US Site Payment Operations Lead

Merck & Co.; North Wales (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 142,000 - 224,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Sick days

Job summary

Merck & Co. in Rahway, NJ seeks an Associate Director, Site Payment Operations to lead U.S. site payment execution and ensure accurate, timely payments across sites. You will partner with Finance, Tax, IT, and regional teams to implement global standards and drive process improvements.

The role requires 5+ years in clinical research or pharmaceutical payments, strong leadership, and GCP/ FMV knowledge. Benefits include comprehensive medical/dental/vision, 401(k), holidays, and vacation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in scientific, business, or related discipline.
• At least five years of clinical research experience in pharma/biotech, including site payments.
• Experience with investigator payments and clinical trial financial operations.
• Ability to lead operational teams and deliver reliable service in a matrixed org.
• Translate operational needs into clear rules, requirements, controls.
• Strong judgment in assessing payment risk and escalation handling.
• Data-driven decisions with stakeholder input to improve performance.
• Excellent communication across functions and geographies.
• Knowledge of GCP/ICH and FMV principles.
• Supports digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Lead U.S. site payment execution and translate global direction into day-to-day ops.
• Own U.S. delivery performance across teams, including timeliness, backlog, and controls.
• Ensure integrity of U.S. payment operations across interconnected systems.
• Lead, coach, and coordinate payment operations teams with clear accountability.
• Monitor data, service measures, and stakeholder feedback; take corrective action.
• Communicate with sites, study teams, Finance, Tax, IT/Technology regarding timelines and risks.
• Lead containment and recovery when payments fail or services disrupted.
• Diagnose issues and document for permanent resolution.
• Escalate material risks and recommend strategic priorities.
• Contribute to strategic direction of global site payment process.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to shape solutions and adoption.

Skills

Adaptability

Business Requirements Analysis

Clinical Trials Operations

Competency Management

Cross-Cultural Awareness

Decision Making

Delivery Management

Escalation Management

Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

Industry Regulation

Operations Management

Payment Administration

People Leadership

Performance Improvements

Team Organization

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Merck & Co. in Rahway, NJ seeks an Associate Director, Site Payment Operations to lead U.S. site payment execution and ensure accurate, timely payments across sites. You will partner with Finance, Tax, IT, and regional teams to implement global standards and drive process improvements.

The role requires 5+ years in clinical research or pharmaceutical payments, strong leadership, and GCP/ FMV knowledge. Benefits include comprehensive medical/dental/vision, 401(k), holidays, and vacation.