Discovery Sourcing Operations Specialist

MSD; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking an In Vitro Operations Specialist to manage transactional activities related to external studies. This role involves collaboration with scientists and stakeholders, ensuring compliance, and optimizing workflows. Ideal candidates will have a BA/BS and relevant experience in in vitro biology. Strong organizational and communication skills are essential for success in this fast-paced environment.

Benefits

Bonus Eligibility

Health Care Benefits

Retirement Benefits

Paid Holidays

Vacation

Sick Days

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years relevant work experience.
• Scientifically conversant in basic in vitro biology and pharmacology.
• Proven track record of managing high volume transactional work.

Responsibilities

• Manage in vitro Purchase Orders and follow best practices.
• Ensure contracts with external parties are in place.
• Develop subject matter expertise in sourcing workflows.

Skills

Organizational Skills

Communication

Data Analysis

Education

BA/BS

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Job Description

In vitro Operations Specialist , Sourcing Operations

This individual contributor role, with moderate oversight, will have responsibility for processing high volume of transactional activities associated with executing in vitro studies at external CROs or collaborators, in support of Discovery, Pre-Clinical and Translational Medicine (DPTM) .

• This cross-functional support position will be directly accountable to the broad er DPTM Op erations team, and interface with benchtop Scientists , External Scientific Leads, Finance , and Procurement to ensure that Purchase Orders (POs) are generated to initiate external work, and that invoices are reconciled for payment in a policy-compliant manner.

• The respon sibiliti es of this position will extend to utilizing a suite of IT applications and financial systems to track ongoing work, monitor payments , enter accruals, and provide reports to functional area leadership .

• In addition, it is expected that the successful candidate will develop sufficient expertise in these tools an d processes to effectively troubleshoot issues, propose solutions for workflow improvements, and document best practices, including the authorship of Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs).

Taking direction from the DPTM Operations team, based on input from the broader network of scienti fic and business stakeholders, the Operations Specialist will perform the following activities, and exhibit the following collaborative behaviors:

• Transactional business s upport of externalized in vitro research studies ( i.e. screening and counterscreening) at external CROs and collaborators.

• Ensure that project details for work done externally are appropriately captured in relevant IT systems and tracking tools.

• Verify that contracts and agreements with outside partie s ar e in place prior to initiating any work at external suppliers.

• Initiate Pu rchase Orders (POs) based on pre-defined scope of work and communicate to relevant stakeholders that work may proceed ( e.g. Operat ions team, Finance, initiating scientists , and external sup pliers ).

• Upon invoicing, verify project deliverables with initiating scientist and document status in audit-compliant manner, prior to triggering payment approvals.

• Maintain accurate records for all open POs, incremental payments, and close-out activities. Provide recurrent reports of partner performance metrics and business analytics for budget management .

• Manage and monitor in v itro Pur chase Orders and follow PO best practices.

• Promote and adhere to corporate policies, ensuring c ompl iance and protection of company assets, completing due dil igence activities prior to initiating purchase orders, recognizing that this position is responsible for the handling of confidential and sensitive corporate information .

• Work with logistics to optimize the shipment of compounds or other materials to external partners and minimize cycle times

• Assist with CRO relationship management activities ( i.e. feedback, governance meetings, onboarding/off boarding external partners)

IT systems and Tools

• Serve as the applicatio n adminis trator for DPTM forecasting/financial tracking and data analytics tool s to monitor and ensure data integrity.

• Develop subject matter expertise (SME) in all tools and workflows that support the sourcing process.

• Be able to troubleshoot tool s f or scientific workflow s ( i.e. Microsoft TEAMS spaces and AWS S3 buckets) and issues associated with PO generation, invoice reconciliation and part ner payments . Engage the network of stakeholders and partners to monitor and resolve these issues in a timely manner.

• Author and update of SOGs and communicate best practices as they pertain to the sourcing PO and invoicing workflows.

• I dentify opportunities to improve the future-state of sourcing workflows and tools, contributing to user acceptance testing (UAT) for new applications.

Collaboration/communication

• Develop and foster effective working relationships with the DPTM Operations team members and the broader Externalization Management Group (EMG) , partnering on day-to day activit ies, and s eeking to understand the roles and responsibilities of each team member.

• Get to know key contacts across the extended network of cross-functional stakeholders worldwide involved in external project execution, knowing when to leverage their input and assistance.

• Take a customer service-minded and project - management approach to enabling the PO and invoicing activities, balancing the need to address emergent issues with other time sensitive project priorities.

• Seek to find win-win solutions to problems, taking time to understand the underlying variables, and negotiate to a mutually agreeable action plan.

• Keep stakeholders informed of the status and progress of transactions, especially where processing timelines may be extended.

• Be able to collaborate with external suppliers and internal stakeholders outside of normal business hours.

Qualifications

Education: Required: BA/BS

Required Experience:

• Minimum of (2) years relevant work experience

• Scientifically conversant in basic in vitro biology and pharmacology principles, with industry experience as a bench Scientist.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative environment with a divers e cross-functional stakeholder group.

• Highly organized, with excellent attention to detail and follow-through

• Proven track-record of being able to manage a high volume of tra nsaction al work with both fidelity and efficiency.

• Able to prioritize work effectively and relate daily tasks to larger project deliverables and departmental objectives .

• Proficient in Excel and Power BI; comfortable working with other IT tools and applications (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Spotfire )

• Adept at both data entry as well as developing tracking/reporting outputs.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

Preferred Experience:

• Working knowledge of Ariba and other financial systems for managing POs and invoicing

• Knowledge of organization and infrastructure.

• Project management experience

• Experience authoring Standard Operating Guidelines/ Procedures (SOGs, SOPs)

• Prior experience managing confidential information.

• Experience contributing to process improvement efforts aimed at streamlining operations or business infrastructure .

• Prior experience working with Contract Research Organizations (CRO)

• Knowledge of DTMA cycles for discovery

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:

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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.

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Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

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

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.

Expected US salary range:

$85,600.00 - $134,800.00

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, long term incentive if applicable, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of benefits is listed here.

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 relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Required Skills:

Benchmarking, Benchmarking, Budget Management, Business, Business Administration, Business Management, Business Process Analysis, Business Process Improvements, Cell Physiology, Change Management, Compliance Policies, Customer Handling, Customer Project Management, Customer Service, Customer Service Management, Customer Value Management, Data Analysis, Immunoassays, Information Technology Applications, Interpersonal Relationships, In Vitro Assays, In Vitro Studies, Logistics Management, Management Process, Microsoft Teams {+ 12 more}

Preferred Skills:

Collaboration, Communication, Contracts, Cross-Functional Teamwork, External Partners, Process Improvements, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Taking Initiative, Teamwork

Job Posting End Date:

05/20/2025

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.