Sr. Specialist, Operational Readiness Lead

MSD Malaysia; Elkton (VA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision care

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays

Vacation

Sick leave

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. is seeking an Operational Readiness Lead for a high-capacity pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. The role focuses on building technical competency, standardizing knowledge transfer, and fortifying readiness across site operations.

The position emphasizes formal curriculum development, SOP alignment, and robust contingency planning to minimize downtime and ensure audit readiness within a union-inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• Formal curriculum design and delivery for operators and first-line managers.
• SOP updates and mandatory curriculum alignment for staff.
• Experience building technical competency matrices and coaching programs.

Responsibilities

• Formalize and implement a structured technical curriculum for operators and managers.
• Coordinate SOP reviews and ensure rapid updates across the site.
• Develop contingency planning procedures and run regular drills and AARs.

Skills

Adaptability

Analytical

Competency Management

Contingency Plan

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Regulatory Compliance

Education

High School Diploma/GED

Associate degree in engineering or related field

Bachelor degree in engineering or related field

Job description

The Operational Readiness Lead is a critical technical support and enablement role dedicated to ensuring workforce readiness, operational reliability, environmental compliance, and rapid contingency recovery across all site facilities operations. Serving a high-capacity pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, this position does not have direct day-to-day operational or compliance ownership. Instead, it serves as a vital support partner to the operations team, focusing on building technical competency, standardizing knowledge transfer, and fortifying operational readiness and response capability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Stability & Knowledge Management Formalize Technical Curriculum: Design, build, and implement a structured, formal curriculum for operators and first-line managers, replacing legacy "person-to-person" informal onboarding. SOP & Skills-Refresh Administration: Partner with operations to systematically review and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Coordinate and deliver the mandatory SOP curriculum alignment to ensure all operational staff are rapidly updated on revised or newly issued SOPs. Workforce & Process Stabilization: Safeguard operational stability and mitigate process variability by establishing clear technical competency matrices, standardizing shift-to-shift execution, and implementing structured coaching initiatives to secure critical institutional knowledge.
2. Contingency Preparedness & Operational Readiness Fortify Operational Readiness: Develop, update, and maintain comprehensive contingency planning procedures that operations teams can execute to minimize utility downtime and prevent environmental compliance excursions. Facilitate Simulation Drills: Design, schedule, and execute regular contingency response and disaster recovery drills. Coach both salaried and union personnel on swift and safe responses to critical utility system failures. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Support: Assist operations and compliance teams in investigating utility interruptions or compliance near-misses including After Action Review (AAR) to evaluate response effectiveness, identify lessons learned, assign corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement.
3. Utility Systems & Asset Lifecycle Support Onboarding New Equipment: Support the operational integration of incoming new equipment by developing technical curriculum materials, running instructional sessions, and drafting initial standard procedures for the operations team. End-of-Life Asset Reliability Support: Collaboratively develop operator troubleshooting guides and reliability coaching to help the team safely and effectively manage aging, end-of-life (EOL) facilities operations assets.
4. Compliance Enablement Compliance Integration: Align all technical curricula with current state and federal air, wastewater, and water permit requirements to ensure operator behavior naturally supports regulatory compliance. Audit Readiness: Drive a clear understanding of compliance requirements by ensuring continuous expectation alignment across the operations team. Coach team to fully understand how their daily actions, routine housekeeping, and operational decisions directly contribute to the facility's overall regulatory compliance and audit readiness.
5. Team Mentorship & Labor Relations Collaborative Support: Work effectively across a diverse department consisting of salaried professionals and unionized operations personnel, serving as a trusted technical advisor, coach, and support partner. Talent Development: Act as a high-performing mentor with a strong desire to coach, grow, and elevate the technical capabilities of first-line managers and operators.

Position Requirements

• Education: High School Diploma/GED and 8 years of direct, hands-on experience in industrial utilities/infrastructure operations.
• OR Associate degree in engineering or related scientific field and 6 years of direct, hands-on experience in industrial utilities/infrastructure operations.
• OR Bachelor degree in engineering or related scientific field and 4 years of direct, hands-on experience in industrial utilities/infrastructure operations.
• Labor Relations: Demonstrated, successful track record of working collaboratively with both salaried employees and unionized operating staff and contract execution.
• Curriculum Development: Proven experience designing, writing, and executing formal technical curriculums or operator qualification programs.
• Contingency Management: Experience designing, planning, and coordinating operational readiness drills and business continuity preparation.
• Leadership Profile: High-performing individual with a visible track record of developing others, fostering teamwork, and supporting culture change.
• Certifications: Current state-issued licenses and certifications (wastewater, potable water, and ASOPE) compensatory to the facility classification or demonstrated progression with ability to achieve facility classification level within 1 year of hire.
• Equipment Familiarity: Deep technical understanding of boiler operations, chillers, cooling towers, HVAC, compressed air, wastewater treatment unit operations, and use of digital control systems to facilitate high-quality technical instruction.

Required Skills

• Adaptability
• Adaptability
• Analytical Analysis
• Competency Management
• Contingency Plan
• Corrective Action Management
• Deviation Investigations
• Facility Engineering
• Facility Management
• Failure Mode and Effects Analysis FMEA
• Government Regulation
• HVAC Systems
• Identifying Customer Needs
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Lean Six Sigma Tools
• Maintenance Scheduling
• Manufacturing Quality Control
• Operational Compliance
• Operations Management
• Plant Operations
• Procedure Reviews
• Regulations
• Regulatory Compliance
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
• Root Cause Identification {+ 6 more}

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only: 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 $117,000.00 - $184,200.00 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.

• 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.

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

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: Domestic VISA Sponsorship: No Travel Requirements: No Travel Required Flexible Work Arrangements: Not Applicable Shift: Not Indicated Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): NA

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.