Executive Director, Engineering, Utilities and Technical Services

MSD Malaysia; West Point (PA); On-site; USD 232,000 - 365,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement benefits

Paid holidays

Vacation and sick days

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. seeks an Executive Director to direct Engineering, Utility, and Technical Support Services for the GWES organization at the West Point, PA campus. You will lead a 240-strong workforce and ~100 third-party partners, managing a combined budget over $300M, reporting to the AVP, GWES Pennsylvania Operations.

The role emphasizes safety, regulatory compliance, lifecycle asset management, and sustainability, with a strong focus on digital transformation and strategic labor management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Applied Sciences, or a related technical discipline.
• MBA or Master’s degree preferred for strategic leadership roles.
• Over 10 years of progressive leadership directing utility, engineering, or facilities operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead GWES Engineering, Utilities, and Technical Services at the West Point campus with a focus on safety, regulatory compliance, and efficiency.
• Direct an annual expense and capital budget exceeding $300M while coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Drive digital transformation and continuous productivity gains through data analytics and benchmarking.

Skills

Budget Management

Engineering Management

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Labor Relations

Regulatory Compliance

Life Cycle Planning

Financial Acumen

Change Management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Applied Sciences

MBA or Master’s in Engineering/Science

Tools

Building Management Systems (BMS)

Job description

Job Description Our company is committed to fostering an inspiring workplace that empowers our employees to innovate and excel. Our Global Workplace and Enterprise Services (GWES) team provides world-class engineering, maintenance, utility, and technical solutions that ensure a safe, resilient, and productive environment. We prioritize the safety and well‑being of our communities and the environment, making a positive impact beyond our organization.

The Executive Director is accountable for directing, managing, and coordinating the Engineering, Utility, and Technical Support Services for the Global Workplace and Enterprise Services (GWES) organization at our West Point, Pennsylvania campus, one of our company's largest multi-use sites. In this role, you will lead Utility & Energy Operations, Maintenance & Engineering, and Technical Support functions. You will provide strategic leadership to an integrated organization of approximately 240 union and non‑union employees and approximately 100 third‑party suppliers, while steering a combined operational and capital budget of approximately $300M. This position reports directly to the Associate Vice President, GWES Pennsylvania Operations.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Strategic Operational Leadership: Champion GWES Engineering, Utilities, and Technical Services operations, ensuring world‑class safety, compliance, and operational efficiency across the West Point campus.
• Infrastructure Reliability: Ensure the uninterrupted generation and distribution of critical campus utilities by maintaining N+1 redundancy and robust contingency protocols.
• Financial Stewardship: Direct and optimize an annual expense and capital budget exceeding $300M, ensuring strong fiscal responsibility and return on investment.
• Risk & Lifecycle Management: Architect and maintain the site's Utility Master Plan aligned with site Master Plan and lead the site's Life Cycle Asset Management (LCAM) program to secure long‑term asset health.
• Environmental Sustainability: Define, build, and deliver the site's Carbon Reduction and Net‑Zero strategy in strict alignment with our company's global sustainability targets.
• Regulatory Compliance: Oversee compliance and maintain flawless standing with all associated regulatory permits, including Title V (Air), wastewater, stormwater management, and municipal construction codes.
• Labor Relations & Workforce Integration: Inspire and lead an integrated workforce of unionized labor, technical professionals, and third‑party supplier partners.
• Digital Transformation: Drive operational excellence by championing data, advanced analytics, and industry benchmarking to introduce predictive technologies and continuous productivity gains.
• Talent & Culture: Champion an inclusive, growth‑mindset culture focused on empowerment and learning. Strategically direct resource planning, progressive labor strategies, and talent development to build a pipeline of future technical leaders.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Applied Sciences, or a highly related technical discipline.

Advanced degree (MBA or Master’s in Engineering/Science).

Professional Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience directing multi‑faceted utility, engineering, or facilities operations within highly regulated, complex environments (e.g., pharmaceutical, biologics, chemical, or heavy manufacturing).
• Enterprise Leadership: Proven business and financial acumen with a track record of managing substantial ($100M+) budgets and executing large-scale program management.
• Labor Relations: Extensive experience leading large, integrated teams, including direct management of unionized workforces and strategic contractor partners.
• Technical & Strategic Competencies: Deep operational understanding of utilities, manufacturing automated systems (BMS), and regulatory frameworks (OSHA, NFPA, DOT). Robust working knowledge of cGMP standards and environmental compliance protocols.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Certified Lean or Six Sigma Black Belt/Green Belt.
• Established track record of successful collaboration and negotiation with external municipal agencies, townships, and utilities partners.
• Direct experience leading collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations and applying advanced union negotiation principles.

Required Skills:

• Accountability
• Accountability
• Benchmarking
• Budget Management
• Business Acumen
• Capital Budgeting
• Capital Expenditure Planning
• Change Management\l
• Collective Bargaining
• Commercial Acumen
• Commercial Risk Management
• Competency Management
• Decision Making
• Detail-Oriented
• Employee Empowerment
• Engineering Design
• Engineering Management
• Engineering Standards
• Environmental Systems
• Estimation and Planning
• Facility Management
• Financial Acumen
• Legal Compliance
• Life Cycle Planning
• Maintenance Management {+ 7 more}

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 $231,900.00 - $365,000.00 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.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee).

The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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.

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.