Associate Director, Project Management - Value & Implementation (VIPM) (Hybrid)

Merck; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 142,000 - 224,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck is seeking a Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) VIPM Associate Director to lead value & implementation projects across diverse therapeutic areas. You will guide cross-functional teams, develop integrated project plans, and influence stakeholders to drive execution and process improvements within GPAM.

The role offers hybrid flexibility with locations in Rahway, NJ and other sites, engaging in leadership, mentorship, and strategic initiatives to advance R&D programs.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in project management or related role, pharma/biotech preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or applied discipline required; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage Value and Implementation processes across complex projects.
• Lead cross-functional teams and drive integrated project plans.
• Maintain enterprise project information and proactively identify risks.
• Mentor and oversee Specialist project managers and share best practices.

Skills

Cross-Functional Leadership

Project Management

Adaptability

Stakeholder Influence

Risk Management

Strategic Planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Job Description

Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) is part of the Research and Development organization at our Company, which is also referred to as our Company's Research Laboratories. GPAM is comprised of Project Managers in Value & Implementation (which is this job), Development, and CMC; Discovery Portfolio Managers; Alliance Managers; Project Management Office (PMO); and Administrative Professionals.

Position Description/Summary:

The GPAM Associate Director, Value & Implementation Project Manager (VIPM), is a core member of Value & Implementation (V&I) Team, partnering with team leaders to develop strategies and execute our Company's drug and vaccine V&I efforts to progress the R&D pipeline and realize its full potential. The Associate Director is expected to provide project management leadership and drive cross-functional teams with sufficient influence and mastery of project management to take on challenging assignments with minimal guidance. Projects could span any therapeutic areas in which our Company is actively engaged. In addition to project work, the Associate Director is expected to contribute to ongoing business process improvement and talent development in GPAM.

This position may be based in either Rahway, NJ; Upper Gwynedd, PA; or Zurich, Switzerlan d.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Managing the Value and Implementation process, including projects of significant complexity; driving cross-functional teams and leading by influence to develop comprehensive strategies and ensure successful execution.
• Act as enterprise leaders by guiding teams through the creation, approval, and execution of integrated project plans appropriate to the project's phase of development and complexity. This includes integrating strategic and tactical input from disciplines (e.g., Medical Affairs, Outcomes Research, Market Access, Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, Commercial, and other areas) as applicable to the project.
• Building and maintaining project plans and critical project information in enterprise project management systems and databases. Using these tools to integrate activities across key team members, proactively identify risks, and ensure clear and effective communication with key team, management, and cross-departmental stakeholders.
• Leveraging relationships and networks to improve and enhance team dynamics; proactively identifying and removing obstacles to drive business results.
• Navigating our Company process and organizational norms to enable teams to understand corporate business requirements, thereby enabling decision-making.
• Leading key team meetings including creating thoughtful agendas, ensuring appropriate participation, contributing project management insights, and following up to ensure the team continues to make progress while holding others accountable.
• Participating in GPAM departmental initiatives and workstreams aimed at improving the way that we work and the way that we interact with one another as well as other departments. Improving business processes to find new efficiencies and connect people to the information that they need.
• Providing mentoring, coaching, and oversight to Specialist and Senior Specialist project managers working on common projects. Sharing lessons learned and best practices to impact the GPAM community positively.

Required Education, Experience, And Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree required; concentration in a scientific or applied discipline preferred
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in project management or a related role required; in a pharmaceutical/biotech industry preferred

Preferred Experience And Skills:

• Advanced degree (e.g., MPH, MS, MBA, Ph.D., PharmD) preferred
• Experience and knowledge of different components of value and implementation strongly preferred; including how the various functional areas contribute to a comprehensive strategy
• Project management certification (PMP) and/or formal coursework/training in project management strongly preferred

Travel Requirements:

• 10%

Required Skills:

• Adaptability
• Biostatistics
• Business Processes
• Business Process Improvements
• Change Management
• Clinical Research
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Drug Development
• Multiple Therapeutic Areas
• Outcomes Research
• Process Optimization
• Program Implementation
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Management Information Systems (PMIS)
• Project Planning
• Publications Management
• Regulatory Compliance
• Risk Management
• Sourcing and Procurement
• Strategic Planning
• Strategic Thinking

Preferred Skills:

• Implementation Management
• Implementation Planning
• Matrix Leadership

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.

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

Salary Range

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.

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 relocation

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:

09/21/2026

• 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.

Requisition ID: R409953