Director, Contract Testing Laboratories Quality Oversight

MSD; West Point (PA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 273,000; Full time

Job summary

MSD is seeking a Director to lead the CTL Quality Oversight for external testing and cell banking. You will drive strategy, governance, and risk-based oversight to ensure GLP/GMP compliance and patient safety across global contracted testing services.

The role requires a bachelor’s in a scientific discipline and 10+ years in quality systems with a strong track record in investigations, regulatory interactions, and leadership. Travel ~30% is expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Quality Systems, Quality Assurance, and/or Quality Control within pharmaceutical manufacturing operations under global GMP and health authority requirements.
• Proven track record managing complex quality investigations, assessing risk, and making timely, data-driven decisions.
• Strong compliance background with experience supporting regulatory inspections and health authority interactions.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing teams.
• Ability to travel approximately 30% of the time, including occasional short-notice travel.

Responsibilities

• Leads the strategy, organisational design, budget oversight and performance management of CTLs and cell banking QA oversight.
• Establishes risk-based quality oversight model for CTLs and cell banking. Oversees GLP/GMP compliance and analytical testing.
• Provides operational leadership to QA teams ensuring testing, storage and retention meet regulatory requirements.
• Oversees investigations, OOS, deviations impacting launches or supply continuity; drives remediation and corrective actions.
• Mentor and develop a high-performing QA team and promote accountability and collaboration across sites.

Skills

Change Management

Coaching

Data Integrity

Decision Making

Good Lab Practices

Regulatory Compliance

People Leadership

Quality Auditing

Quality Management

Product Testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in science

Job description

Director, Contract Testing Laboratories Quality Oversight

The Director, Contract Testing Laboratories (CTL) Quality Oversight is a critical leadership role within our external Quality organization. The incumbent is accountable implementing Divisional and Company policies, procedures, and guidelines, and for Quality Assurance responsibilities for our company’s contracted testing services globally. This role ensures that all product modalities (drug substance, drug product, finished product) tested at CTLs are analyzed and that cell banking manufacture and storage is in accordance with Company standards and all applicable regulatory requirements, meeting both internal and external customer demands and protecting patient safety.

Primary responsibilities

Leads the strategy, organisational design, budget oversight and performance management of the contract testing laboratories and cell bank quality oversight organisation. Establishes and maintains a risk-based quality oversight model for our company’s contract testing laboratories. Establishes and maintains a risk-based quality oversight model for cell banking. Provides operational leadership to the contract testing laboratories accountable for drug substance, drug product and finished product testing. Provides Quality oversight of the contract testing laboratories to ensure products are tested, stored and retained in accordance with regulatory expectations, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and our company’s requirements. Provides Quality oversight to resolve quality issues, out-of-specification (OOS) investigations, and deviations that could impact launch or supply continuity representing all using sites and functions. Provides Quality oversight for analytical technology transfer. Defines clear performance expectations, metrics and governance routines to monitor and improve quality and operational performance. Lead Quality assessments for prospective contract test laboratories or new method citing and ensure gaps are remediated appropriately. Establish and maintain Quality agreements to protect our company’s quality and compliance requirements. Direct, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of quality assurance professionals dedicated to external testing laboratory oversight. Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, operational excellence, and proactive problem-solving across the internal organisation and external testing network.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline required.

Required Experience and Skills

• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in Quality Systems, Quality Assurance, and/or Quality Control within pharmaceutical manufacturing operations under global GMP and health authority requirements.
• Proven track record managing complex quality investigations, assessing risk, and making timely, data-driven decisions.
• Strong compliance background with experience supporting regulatory inspections and health authority interactions.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing teams.
• Ability to travel approximately 30% of the time, including occasional short-notice travel.

Preferred Technical/ Functional Skills

• Advanced degree in a relevant scientific or technical field.
• Experience leading external partners across biologics or vaccines.
• Prior leadership of a multinational organization with direct accountability for partner performance, compliance, and supply support.
• Strong knowledge of quality governance models, supplier oversight, and risk-based quality management systems.
• Experience partnering with leadership at external partners to influence performance, strengthen quality systems, and accelerate remediation.
• Broader exposure to operations, engineering, supply chain, and commercial functions.
• Experience leading transformation, standardization, or continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Skills

• Change Management
• Change Management
• Coaching
• Data Integrity
• Decision Making
• Good Lab Practices
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Legal Compliance
• Manufacturing Quality Control
• Operational Efficiency
• Operational Quality
• Organizational Leadership
• People Leadership
• Performance Improvements
• Performance Metrics
• Performance Plans
• Product Testing
• Quality Assurance Processes
• Quality Assurance Systems
• Quality Auditing
• Quality Control Management
• Quality Control Systems
• Quality Management
• Quality Management Standards
• Quality Measurements {+ 10 more}

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 primary location for this posting is: USA - Pennsylvania - West Point

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is: $173,200.00 - $272,600.00 This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information: 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: No VISA Sponsorship: No Travel Requirements: 10% Flexible Work Arrangements: Remote Shift: 1st - Day Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): n/a

Job Posting End Date: 10/30/2026

Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where we have codified our legacy for over a century. Our success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.