Regional Operations Head, Senior Director - Hybrid

MSD Malaysia; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 173,000 - 273,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement benefits

Paid holidays

Vacation

Compassionate and sick days

Job summary

Merck & Co., Rahway, NJ seeks a Regional Operations Head to oversee the regional portfolio, drive performance, quality, and compliance across GCTO programs, and support strategy with regional leadership. The role emphasizes AI fluency, data analytics, and cross-functional collaboration with HQ and regional teams.

Minimum 10 years in clinical operations, strong leadership, regulatory knowledge, and excellent English communication are required. Hybrid work and domestic relocation apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related field.
• Advanced graduate degree (e.g., MBA, PhD) is advantageous.
• AI Certification is required.
• 10+ years in clinical operations, ideally in sponsor environments.
• Understanding of inspection readiness and regulatory guidelines.
• Strong leadership with cross-functional influence.
• Excellent English communication; local language skills a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Regional Operations Head role as chief of staff to the Regional Head, GCTO Region.
• Prepare dashboards, status reports, and leadership communications.
• Coordinate with RRD, CRDs, and HH to align priorities and resolve conflicts.
• Track milestones, resource gaps, and drive follow-up actions.
• Develop and manage regional project portfolio and delivery targets.
• Identify inefficiencies and implement process improvements.
• Oversee regional clinical trial allocation and strategy alignment.
• Collaborate with regional leadership to align clinical research with regional objectives.
• Define and track performance metrics and quality standards.
• Work with ROSL to integrate capacity needs into allocation discussions.
• Provide guidance on regional processes and tools for PM teams.
• Lead issue escalation and trend analysis across studies and therapeutic areas.
• Foster cultural diversity awareness in regional interactions.
• Contribute to regional priorities and share best practices.
• Line manage the Regional Operations Lead, ROSL, and ROA.

Skills

Business Acumen

Change Leadership

Clinical Operations

Data Analytics

Digital Fluency

Innovation

New Technology Integration

Personnel Resource Management

Strategic Thinking

Conflict Management

Emotional Intelligence

Performance Driven

Education

Bachelor's degree in life science

Advanced graduate degree

AI Certification

Job description

Job Description

The Regional Operations Head (ROH) acts as Chief of Staff to the Regional Head, GCTO Region (RRD), providing end-to-end business and portfolio oversight to ensure performance, quality, and compliance across regional programs and protocols.

The ROH plays a critical role in supporting strategy development with the RRD and regional leadership team to drive high performance aligned with strategic and operational goals.

The individual must have the following core competencies in operational excellence: Driven, Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen, Change Champion, and Proficient in AI Fluency, and Data Analytics.

Key Responsibilities

• Chief of Staff & Portfolio Oversight: Support the RRD and GCTO Region by facilitating cross-functional meetings to align teams on project goals, timelines, and deliverables.
• Prepare dashboards, status reports, and materials to communicate progress, risks, and issues to leadership.
• Act as liaison between RRD, Clinical Research Directors (CRDs), regional teams, and key stakeholders including our Research & Development Division and Human Health (HH) to clarify priorities, resolve conflicts, and ensure alignment on critical GCTO issues.
• Track key milestones, dependencies, and resource gaps, proactively identifying risks and driving follow-up actions to ensure accountability and timely execution.
• Develop and manage the regional project portfolio, tracking realization goals and using data to analyze and propose mitigation strategies.
• Identify inefficiencies and propose process improvements to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Regional Trial Allocation & Clinical Research Strategy: Oversee regional clinical trial allocation, coordinating allocation proposals and engaging stakeholders across functions.
• Collaborate with GCTO regional/country leadership and other stakeholders to develop and align clinical research strategies with long-term regional and corporate objectives.
• Partner with regional support roles to define, track, and align performance metrics and quality standards in project management operations.
• Work closely with the Regional Operations Support Lead (ROSL) to understand capacity needs and integrate them into country allocation discussions.
• Provide guidance to project management teams on developing and implementing regional processes and tools.
• Issue Escalation & Trend Analysis: Lead regional issue escalation and conduct trend analysis to identify operational challenges across studies and therapeutic areas.
• Facilitate resolution and action plans in coordination with HQ, CRDs, and delegates, serving as a sentinel for operational risks.
• Foster cultural diversity awareness and address cross-country business needs in regional interactions.
• Strategic Leadership & Collaboration: Contribute to defining and executing regional priorities to ensure successful delivery across countries.
• Provide deep insights into operational strategy, functional areas, and networks that enable effective execution.
• Share best practices, seek improvement opportunities, and drive alignment across GCTO.
• Line Management: Lead and manage the regional team, including the Regional Operations Lead (ROL), Regional Operations Support Lead (ROSL), and Regional Operations Analyst (ROA).

Education and Experience

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in life science discipline.
• Preferred: Advanced graduate degree (e.g., Master’s in life sciences, PhD, PharmD); Business and Financial Management (MBA) advantage.
• AI Certification Required.
• Clinical Operations Experience: Minimum 10 years of experience in clinical operations, preferably within a Sponsor environment, managing studies in different therapeutic areas, phases, from study initiation through completion.
• Understanding of inspection readiness.
• Leadership: Strong leadership skills to align teams with the goals and mission of our Research & Development Division Global Clinical Development (GCD), and GCTO.
• Demonstrated success in building and maintaining networks.
• Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders, work independently and with strong business and financial acumen.
• Willingness to take accountability for actions and drive results within region.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Comprehensive understanding of ICH GCP guidelines and global, regional, and local regulatory requirements.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Additional Language Skills: Proficiency in local languages is advantageous but not mandatory.

Skills

• Business Acumen
• Change Leadership
• Clinical Operations
• Data Analytics
• Digital Fluency
• Innovation
• New Technology Integration
• Personnel Resource Management
• Strategic Thinking
• Conflict Management
• Emotional Intelligence
• Performance Driven

Salary and Benefits

Salary range for this role is $173,200.00 - $272,600.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

• Medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• Retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• Paid holidays
• Vacation
• Compassionate and sick days

More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

Employment Details

Employee Status: Regular

Relocation: Domestic

VISA Sponsorship: No

Travel Requirements: 25% Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid

Shift: 1st - Day

Valid Driving License: No

Hazardous Material(s): No

Job Posting End Date: 10/20/2026

Location & Eligibility

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.

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only: (Policy summary removed as duplicate).

Company

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.

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.

Equal Opportunity Statement

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.

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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