Senior Director, Clinical Science, Atherosclerosis
Merck
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Merck in Rahway, NJ seeks a Senior Director, Clinical Science for Atherosclerosis to guide strategy, study design, and scientific decision-making across multiple programs.
You will lead in a matrix environment, collaborate with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, and Medical Affairs, and mentor Clinical Scientists to advance development plans in cardiovascular disease.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree in science/healthcare with 8+ years in pharma development.
- Demonstrated Clinical Science leadership across multiple studies.
- Deep therapeutic area expertise, including cardiovascular diseases and endpoints.
- Strong trial design, data review, and interpretation skills.
- Experience with regulatory submissions and safety reviews.
- Ability to lead in a matrix environment.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic Clinical Science leadership across the disease area and programs.
- Contribute to development opportunities, portfolio risks, and data implications.
- Partner with cross-functional leaders to align activities with program objectives.
- Apply expert knowledge on endpoints and landscape to inform study planning and interpretation.
- Drive cross-study integration of insights to guide decisions.
Skills
Education
Job description
The Senior Director, Clinical Science, Atherosclerosis is responsible for providing strategic Clinical Science leadership, with accountability spanning multiple studies, programs, and assets. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role contributes to disease area strategy by applying deep therapeutic expertise to guide Clinical Science approaches, support development planning, and promote consistency in scientific standards, medical data review practices, and decision-making across the portfolio.
The individual in this role is expected to bring deep knowledge of Atherosclerosis, including disease biology, current and emerging treatment landscape, relevant clinical endpoints, and key scientific considerations that influence development strategy and study design. The Senior Director partners closely with Section Heads, Asset Leads, Program Development Team Leads, and cross‑functional development team members to support study planning, data interpretation, issue resolution, and broader program decisions across assigned studies and programs.
This role has a strong strategic orientation and is expected to shape how Clinical Science work is performed across the Atherosclerosis portfolio, including standardization of practices, alignment of scientific approaches, and integration of insights across assets. The Senior Director may have responsibility for direct management and development of multiple Clinical Scientists and is expected to provide leadership, coaching, and clear direction within a matrix environment.
The role requires close collaboration with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics and Data Management, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Translational Medicine, Medical Affairs, and other key partner functions, as well as contribution to governance discussions and senior leadership reviews.
- Provide strategic Clinical Science leadership across the disease area, including multiple studies, programs, and assets.
- Contribute to disease area strategy by providing Clinical Science input on development opportunities, scientific considerations, portfolio risks, and implications of emerging internal and external data.
- Partner with Section Heads, Asset Leads, Program Development Team Leads, and cross‑functional leaders to support alignment of Clinical Science activities with broader program and disease area objectives.
- Apply expert knowledge of therapeutic focus, disease biology, treatment landscape, and clinically meaningful endpoints to inform study planning, data interpretation, and issue resolution.
- Support cross‑study and cross‑asset integration of scientific insights to inform development decisions.
- Sets clear direction aligned with business and organizational priorities.
- Demonstrates strong scientific and strategic judgment in complex and ambiguous situations.
- Builds strong, collaborative relationships across functions and levels.
- Develops people through coaching, feedback, and support for growth.
- Creates an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued.
- Drives accountability and high standards for quality and performance.
- Communicates clearly and effectively with team members, cross‑functional partners, and senior leaders.
- Leads through influence in a matrix environment and helps teams align around shared goals.
- Encourages continuous improvement, learning, and thoughtful challenge.
- Balances enterprise thinking with practical decision‑making and timely action.
- Advanced scientific or healthcare degree required (e.g., PhD, PharmD), or equivalent, and 8+ years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience preferred. -OR-
- Master’s degree, preferably in life sciences, and 12+ years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience -OR-
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in life sciences, and 15+ years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, and/or medical field experience.
- Significant experience in Clinical Development, Clinical Science, clinical drug development, or a related function within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
- Demonstrated experience providing Clinical Science leadership across multiple studies, programs, or assets.
- Deep therapeutic area expertise, including strong understanding of disease biology, current and emerging treatment landscape, clinically relevant endpoints, and key scientific considerations affecting development.
- Strong understanding of clinical trial design, clinical development strategy, clinical data review, and interpretation of oncology data.
- Experience contributing to disease area strategy, portfolio discussions, or cross‑program planning.
- Experience contributing to regulatory submissions, safety reviews, or health authority interactions.
- Experience working effectively in cross‑functional teams within a matrix environment.
- Demonstrated ability to integrate information across studies and programs to support scientific and business decisions.
- Excellent communication, influence, and executive presentation skills.
- Demonstrated people leadership experience, including management, coaching, and development of scientific staff.
- Atherosclerosis
- Clinical Development
- Clinical Research Management
- Clinical Sciences
- Data Quality
- Ethical Standards
- High Performance Team Building
- Matrix Leadership
- Matrix Management
- Medical Monitoring
- New Technology Integration
- People Leadership
- Pharmaceutical Industry
- Regulatory Compliance
- Therapeutic Knowledge
- Trial Design
- Data Interpretations
- Next Generation Science Standards
- Study Design
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.
The primary location for this posting is: USA - New Jersey - Rahway
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is: $210,400.00 - $331,100.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision healthcare
- Other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
- Retirement benefits, including 401(k)
- Paid holidays
- Vacation
- Compassionate and sick days
Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
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.
Regular
Domestic
No
25%
Not Applicable
1st - Day
No
N/A
A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
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