Associate Director, Launch Excellence & Portfolio Capability Management

PR Girl Manifesto; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 97,000 - 153,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck in Milton Keynes is seeking an Associate Director, Launch Excellence & Portfolio Capability Management to drive end-to-end launch and portfolio capability initiatives within Global Commercial Operations. You will collaborate with Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, and regional teams to deliver a consolidated view of launch progress and support executive decision-making.

The role emphasizes leadership, project management, stakeholder engagement, and continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Experience leading cross-functional programs in a global environment.
• Experience in Launch Operations, PMO, or related areas would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead KRD launch squads and govern launch execution across functions.
• Coordinate Launch Excellence governance forums and leadership reviews.
• Develop and refine Launch Excellence capabilities, tools, and processes.
• Provide insights to portfolio decisions and progress updates to leadership.
• Drive organizational enablement through training and enablement programs.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder leadership

Executive communication

Governance facilitation

Data-driven analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent)

Tools

IRIS

Control Tower

Job description

# Associate Director, Launch Excellence & Portfolio Capability ManagementMerckMilton Keynes, BuckinghamshFull-TimeOct 06, 2026Marketing## Job Description**Job Description**The Associate Director, Launch Excellence & Portfolio Capability Management will be a key member of the Global Launch Excellence and Portfolio Management team within Global Commercial Operations. The team is responsible for end-to-end coordination of product launches and portfolio management across Livestock and Companion Animal species. This role will drive the mobilization and execution of Key Revenue Driver (KRD) launch squads, support launch governance processes, and lead the development and continuous improvement of Launch Excellence capabilities, tools, and methodologies, including New Product Prioritization, Control Tower, IRIS administration, and related frameworks. Reporting to the Executive Director, Launch Excellence & Portfolio Management, this individual will partner across Commercial, R&D, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, and regional teams to provide a consolidated view of launch progress, enhance organizational transparency, and enable informed leadership decision making. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, project management, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and operational excellence. **Key Responsibilities** **Key Revenue Driver (KRD) Launch Management** * Partner with cross-functional teams to mobilize and govern Key Revenue Driver (KRD) launch squads.* Serve as the primary Launch Excellence point of contact for designated KRD product launches.* Collaborate with Marketing Leadership to identify Launch Leads and align Project Management resources to support launch execution.* Develop and manage mechanisms to consolidate launch status, risks, milestones, and key decisions across all KRD programs.* Provide leadership with a holistic and transparent view of launch performance and execution progress.* Support onboarding and training of new Project Managers on Launch Excellence methodologies, tools, governance, and best practices. **Launch Governance & Portfolio Coordination** * Serve as a key interface between Launch Excellence and Portfolio Management to ensure alignment across launch programs and portfolio priorities.* Coordinate and facilitate Launch Excellence governance forums, including leadership reviews, regional touchpoints, and internal operating meetings.* Monitor launch performance, risks, dependencies, and critical milestones, escalating issues as appropriate.* Support portfolio decision-making by providing launch-related insights, progress updates, and recommendations. **Capability Development & Continuous Improvement** * Own the development, deployment, and continuous enhancement of Launch Excellence capabilities, frameworks, and operating models.* Lead ongoing refinement of tools and processes, including New Product Prioritization, Control Tower, IRIS, and other launch management solutions.* Capture and institutionalize lessons learned from launches to continuously improve methodologies and ways of working.* Identify and drive functional and cross-functional process improvement opportunities across the launch ecosystem.* Measure and track Launch Excellence KPIs to evaluate performance and identify areas for optimization.* Organizational Enablement & Communications* Drive Launch Excellence awareness, adoption, and organizational capability building across global teams.* Partner with Learning & Development and functional stakeholders to design and deliver training, communications, and enablement programs.* Develop toolkits, playbooks, best practices, and knowledge-sharing resources that strengthen launch capabilities across the organization.* Promote a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and operational excellence. **Operational Support** * Manage day-to-day IRIS administrative activities and related governance processes.* Maintain launch data integrity, reporting standards, and portfolio visibility tools.* Support special projects and strategic initiatives sponsored by the Launch Excellence and Portfolio Management leadership team. **Required Qualifications & Experience** **Education** * Bachelor's degree required.* Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent) preferred. **Experience** * Minimum of 5 years of experience in Launch Operations, PMO, Process Excellence, Commercial Operations, Capability Building, or related disciplines.* Demonstrated experience managing complex cross-functional programs in a matrixed global environment.* Experience developing and implementing frameworks, methodologies, toolkits, or governance models.* Strong understanding of commercialization, launch management, portfolio management, and product development processes within Animal Health or related industries. **Key Skills & Competencies** * Strong project and program management capabilities.* Proven ability to influence and lead without direct authority across stakeholder groups.* Excellent executive communication, presentation, and storytelling skills.* Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership.* Experience facilitating governance forums and decision-making processes.* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven mindset.**Required Skills:**Adaptability, Business Case Development, Change Management, Data Analysis Tools, Financial Management, Operations Management, Pharmaceutical Industry, Project Management, Results-Oriented, Six Sigma, Strategic Planning, Systems Analysis**Preferred Skills:**Current Employees apply$129,000.00 - $203,100.00RegularDomestic/InternationalYes10%HybridNot IndicatedNoN/A10/19/2026