Assoc Dir. - Vaccine Analytical Projects and Process Improvements
Merck
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Merck seeks an Associate Director to lead a team of scientists in vaccine-focused analytical projects within quality control labs at the West Point site. You will drive instrument replacements, method transfers, validation, and modernization while ensuring compliant, timely delivery.
You will provide project leadership across cross-functional teams, guiding priority setting, escalation, and collaboration with QA, CMC-Regulatory, and external partners to enable robust vaccine analytics in a
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree with eight years, Master’s with six, or PhD with four years of relevant experience in vaccine analytical testing, quality control, method validation, method transfer, technical operations, or project leadership.
- Experience leading scientific or technical teams with coaching, prioritization, and performance management.
- Strong GMP Quality Control analytical testing background, preferably supporting commercial vaccine products.
- Experience with analytical method lifecycle management, validation, transfer, and method implementation.
Responsibilities
- Lead a team of scientists responsible for vaccine-focused analytical projects in quality control labs.
- Oversee instrument replacements, method transfers, validation, qualification, and modernization.
- Provide people leadership, project leadership, prioritization, and escalation support.
- Collaborate across West Point site and global quality organizations to ensure compliant, efficient operations.
Skills
Education
Job description
We are seeking an Associate Director to lead a team of scientists responsible for vaccine-focused analytical projects supporting vaccine quality control labs. This role will oversee high-priority initiatives across the commercial vaccine testing portfolio, including instrument replacements, method replacements, analytical method transfers, method validation and implementation support, equipment qualification, and method modernization. The role will be located in West Point, PA.
The Associate Director will provide people leadership, project leadership, prioritization, and escalation support to ensure reliable, compliant, and sustainable vaccine analytical testing. The role requires strong collaboration across West Point Quality Laboratories, GQ-LMAS, manufacturing, technical support, engineering, development, Quality Assurance, CMC-Regulatory, and external laboratory partners.
The successful candidate will be a strong scientific and project leader with experience in GMP Quality Control, vaccine analytical testing, method lifecycle management, and cross-functional execution in a fast-paced laboratory environment.
- Bachelor’s degree with eight (8) years, Master’s degree with six (6) years, or PhD with four (4) years of relevant experience in vaccine analytical testing, quality control, method validation, method transfer, technical operations, laboratory project execution, or project leadership.
- Experience leading scientific or technical teams, including coaching, prioritization, performance management, and talent development.
- Strong background in GMP Quality Control analytical testing, preferably supporting commercial vaccine products.
- Experience with analytical method lifecycle management, method validation, method transfer, technical change implementation, and QC method sustainment.
- Experience managing analytical projects across multiple vaccine programs, laboratories, or technical areas.
- Experience with instrument replacement, equipment qualification, method replacement, method modernization, analytical transfer, or test method implementation projects.
- Strong organizational, project management, communication, and escalation skills.
- Ability to influence decisions and drive execution in a matrixed West Point site and global quality environment.
- Experience supporting vaccine analytical testing in a West Point Quality Laboratory or comparable commercial vaccine QC environment.
- Experience with vaccine analytical methods such as bioassays, immunoassays, chromatography, biochemical, biophysical, molecular, microbiological, or characterization methods.
- Experience with deviations, laboratory investigations, change control, assay monitoring, data trending, continuous improvement, inspection readiness, or regulatory support.
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit: EEOC Know Your Rights EEOC GINA Supplement We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts
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.
- medical
- dental
- vision healthcare
- other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
- retirement benefits
- 401(k)
- paid holidays
- vacation
- compassionate and sick days
More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
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
Regular
No relocation
No
10%
Not Applicable
1st - Day
No
NA
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