience in designing governance processes that provide executive visibility and decision support.
• Demonstrated situational leadership in high-ambiguity settings and creative problem-solving.
• Effective at energizing others, establishing clear goals, delegation, mentoring, and coaching.
• Strong facilitation skills for leading cross-functional meetings and workshops.

Nice To Haves

• Project Management certification / training (PMP) and / or coursework & training in Project Management.

Responsibilities

• Define the vision, strategy, and roadmap for GCS initiatives in alignment with the organization's strategic objectives.
• Collaborate with the GCS leadership team, sponsors, and stakeholders to translate strategic priorities into executable plans for areas such as talent, pipeline, processes, and partnerships.
• Lead the Project Management Office (PMO) providing governance, standardization, and best practices across GCS projects and initiatives.
• Manage a different portfolio of strategic internal and external projects, system/digital projects, continuous improvement initiatives.
• Champion the modernization of clinical supply delivery by identifying and implement innovative processes, simplification, and AI- and Automation-enabled solutions to enable proactive, predictive, and efficient supply delivery.
• Design and implement governance processes that provide executive visibility and appropriate escalation paths for critical decisions.
• Design and maintain structured frameworks for project charters, resource management, milestone tracking, risk registries, and after-action reviews.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress toward transformation goals and drive performance excellence.
• Create and maintain resource management tools and processes to ensure proper organizational prioritization of project initiatives.
• Develop and execute communication plans that ensure stakeholder alignment and commitment to organizational strategy and initiatives.
• Facilitate workshops and meetings to ensure stakeholder alignment and commitment to organizational strategy and initiatives.
• Develop strong, trust-based collaborative relationships across the enterprise.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and proactive risk management by embedding processes for early risk identification, rigorous after-action reviews, and continuous learning.
• Develop and grow talent by coaching team members, enabling meaningful learning opportunities that build critical capabilities.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days

What This Job Offers

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