Merck is hiring: Associate Director, Technical Project Management in Rahway

Associate Director, Project Management Pharma IT

The Associate Director, Project Management Pharma IT leads and delivers complex IT programs that support pharmaceutical research, development, manufacturing, and commercial operations. This role combines technical program leadership, regulatory awareness (GxP), vendor and stakeholder management, and people leadership to ensure IT initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, on budget, and compliant with applicable regulations and quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of Pharma IT projects from initiation through closeout, including GxP systems (LIMS, ELN, clinical trial systems, manufacturing execution systems, data platforms), infrastructure, integrations, and digital transformation efforts.
• Define and enforce project governance, SDLC and validation-related processes, and reporting cadence; adapt and champion delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) appropriate to regulated environments.
• Develop comprehensive project plans, resource and capacity forecasts, risk and issue logs, dependency maps, and change-control processes aligned with quality and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee requirements management, vendor selection, contract execution, and third-party validation activities; coordinate with QA and validation teams to ensure compliance.
• Provide strong stakeholder engagement across R&D, Clinical, Manufacturing, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, IT Security, Data Governance, and Commercial functions; communicate status, risks, mitigation plans, and decision-ready options to senior leadership and steering committees.
• Manage financial aspects of projects: budget creation, tracking, variance analysis, and forecasting; ensure cost controls and value realization.
• Mentor, coach, and develop project managers and technical leads; establish clear performance expectations and career development plans.
• Lead risk management and contingency planning, including cybersecurity risk assessments and business continuity considerations for critical systems.
• Drive continuous improvement in project delivery, including lessons learned, metrics, and process optimization tied to compliance and quality outcomes.
• Facilitate regulatory readiness activities and audit support, prepare project artifacts for inspections, and ensure traceability of requirements, design, testing, and release records.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive IT project/program management experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role in pharmaceutical or life sciences IT.
• Demonstrated experience delivering GxP-regulated systems, clinical systems (e.g., CTMS, eTMF), laboratory systems (LIMS, ELN), manufacturing systems (MES), or enterprise data platforms.
• Experience with both Agile and Waterfall methodologies and practical experience applying hybrid approaches in regulated projects.
• Proven vendor management experience with CROs, system integrators, and SaaS providers in pharma contexts.
• Excellent communication skills; experience presenting to senior leaders and supporting inspection/audit readiness.
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing project budgets and forecasting.

Required Skills

Accountability, Communication, Measurement Analysis, Portfolio, Programme, and Project Support, Program Management, Risk Management, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Team Management, Waterfall Model

Preferred Skills

PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, or equivalent project/program management certification.

Certifications or training in GxP compliance, IT validation, or regulatory affairs are a plus.

The salary range for this role is $142,400.00 - $224,100.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Employee Status: Regular

Relocation: No

VISA Sponsorship: No

Travel Requirements: 10%

Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid

Shift: Not Indicated

Valid Driving License: No

Hazardous Material(s): N/A

Job Posting End Date: 04/18/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.