Sterile Pilot Plant Operations Lead

Merck; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 117,000 - 184,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck is seeking an experienced Operations Manager on 1st Shift for our sterile liquids pilot plant at West Point, PA. The role supervises a team of manufacturing professionals, ensuring safe, compliant, and reliable production of sterile drug products for our clinical pipeline.

Responsibilities include leading shop-floor operations, driving continuous improvement, ensuring inspection readiness, and collaborating with Quality, Engineering, and Regulatory partners to uphold GMP standards and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering or another technical field is required.
• Minimum 3 years of leadership experience in manufacturing or life sciences operations.
• Demonstrated experience in a regulated GMP environment and quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible first-line supervision of manufacturing operations and personnel.
• Set daily priorities, assign work, and coordinate resources for smooth shift handoffs.
• Lead risk-based decision making and drive corrective actions to improve process robustness.
• Ensure inspection readiness and support audits.

Skills

Team Leadership

Regulatory Compliance

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Cross-Functional Collaboration

People Coaching

Quality Systems

GMP Knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in science, Engineering or related technical field

Job description

Merck is seeking an experienced Operations Manager on 1st Shift for our sterile liquids pilot plant at West Point, PA. The role supervises a team of manufacturing professionals, ensuring safe, compliant, and reliable production of sterile drug products for our clinical pipeline.

Responsibilities include leading shop-floor operations, driving continuous improvement, ensuring inspection readiness, and collaborating with Quality, Engineering, and Regulatory partners to uphold GMP standards and