Senior Director, Clinical Data Management. - Hybrid

Merck; North Wales (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck is seeking a senior leader to oversee clinical data standards governance and development across therapeutic areas and global sites. You will drive alignment with CDISC standards and health authority guidance, collaborating with GDMS, GCTO and GCD teams to deliver scalable data standards libraries and training programs.

The role requires extensive experience in data standards governance, strategic planning, and cross-functional leadership to influence industry directions and ensure

Qualifications

• Extensive experience governing clinical information standards and related activities.
• Ability to develop and implement clinical data standards across teams.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management in cross-functional environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide oversight and guidance to define and maintain standards aligned with industry regulations.
• Lead governance initiatives and coordinate across GDMS/GCTO/GCD teams.
• Develop training materials and mentor the Global Clinical Data Standards team.

Skills

Clinical data standards

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

CDISC standards

CDASH/SDTM/ADaM

HL7

Job description

Job Description

Responsibilities

• Provide oversight and guidance to teams as they define and maintain standard data collection (EDC [Electronic Data Capture] and non-EDC modalities) definitions aligned with industry standards (e.g., CDISC [Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium]) and Health Authority regulations and guidance.
• Identify opportunities, lead, or participate in organizational initiatives as needed.
• Support audits and inspections as required.
• Accountable for the management and timely delivery of standards and governance deliverables, coordinating efforts across GCDS sub-units including resource forecasting, process optimization, operations reviews, and strategic innovation initiatives.
• Provide oversight and strategic direction to the design and delivery of Standards training and best practices to cross functional teams.
• Provide oversight and strategic direction to teams in the development of training materials, training delivery, and mentoring of the Global Clinical Data Standards team.
• Act as a leader in industry forums, maintaining network of contacts, and influence industry strategic direction and clinical data standards development.
• Build and sustain senior stakeholder networks across GDMS/ Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO)/ GCD [Global Clinical Development]) and strategic partners; broker decisions and remove systemic blockers.
• Provide oversight and expertise within one or multiple TAs on data collection/data transformation design and data modeling to all staff, assuring consistency with established standards guidelines
• Ability to provide strategic direction and participate in multiple Standards governance initiatives, forums, and reviews (e.g., TAST [Therapeutic Area Standards Team], SLIC [Shared Clinical Data Standards Council]).
• Lead and/or actively participate in cross-functional (e.g., GDMS/GCTO/GCD [Global Clinical Development]) strategic projects
• Serve as an escalation point for study-level design, as needed.
• Provide oversight and strategic direction to teams in development of future standards libraries and/or new/modified processes.
• Develop the strategic direction for new processes and tools supporting clinical data standards and information management capabilities.
• Provide oversight and communication of the implementation plans to cross-functional stakeholders and executive management, as appropriate.
• Provide prioritization and oversight of standards metrics.
• Communicate metrics cross-functionally to Executive Leadership.
• Work with fellow GCDS leadership on prioritization and delivery of the Book of Business, new functional programs/projects, and governance demands.
• Act as an escalation point on governance decisions, including changes to existing library forms and new content.
• Working in collaboration with GCDS ELT to define the strategic direction and prioritization for the data collection libraries and associated components.
• Serve as a core member of the GCDS (Global Clinical Data Standards) Leadership Team and proactively engage with stakeholders inside and outside of GCDS and across global sites to drive efforts critical to the success of GCDS and GDMS (Global Data Management and Standards) more broadly.

People Management Responsibilities

• Set clear objectives aligned to organizational goals; assign work and set priorities.
• Conduct regular check-ins and annual reviews; coach for performance; provide recognition.
• Develop career plans; create growth opportunities and promotion cases; ensure appropriate training and mentoring.
• Lead recruiting and hiring; manage sensitive employee-relations matters in partnership with HR.
• Balance workloads to support value-added work and work-life sustainability; anticipate obstacles and adjust plans.
• Coordinate on-shore/off-shore and contingent resources; ensure role clarity and effective handoffs.
• Manage an operating budget and optimize spend against priorities.
• Align teams around a clear direction; facilitate team/functional meetings.
• Provide concise, decision-ready updates and status reporting to leadership and partners

Technical skills

Extensive experience managing and governing clinical information standards and related activities, including the development and implementation of clinical data standards. Deep knowledge of and experience with applying industry standards (e.g., Controlled Terminologies, CDISC [Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium], CDASH [Clinical Data Acquisition Standards Harmonization], SDTM [Study Data Tabulation Model], ADaM [Analysis Data Model], & HL7 [Health Level Seven In