Director, Group Portfolio Execution

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany; Burlington (MA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 228,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

PTO (paid time off)

Retirement contributions

Job summary

EMD Serono in Burlington, MA seeks a Director, Group Portfolio Execution to own end-to-end integration and carve-out execution for strategic deals. Reporting to the Head of Portfolio Execution (VP), you will lead a high-energy, matrixed team across functions to deliver complex integrations with rigor and accountability.

You will shape integration strategy, manage milestones, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive post-closing services while safeguarding value creation and stakeholder alignment

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance or related field.
• Minimum 6 years of experience with global, matrixed organizations.
• Minimum 6 years of management consulting or similar positions with cross-functional leadership.
• Demonstrated 2+ years of leading post-merger integrations and / or carve-outs.
• 2+ years of leadership experience.
• Industry knowledge in Life Science / Healthcare and/or Electronics.

Responsibilities

• Represent integration interests during due diligence.
• Lead end-to-end integration or carve-out projects with cross-functional teams.
• Design and drive structured integration plans with milestones and adaptable timelines.
• Build partnerships with stakeholders and provide clear direction and accountability.
• Drive future target operating model design and sign-off.
• Ensure smooth delivery at country level.
• Govern governance across workstreams and maintain focus on value drivers.
• Identify and mitigate risks; enable fast, data-driven decision making.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements during transactions.
• Plan and manage integration/separation budgets.
• Address people and organizational aspects in integrations.

Skills

Global matrixed organizations

Leadership experience

Cross-functional leadership

Program / project management

Analytics / problem solving

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Change management

Education

Master's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance or related fields

MBA degree

Job description

Work Your Magic with us! Start your next chapter and join EMD Serono.

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

United As One for Patients, our purpose in Healthcare is to help create, improve and prolong lives. We develop medicines, intelligent devices and innovative technologies in therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Neurology and Fertility. Our teams work together across 6 continents with passion and relentless curiosity in order to help patients at every stage of life. Joining our Healthcare team is becoming part of a diverse, inclusive and flexible working culture, presenting great opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe.

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

Your Role

As a Director, Group Portfolio Execution, you will own the end-to-end integration and carve-out execution for our small to mid-size strategic deals. Reporting to the Head of Portfolio Execution (VP), you will be joining a highly energetic, mission-driven team of experienced integration and carve-out leaders managing these strategic initiatives across the three sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Represent integration interests during due diligence.
• Own and lead assigned integration or carve-out projects end-to-end – serving as the primary point of contact with full accountability across all workstreams.
• Design and drive a structured, disciplined implementation strategy – from project set-up and timeline planning through milestone delivery – dynamically adapting and recalibrating plans as the situation evolves.
• Build trusted partnerships and align with key stakeholders and business leaders, mobilizing necessary cross-functional team members and providing clear direction and oversight for accountabilities and assignments.
• Drive creation and sign-off of the future target operating model.
• Ensure smooth delivery at country level.
• Orchestrate high-impact workstream governance – establishing meeting cadence, creating and deploying common frameworks for feedback, inputs, and deliverables within a business unit and across our company – keeping all teams laser-focused on value drivers and key enablers across the company.
• Drive fast decision-making – proactively identifying and resolving risks and pivoting course decisively to protect deal success.
• Ensure full compliance with legal and regulatory requirements throughout the transaction lifecycle, safeguarding our organizational and financial interests.
• Plan and manage overall integration / separation cost budget.
• Ensure people and organizational aspects (culture, org design, retention and engagement, capability identification and preservation) are appropriately considered and managed in integrations.
• Lead the end-to-end definition, implementation, and delivery of post-closing services (incl. Manufacturing Supply Agreements (MSAs) and Transitional Service Agreements (TSAs) in carve-out projects. Lead and manage timely and effective post-closing agreement exit in integrations.
• Understand and communicate concerns, motivations and needs of all entities to ensure maximum benefit is realized and business momentum is maintained / increased.
• Track and report performance against agreed-upon milestones and deliverables (as well as top- and bottom-line synergy / value creation targets in integrations).
• Maintain a structured approach for keeping all relevant stakeholders informed – reporting integration / carve-out progress against financial and non-financial targets, surfacing roadblocks, and driving timely escalation to senior leadership.
• Create a clear roadmap and transition plan for handover and ongoing ownership.
• Actively coach and develop junior team members.
• Continuously evolve transaction execution-related best practices and engage in best-practice building.

Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree, e.g., in Business Administration, Economics, Finance or related fields
• Minimum 6 years of experience with global, matrixed organizations
• Minimum 6 years of experience in management consulting or similar positions, with demonstrated success in steering large, cross-functional teams and overseeing substantial resources in complex environments
• Demonstrated minimum 2 years of leading operational post-merger integrations and / or carve-outs across various deal types (e.g., share deals, asset deals, standalone / incubator integrations, spin-off).
• Minimum 2 years of leadership experience
• Broad-based knowledge and project experience in the industries in which our company operates (Life Science / Healthcare and / or Electronics) – with curiosity about the technologies shaping our future
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail
• Good balance of strategic and operational strength
• Exceptional organizational skills, with ability to work in an agile manner and change course as required; able to systematically work through ambiguity
• Skilled at building credibility and networks – from working teams to C-suite – both internally and with external partners
• Strong business acumen – deep understanding of business processes / operating models, with knowledge of financial analysis, ROI analysis and key performance indicators
• Continuous learning orientation and ability to quickly acquire new skills and domain knowledge in evolving business contexts
• Strong drive, especially in fast-paced, complex and high-pressure environments, showing resilience and adaptability
• Proven ability to make sound, data-driven decisions with confidence and minimal need for escalation
• Culturally and politically savvy, strong in change management and communications

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA degree
• Proficient financial literacy and experience in financial due diligence, valuation, and M&A lifecycle
• Multi-year experience in strategy, business development, portfolio management, investment banking, or related field is a plus
• AI literacy or interest in AI – including critical thinking and experience with AI tools, concepts and prompt engineering to accelerate project execution and drive synergies

Location

Burlington, MA (3 days per week)

Travel: <10% travel; International and Domestic

Pay range for this position: $151,900.00 - $227,900.00

The offer range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base pay compensation for this position. The actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level of experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors. Position may be eligible for sales or performance-based bonuses. Benefits offered by the Company include health insurance, paid time off (PTO), retirement contributions, and other perquisites.

What we offer

We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!