Associate Director, Community Engagement Lead

Merck; West Point (PA); Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck is seeking a Community Engagement Lead at the West Point site to design and execute a long-range workforce development and community engagement strategy for SEPA. The role builds sustainable talent pipelines, strengthens regional partnerships, and champions skills-based hiring to support biopharmaceutical manufacturing growth.

The successful candidate will align HR, Manufacturing, R&D, and Communications to integrate community initiatives with site planning, driving inclusive programs and

Qualifications

• Experience building workforce pipelines and partnerships.
• Ability to align HR, Manufacturing, R&D, and Communications.
• Knowledge of apprenticeship programs and education partnerships.
• Experience with data/analytics for workforce planning.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Ecosystem Leadership & External Partnerships: Serve as the external liaison for regional workforce ecosystems and partners.
• Long-Range Biomanufacturing Workforce Strategy & Program Scaling: Architect multi-year workforce development strategies and scale pathways.
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Business Integration: Lead cross-functional teams to align community initiatives with site planning.
• Championing Inclusive, 'Skills-First' Talent Pathways: Drive skills-based hiring and D&I initiatives to broaden talent pools.
• Data-Driven Workforce Planning & Continuous Improvement: Define KPIs and translate data into actionable insights.

Skills

External partnerships

Workforce strategy

Skills-based hiring

Diversity & inclusion

Education

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

High School Diploma/GED

Job description

Job Description

As a leader in our biopharmaceutical manufacturing network, the Community Engagement Lead drives the design and execution of an integrated, long-range workforce development and community engagement strategy for the West Point site and greater Southeast Pennsylvania (SEPA) region. Focused on the future of biomanufacturing, this role builds sustainable talent pipelines, strengthens regional partnerships, and champions skills-based hiring.

• Strategic Ecosystem Leadership & External Partnerships - Serve as the primary external liaison representing the Southern PA sites across regional workforce, education, and industry ecosystems. You will build and manage strategic partnerships with K-12 schools, technical colleges, workforce boards, and community-based organizations. By representing the site on advisory boards and coalitions, you will leverage executive-ready communications to advocate for shared-value initiatives and promote our employer brand.
• Long-Range Biomanufacturing Workforce Strategy & Program Scaling - Architect and operationalize multi-year, end-to-end workforce development strategies tailored to the site’s biopharmaceutical production goals and enterprise priorities. You will design, pilot, and scale high-impact pathway models—including apprenticeships, experiential learning, and STEM workforce exposure initiatives—to ensure a continuous, future-ready supply of technical and operational talent.
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Business Integration - Convene and lead cross-functional teams across HR, Manufacturing Operations, R&D, and Communications to ensure community initiatives seamlessly integrate with long-term site planning. You will influence stakeholders at all levels to align local execution with broader enterprise workforce strategies, effectively translating critical manufacturing capability needs into actionable education and training partnerships.
• Championing Inclusive, "Skills-First" Talent Pathways - Drive the adoption of skills-based hiring practices and role re-credentialing through structured change management. In this capacity, you will lead enterprise-aligned D&I initiatives focused on access, visibility, and career progression for underutilized and non-traditional talent populations, directly expanding the talent pool for critical manufacturing and technical roles.
• Data-Driven Workforce Planning & Continuous Improvement - Define and track key performance indicators across the long-range talent pipeline, measuring exposure, attraction, conversion, and retention. You will translate complex workforce data into actionable insights for site leadership decision-making, utilizing feedback and operational rigor to continuously refine programs and ensure they meet the evolving, high-stakes demands of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

• Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) - Ability to analyze long-range site production capacities, retirement curves, and technological shifts (e.g., automation, digital shop floors) to project 3-to-5-year talent requirements. Prevents critical talent shortages by proactively aligning training pipelines with future manufacturing capabilities.
• "Skills-First" Architecture - Expertise in simplifying traditional roles into core competencies, implementing job-role re-credentialing, and designing non-traditional assessment frameworks. Expands the talent pool and accelerates hiring by focusing on proven capability rather than pedigree (e.g., 4-year degrees).
• Vocational & Curriculum Design - Deep understanding of curriculum mapping, apprenticeship structure regulations (such as federally registered programs), and experiential learning models. Ensures external educational programs produce graduates with day-one readiness for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) environments.
• Workforce Analytics & KPI Modeling - Proficiency in designing dashboards that track pipeline metrics from early exposure (STEM events) through conversion (hiring) and retention. Translates program success into quantifiable financial and operational ROI for executive leadership.
• Ecosystem & Public Policy Navigation - Familiarity with public workforce funding mechanisms (e.g., WIOA grants), regional economic development incentives, and educational system governance. Maximizes non-dilutive funding and co-investment opportunities with state and local entities to scale programs.

• Systemic Influence & Change Management - Proven ability to drive cultural shifts (such as adopting skills-based hiring) across deeply entrenched traditional hiring structures. Successfully aligns skeptical hiring managers, cross-functional partners, and site executives behind new talent attraction strategies.
• Ecosystem Orchestration - Superb relationship-building skills capable of aligning competing external stakeholders (academic institutions, industry peers, community groups) toward shared goals. Positions the site as the premier employer of choice and primary voice in regional workforce coalitions.
• High-Impact Communication & Advocacy - Ability to translate complex site operational data into inspiring stories for community groups, or grassroots community trends into business-case presentations for executives. Secures internal budget and external community buy-in by effectively bridging the gap between grassroots needs and corporate strategy.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Experience convening and leading matrixed teams across disparate departments, such as Engineering, Digital/IT, Legal, EHS, HR, and Operations. Eliminates operational silos, ensuring that community engagement initiatives are not just "nice to have," but are fully integrated with daily manufacturing realities.

Education

• High School Diploma/GED with minimum 15 years of relevant experience - or
• Bachelor's degree in Workforce Development, Education, Human Resources, Business, Communications, Public Policy, STEM, or a related field with 11 years of relevant experience - or
• Master's degree in Workforce Development, Education, Human Resources, Business, Communications, Public Policy, STEM, or a related field with 9 years of relevant experience
• Relevant experience includes workforce development, community engagement, public affairs, talent strategy, workforce planning, education partnerships, program management, skills-based hiring, or manufacturing workforce initiatives.
  

Preferred

• Experience in biopharmaceuticals, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, or other regulated industries.
• Experience building workforce pipelines, apprenticeship programs, and educational partnerships.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience with skills-based hiring, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and workforce analytics.
  

US And Puerto Rico Residents Only

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

Requirements

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 $129,000.00 - $203,100.00

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.

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

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

• 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.