Senior Director, Quality Assurance

MSD International; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 131,000 - 206,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. seeks a Senior Director to lead the Biologics, DP, & Device Platform Lead in Third Party Quality Management & Due Diligence. You will oversee a vendor base providing biologics, sterile and non‑sterile products, and medical devices, driving global TPQM strategy and quality performance.

You will manage a team of 9+ and collaborate with senior leaders to mitigate risk, improve processes, and ensure regulatory compliance across development programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, biology, chemistry, or related field.
• A minimum of 10+ years of relevant pharmaceutical industry experience; advanced degree with 8+ years acceptable.
• Experience interacting with regulatory officials and external auditing parties.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic operational TPQM initiatives and manage a team of Quality professionals.
• Define and drive quality performance and compliance for TPQM across vendors.
• Coach and develop team members supporting personal development and expertise.
• Interact with senior management on regulatory matters and cross‑functional projects.
• Drive continuous improvement of third‑party quality processes to mitigate risk.

Skills

Scientific expertise

Regulatory knowledge

Quality management

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

People management

Risk management

Auditing experience

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/biology/chemistry

Advanced degree with 8+ years experience

Tools

GMP knowledge

Quality systems

Regulatory auditing

Job description

Job Description

The Senior Director, Biologics, DP, & Device Platform Lead, Third Party Quality Management & Due Diligence (TPQM & DD), Global Development Quality is responsible for providing expert strategic, scientific and operational leadership to teams. This position will lead strategic operational initiatives, build talent across the organization, and oversee third‑party contractors and vendors providing biologic drug substance, sterile and non‑sterile bulk drug product, and medical device and combination product including design and assembly in support of our Company’s clinical supply chain. This position is responsible for a team of >9 professionals. Key areas of responsibility include defining and driving the quality performance and ensuring compliance robustness on behalf of TPQM across a designated vendor base. This includes supporting the development and execution of a strategic global vision for TPQM and influencing the same for key stakeholder in multiple business areas. This role will provide specific quality support and be responsible for supporting the development and driving the execution of the continuous improvement of third‑party quality processes within a high-impact vendor base to minimize and mitigate risk to our Company development programs.

Primary Activities

The position will require an in‑depth close collaboration with the vendor quality and technical personnel and associated interaction with their functional equivalents in the specific source area on executing against strategic objectives related to the designated vendor base. This will also include navigating technically highly complex quality related matters, both process improvements and significant quality issues and events. Supervise a group of ~9 Quality professionals. An advanced level of knowledge of the clinical development process and of the associated stakeholder organizations is required for this role in addition to technical and quality expertise and experience to enable the incumbent to carry the necessary level of credibility to the stakeholder areas as well as with the vendors at senior levels to be successful.

In addition to the high‑level responsibilities discussed above, the incumbent is expected to independently execute on the following:

• Execute the daily operational TPQM support for the biologics drug substance and sterile and non‑sterile drug product vendor bases related to the most complex activities that our Company outsources, with the associated potential for high impact to the development portfolio.


• Supporting the development of and driving the execution of quality strategies, improvement initiatives in line with business drivers and objectives.


• Provide close support to our Company’s Global Auditing group in relation to audits conducted and mitigation activities in regard to audit observations for the designated vendor base.


• Interacting cross‑functionally and cross‑divisionally with senior management on quality/regulatory matters as well as special projects, and externally with inspectors and colleagues in industry in relation to the designated vendor base.


• Driving the resolution of contractor / vendor related business practice, Quality and/ or compliance issues of high‑impact scope and highest level of complexity on cross‑functional and/ or cross‑divisional basis in relation to the designated vendor base.


• Provision of in‑depth technical / quality expertise re; identification of trends and/or potential compliance gaps and proactively leading the resolution of long‑standing or significant issues affecting quality and efficiency.


• Where appropriate, coaching, mentoring and developing team members supporting their personal development and also colleagues in areas of expertise.

Skills

• Strong scientific/ technical expertise in R&D activities, coupled with the ability to interact with and influence scientific subject matter experts and senior leaders on various product initiatives and issues.


• Strong compliance knowledge and understanding of regulatory agency regulations and requirements and interpretation and application re; GMPs to a R&D environment.


• Possess deep drug development knowledge; demonstrated ability to facilitate training and learning with colleagues and apply knowledge to enhance the drug development process.


• Demonstrated knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies; ability to direct complex cross‑functional initiatives.


• Demonstrated leadership, incl. strategy deployment experience, in a pharmaceutical environment.


• Proven track record of delivering tangible benefits from process improvement activities in a pharmaceutical environment.


• Demonstrated experience in quality risk management in the pharmaceutical industry.


• Strongly developed cross‑functional teamwork, collaboration, influencing and negotiation skills.


• Strong demonstrated skills in communicating (oral and written) effectively with diverse individuals/groups.


• Experienced and strong people manager with proven track record of developing talent.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Biology, Chemistry, or related field.


• A minimum of 10+ years of relevant experience working within the pharmaceutical industry or advanced Degree with 8+ years relevant experience.


• Experience interacting with regulatory officials and external auditing parties.

Required Skills

Coaching, Coaching, Compliance Reporting, Detail‑Oriented, External Manufacturing, Leadership Theories, Mentoring Staff, Operational Quality, Organizational Talent, People Leadership, Persuasion, Policy Implementation, Process Improvements, Quality Assurance Systems, Quality Compliance, Quality Management, Quality Management Systems (QMS), Quality Metrics, Quality Standards, Situational Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Objectives, Supplier Auditing, Task Allocation, Team Collaboration {+ 2 more}

Inclusion and Accommodations

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities.

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.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre‑existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status

Regular

Relocation

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship

No

Travel Requirements

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid

Shift

1st - Day

Valid Driving License

No

Hazardous Material(s)

N/A

Job Posting End Date

10/12/2026

Requisition ID

R420708

Salary and Compensation

The salary range for this role is $173,200.00 - $272,600.00. 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.

Benefits

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.