Associate Director, Vaccine Manufacturing

MSD; De Soto (KS); On-site; USD 129,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays and vacation

Annual bonus and long-term incentive

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. seeks an Associate Director, Vaccine Manufacturing in De Soto, KS, to lead a high-performance team at the Center of Excellence. You will direct technical teams, shape strategy, manage budgets, and ensure stringent GMP compliance for life-saving veterinary vaccines.

You will drive execution excellence, mentor staff, and partner with QA and regulatory functions to enable successful product releases and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Life Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years in vaccine manufacturing/operations.
• 3+ years in supervisory/management roles with budgets.
• Strong strategic and coaching abilities.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Aseptic techniques and manufacturing principles knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Integrated Process Team to support vaccine manufacturing.
• Oversee budget, planning, and resource allocation.
• Approve SOPs, QA documents, and product releases.
• Support regulatory inspections and validation activities.
• Mentor and develop team members; drive execution excellence.

Skills

Collaborative leadership

GMP

Lean manufacturing

Production operations

Product release

USDA regulations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Science or Engineering

Tools

SAP

Job description

Associate Director, Vaccine Manufacturing

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Animal Health

Our company is investing $895 million in expanding our manufacturing and research & development facilities in De Soto, Kansas — the state’s largest economic development project to date.

As an Associate Director of Vaccine Manufacturing, you will be part of a world-class team at our Center of Excellence in the Animal Health Corridor, contributing directly to the production of veterinary products that improve animal health and welfare globally.

At our company, we are dedicated to advancing the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals through innovative health solutions. We are seeking a passionate and experienced Associate Director, Vaccine Manufacturing to join our team. This role offers an exciting opportunity to lead a dynamic team and contribute to the production of life-saving vaccines. If you are driven by a commitment to excellence and have a strong background in vaccine manufacturing, we invite you to apply.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrated leadership skills in leading technical teams, items include but are not limited to the following:
• Developing Structure & Vision
• Strategic Planning & Resource Allocation
• Business acumen
• Supporting the Team
• Facilitating Agreement & Resolving Conflict
• Execution Excellence
• Coaching & Long-term Development
• Fostering Accountability
• Direct the Integrated Process Team with comprehensive management of all activities required to successfully support vaccine manufacturing.
• Ensure compliance with corporate, site, and departmental procedures associated with the manufacturing of products, and ensure the team is trained on new or revised processes or procedures.
• Review and approve Quality Notifications.
• Author, review, and approve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Serve as subject matter expert for product release matters.
• Lead and/or participate in project management initiatives as appropriate to the Integrated Process Team.
• Provide direct support for regulatory inspections and audits.
• Support validation activities and all other associated Quality-related activities pertaining to the Integrated Process Team.
• Identify and resolve technical and operational issues; collaborate with others to resolve issues.
• Implement Integrated Process Team plans and priorities based on division scorecard and yearly Hoshin Kanri.
• Manage and forecast the budget of the Integrated Process Team.
• Additional duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Life Science, Engineering, or a related field of study.
• Five (5) or more years of relevant experience in the vaccine manufacturing/operations industry.
• Three (3) or more years of supervisory/management experience (people, budget, organization, and results) or equivalent.
• Strategic and effective team-building skills that focus on mentoring and coaching.
• Positive and effective communication skills.
• Demonstration of high analytical and logical problem-solving abilities.
• Working knowledge of aseptic techniques.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing principles and operating systems.

Preferred

• Experience with SAP and inventory control.
• Knowledge of 8-Step Problem Solving, Kata, and other lean coaching tools.

Required Skills: Collaborative Leadership, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Lean Manufacturing, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Operations, People Leadership, People Management, Production Operations, Product Release, USDA Regulations, Vaccine Manufacturing

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

The salary range for this role is $129,000.00 - $203,100.00

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

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: 10%
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Not Applicable
• Shift: 1st - Day
• Valid Driving License: Yes
• Hazardous Material(s): N/A

Job Posting End Date: 10/22/2026*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.