Sr. Specialist, Project Management - Drug Development (Hybrid)

Job Description

Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) sits in the R&D organization at our Company (known as our Company Research Laboratories). GPAM comprises several distinct groups, including Project Managers (this position), Discovery Project and Portfolio Managers, Alliance Managers, Project Management Office (PMO), and Administrative Professionals.  

Position Description/Summary 

The Senior Specialist, Project Manager is a core member of Early Drug Development and/or Late Drug Development Teams partnering with team leaders to develop strategies and execute our Company's drug and vaccine development efforts. The Senior Specialist is expected to provide project management leadership and drive cross-functional teams with sufficient influence and mastery of project management to take on simple projects independently or moderate-complexity assignments in conjunction with a partner project manager. Projects could span any therapeutic areas in which our Company is actively engaged.  

This position may be based in either Rahway, NJ; Upper Gwynedd, PA; Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA; or Philadelphia, PA 

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Managing the end-to-end drug development process including projects that are of moderate complexity and/or partnering with a more seasoned project manager on high complexity projects; driving cross functional teams to develop comprehensive strategies and ensure successful execution of such. 

• Act as enterprise leaders by guiding teams through the creation, approval, and execution of integrated project plans appropriate to the project's phase of development and complexity. This includes integrating strategic and tactical input from diverse disciplines (e.g., clinical, regulatory, market access, manufacturing, CMC, commercial, and other areas) as applicable to the project. 

• Building and maintaining project schedules and critical project information in enterprise project management systems and databases; using these as tools to integrate activities across key team members, proactively identify risks, and ensure clear and effective communication with key team, management and cross-departmental stakeholders.    

• Leveraging relationships and networks to improve and enhance team dynamics; with guidance from senior GPAM professionals as needed, proactively identifying, and removing obstacles to drive business results. 

• Navigating our Company process and organizational norms to enable teams to understand corporate governance and business requirements. 

• Preparing for, facilitating, and documenting outcomes of team meetings, ensuring meetings have clear purpose and objectives and that conflict is surfaced and resolved. 

• Actively participating and completing ongoing training and personal development activities to increase leadership competency and to gain knowledge and skill in the discipline of project management and the business and science of pharmaceutical product discovery and development. 

• Providing significant input into the monitoring of GPAM processes and tools used to support the teams, as appropriate; advocate for and contribute to the success of change / process improvements when warranted. 

Required Education, Experience, and Skills: 

• Bachelor’s degree required; concentration in a scientific or applied discipline preferred 

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in project management or a related role required 

• Product development experience required; in a pharmaceutical/biotech industry preferred 

Preferred Experience and Skills: 

• Advanced degree (e.g., MS, MBA, Ph.D., PharmD) preferred 

• Experience and knowledge of clinical drug development strongly preferred; including the different phases of development and how the various functional areas contribute to a comprehensive strategy 

• Project management certification (PMP) and/or formal coursework/training in project management strongly preferred 

Required Travel: 

• Minimal 

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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 Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. 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 US salary range:

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, long term incentive if applicable, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of benefits is listed here.

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

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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. 

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