2025 University Recruiting - Global Supplier Management Group Direct Materials / CAPEX Co-op

Job Description

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 our company has codified its legacy for over a century. Our company’s success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare. 

Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of an individual like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork.  As part of our global team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.

Strategic Supplier Management is a rigorous, data-driven methodology which relies upon high quality market intelligence for suppliers, supply markets and supply chains, as well as strategic analysis and reporting of internal business requirements, supplier performance, spend and savings data.

Intern positions generally last 10-12 weeks and will include one or more projects.

The successful candidate may support projects or programs with the following characteristics: gathers market intelligence and prepares and conducts strategic analysis; pre-negotiation planning; RFIs, RFP/Qs, e-auctions; quotation analysis and cost modeling; financial solvency analysis; risk assessments; understands FCPA verification and other compliance / due diligence assessments; supplier performance monitoring and issue resolution; budget planning process support and ongoing spend, savings, and compliance metrics reporting.  The role may also focus on digitization and data analytics.

Direct Materials Sourcing & Procurement is responsible for the development and implementation of all supplier management strategies and initiatives, CAPEX programs, driving improvements in cost, supplier performance, and working capital, in support of manufacture and supply of our company's products.

General Responsibilities:

• Support strategic and operating objectives for the procurement function including product sourcing, supply risk management, supplier performance improvement, cost reduction, supplier diversity development, working capital improvement, and supplier relationship management

• Work with cross functional teams including Legal, Finance, Procure-to-Pay, internal stakeholders, and external suppliers

• Conduct detailed market analyses looking at facts and data with the objective of providing deep and meaningful insights

• Implement procurement strategies and execute tactical procurement processes. Serve as a resource regarding processes, procedures and systems for procurement function.

• Support selection of suppliers to ensure appropriate savings and service levels. Ensure that all legal contract requirements are met. Manage relationships with selected external contacts to ensure optimal team performance.

• Enforce compliance with all Global Procurement policies and procedures by using a data driven business case approach.

Additional responsibilities are as follows:

• Supplier and Supply Market Analysis – To conduct rigorous market intelligence and detailed supplier and supply market analyses, to provide deep and meaningful insight to sourcing teams.

• Cost Modeling / Cost reduction – To construct detailed cost models/purchase price analysis of goods and services that are supplied to our company. At times, this will require supplier visits to create a complete understanding of the cost structure of suppliers and develop cost reduction opportunities.

• Strategic Analysis – To conduct project analysis which transforms information into insightful, well-structured breakthrough options and opportunities. Examples include Portfolio Analysis, Supplier Preferencing, and Day One Sourcing.

• Financial Analysis & Reporting – To prepare analysis and reporting of category spend, savings, compliance, and other metrics. To support the annual budget / profit planning process for the category at the global level. To maintain financial reporting and management systems (including SAP) with up-to-date data on an ongoing basis.

• Negotiation Planning – To create detailed pre-negotiation plans, to support and participate in prolonged negotiation sessions with suppliers and to conduct post negotiation debriefs and follow through plans. 

• Sourcing – To create and execute RFIs, RFPs, and e-Auctions, together with subsequent structured information analysis wherever possible using electronic procurement processes.

• Risk Assessment and Mitigation – To conduct effective risk assessment (including Financial Solvency Analysis, compliance with FCPA, Business Partner Code of Conduct, etc.) and establish appropriate risk mitigation plans within the supply-base pursuant to our Manufacturing Division's risk management framework. 

• Category Team Membership – To be an active member of one or more category teams using the techniques and content created in above as input in the creation of breakthrough strategies delivering cost reduction targets.

• Sharing of Learnings – The candidate will be expected to generate high quality work and to share and transfer this to colleagues throughout GSMG

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Currently in sophomore or junior level curriculum, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in business (such as Finance or Management), Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Market Research, Communications or a Science-related discipline (Engineering, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry or Bioengineering). Or currently enrolled in an MBA program.

• GPA 3.0

Required Experience and Skills:

• Superior interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to work successfully on cross functional teams

• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills including ability to make clear and concise presentations

• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills including ability to make clear and concise presentations, sensitivity to cultural differences in communication, experience with SharePoint and Enterprise Social Media (specifically Yammer), and familiarity with principles of business communication, marketing and/or journalism.

• Strong data collection, analysis and reporting skills

• Excellent project management skills

• Ability to work independently with a high degree of flexibility and adaptability to deal with ambiguous and dynamic situations

• Quick learner and motivated to cultivate technical, business and commercial skills by applying their knowledge within our company’s environment

• Proficient in Microsoft office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

• Demonstrated excellent academic achievement

Preferred Experience and Skills:  

• Prior pharmaceutical industry experience or any fortune 500 company experience

• Experience with using , MS Teams, SharePoint or other similar collaboration websites

• Experience with TIBCO Spotfire or other data analytic/visualization tools

• Experience with using Excel to manage large data sets

• Ability to communicate information into presentations to share with stakeholders and colleagues

• Knowledge of data collection methods (polls, focus groups, surveys)

Your role at our company is integral to helping the world meet new breakthroughs that affect generations to come, and we’re counting on your skills and inventiveness to help make meaningful contributions to global medical advancement. At our company, we’re inventing for life. 

If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to staffingaadar@merck.com.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully: 

Our company is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity.  Please, no phone calls or emails.  All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company via email, the Internet or in any form and/or method 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 the candidate is hired by our company as a result of the referral or through other means.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Under New York City, Colorado State, Washington State, and California State law, the Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.

Expected salary range:

$39,600.00-$105,500.00 

FTP2025

GSF2025

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders).  Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

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.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas 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

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, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or 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”.

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:

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

*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.