Job Description
The Director of Global Site Agreements, Quality, Metrics and Process Improvement, is responsible and accountable for the strategic direction of the regional/specialty agreement teams over which they have oversight in alignment with overarching Global Site Agreements’ and GCTO strategies. The Director will closely liaise with the Head of Global Site Agreements to implement global site agreement processes that are robust, efficient, and comply with Corporate Policies. This position will play a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency, quality and effectiveness in managing global site agreements.
This position requires a blend of strategic leadership, project management expertise, and a strong focus on technology advancements to drive process improvements, ensure compliance, and enhance collaboration across business units. The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader capable of managing teams, engaging in complex problem resolution, critical thinking, process oversight, driving change, and leveraging data analytics to support business goals. The candidate must be innovative, able and willing to challenge the conventional ways of operating, and adept at creating novel solutions to complex problems. The candidate must possess a high-performing capacity and self-start attitude that allow them to dedicate focus to multiple areas and balance the competing needs of the various areas/agreement types they oversee.
The Director will work collaboratively with the Head, Global Site Agreements, global stakeholders, and their regional/specialty function teams to align on priorities and support the achievement of goals with respect to the functional areas/agreement types they oversee. The Director may also initiate and/or lead organizational initiatives, on an as needed basis and with the support of Head, Global Site Agreements. The Director is expected to anticipate how changes in the external environment will impact site agreements negotiation and related business practices and to proactively recommend process improvements to maximize efficiency and minimize compliance risk.
The Director must maintain a high level of professionalism, efficiency, initiative and follow-through. The Director will be expected to embody the values in their day-to-day activities. The Director must have a proven ability to influence across boundaries and communicate effectively in both a written and verbal format. He/she will be responsible for proactive and/or timely communication of challenges and opportunities to senior leadership and address project plans in a systematic and thoughtful manner. He/she must have the ability to work collaboratively in a team matrix or act independently, as circumstances require, and must demonstrate the ability to work well under pressure.
Primary Responsibilities:
* Lead the development and implementation of operational strategies that leverage technology advancements to improve site agreement processes.
* Drive change management initiatives that foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability within the Global Site Agreements team.
* Oversee multiple projects from inception to completion, ensuring that they meet quality standards and timelines.
* Utilize project management methodologies to effectively manage resources, develop project plans, and track progress against milestones.
* Perform regular trend analyses across regions/functional areas to identify process improvement opportunities, inconsistencies and/or process gaps and develop standardized solutions.
* Maintain high level of communication with Head, Global Site Agreements and Global Site Agreements functional area leads to ensure transparency and insight into the regional/specialty function level.
* Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team, providing guidance and support to enhance individual and team performance.
* Foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment that encourages innovation and knowledge sharing.
* Conduct in-house quality control processes to ensure adherence to global clinical development (GCD) standard operating procedures (SOPs).
* Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for GCD SOPs, providing training and support to team members and stakeholders.
* Leverage data analytics to evaluate operational performance and identify trends, providing actionable insights to support business units.
* Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of site agreement processes and improvement initiatives.
* Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including clinical operations, legal, compliance and IT, to identify and prioritize improvement projects.
* Facilitate workshops and discussions to gather input on process improvements and best practices across the organization.
* Ensure the timely completion and implementation of process improvement initiatives, utilizing technology solutions to enhance operational efficiency.
* Develop documentation and communication plans to support the adoption of new processes and technologies across the department.
* Stay abreast of the latest technological trends and advancements in site agreement management.
* Identify opportunities for integrating advanced technologies, such as automation and data management systems, into existing workflows.
Required Education:
* A minimum of a Bachelors degree
Required Experience and Skills:
* Minimum of ten (10) years of experience within the pharmaceutical/biotech industry.
* Strong knowledge with direct experience in clinical trial operations, preferably study start-up.
* Knowledge and ability to apply GCP/ICH and applicable regulatory guidelines.
* Strong business acumen.
* Experience managing directly or indirectly teams of professional employees.
* Proven success in building and developing high performing teams.
* Strong understanding of and dedication to Leadership principles, with an emphasis on relationship development, rapid decision making, conflict resolution, and team building instincts, with the ability to build partnerships and collaborate both internally and externally is required.
* Strong collaboration and influencing skills to partner effectively at all levels and across multiple groups.
* Experience in building strong global partnerships with finance/clinical/legal/compliance/operations teams.
* Showing initiative in innovative approaches to challenges in a fast-paced, changing global environment.
* Strong communication, presentation and change management skills.
* Strong organization and prioritization skills.
* Computer skills including proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and experience leveraging use of AI to help automate everyday tasks.
Preferred Experience:
* Advanced degree (JD, MBA, MS, or PhD) is preferred.
* Demonstrated experience with aspects of data analysis and presentation software (i.e. Power BI, Qlik, etc.), machine learning methods and AI applications.
* Prior experience negotiating clinical trial agreements and other agreements in support of clinical trials.
* Prior experience managing high-impact projects.
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
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. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
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:
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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.
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U.S. Hybrid Work Model
Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.
The salary range for this role is
$169,700.00 - $267,200.00
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.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.
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
Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
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:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:
No
Travel Requirements:
10%
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid
Shift:
1st - Day
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
No
Required Skills:
Clinical Operations, Clinical Trials, Contract Negotiations, Cross-Functional Work, Data Metrics, Management Reporting, Operational Efficiency, Process Improvements, Project Management, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Strategic Leadership
Preferred Skills:
People Management
Job Posting End Date:
07/2/2025
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe 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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