• Job Description

  Req#: R264111

  Job Description

  The Center for Observational and Real-world Evidence (CORE) within our Research and Development (R&D) Division provides global scientific leadership in effectiveness and value evidence research. The mission of CORE is to lead value evidence strategy & research to inform healthcare decisions, enabling better access for patients. The Strategy and Operations (S&O) team in CORE collaborates across all functional areas in CORE, and cross functionally with enterprise partners to generate scientifically robust evidence to fulfill value evidence needs throughout the development of our company’s innovations.

  The Executive Director, Portfolio and Operational Excellence, leads a team of project and portfolio management, and data analytics professionals to create, maintain and enhance operational processes and systems across CORE. The role requires close partnership across all functional departments in CORE and Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS) Health Economics & Decision Sciences (HEDS) in addition to finance, IT, legal, GMVC and procurement.

  Primary Responsibilities:

  The Executive Director, Portfolio and Operational Excellence, CORE Strategy & Operations, leads a team of project and portfolio managers and study managers to collaborate across CORE and other functional areas. This leader will be accountable for advancing the project and portfolio management capabilities within CORE and strengthening the operational infrastructure and systems to support processes and operations excellence along with budget management, forecasting and financial planning. Key responsibilities include:

  • Maintain research execution by collaborating across the enterprise on high quality, scientific non-interventional research and other CORE activities

  • Responsible for setting up end to end portfolio planning and prioritization process and leading cross functional team to support CORE/ HEDS annual portfolio planning and quarterly budget forecast.

  • Enhance CORE data analytics capability and leverage business intelligence to drive operations performance, proactive planning and facilitate decision making with monthly operations metrics and quarterly dashboard to report progress of CORE/HEDS BoB and budget.

  • Facilitate the implementation of an action-oriented Business Intelligence (BI) capability to enable proactive planning for operational efficiencies. Enable data analytics and BI capability to inform REV/OPS development and implementation.

  • Accountable for maintaining effective resource allocation model for CORE and ensure the efficient execution of operational excellence and process improvement initiatives and maintain systems, processes and collaborations across the entire CORE portfolio

  • Represent CORE on internal committees, task forces and working groups related to operational excellence, IT, Knowledge management, cross-functional R&D planning and collaboration

  • Collaborate with other CORE leaders on CORE strategic initiatives and provide operations insights in identifying process gaps and enabling CORE communications of aligned strategy and business objectives.

  • Manage process to assess and prioritize the portfolio of studies. Create dashboards to report progress on the book of business and budget.

  • Ensure sharing of relevant best practices across our company enterprise.

  • Recruit and develop new team members into their assigned roles and responsibilities. Foster a positive, diverse, and inclusive culture to ensure team engagement in CORE.

  • Build and maintain a robust understanding of the value evidence environment and the application of CORE research activities in healthcare decision-making

  Critical Competencies/Key Functional skills and knowledge:

  • Demonstrated skills working in complex corporate environments and exercising influence without positional authority. Demonstrated skills in identifying process gaps and building new processes.

  • Highly developed financial management skills, including budget management, forecasting, resource allocation and financial planning

  • Ability to develop talent throughout the organization

  • Understanding of non-interventional research, including real-world evidence, value evidence, health economics and outcomes research and its role in healthcare decision making

  • Strong decision-making skills, weighing advantages, disadvantages and business impact for rapid decisions.

  • Strong communication skills with a consultative mindset.

  • Ability to lead cross functional and cross-enterprise teams and working groups

  • Ability to gain senior leadership alignment and sponsorship for organization-wide programs

  • Strong ability to lead in a matrix organization, including managing large team of direct reports and other functions without direct authority

  • Demonstrated leadership in working with networks, experimentation, sharing information and learning from best practices

  • Excellence in strategic thinking, creating an organizational vision and empowering teams to achieve success

  • Strong interpersonal skills, communication, collaboration and internal/external networking capabilities

  • Excellent understanding of the global regulatory, legal and compliance environment

  Education Minimum Requirements:

  • Required: Bachelor’s Degree in scientific, research, operational or business discipline

  • Preferred: Master’s Degree (business, operations or scientific discipline)

  Required Experience and Skills:

  • 15+ years of leading, interpreting, utilizing, evaluating, and/or conducting health economics and outcomes research to support pharmaceutical product market access from early development through lifecycle management across multiple therapeutic areas

  • Experience leading and directly managing teams, including leading cross-functional teams. Ability to navigate new or ambiguous situations

  • Experience collaborating and leading cross functional teams within R&D and across the company

  • Broad knowledge of reimbursement and HTA processes and how value evidence can support the information needs of decision makers

  • Experience initiating, developing and leading broad-scale process improvement projects and programs

  • Experience making complex decisions and strategic choices

  Preferred Experience and Skills:

  • Direct management of project management and/or analytical individual contributors

  • Leading a diverse workforce and managing mix of full-time and contractor employees

  • Demonstrated ability to build, mentor and develop talent

  • Project Management Professional (PMP) certification

  NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

  In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

  If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

  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”.

  Under New York State, 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:

  $213,280.00 - $335,700.00

  Available benefits include bonus eligibility, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. For Washington State Jobs, a summary of benefits is listed here.

  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:

  Domestic

  VISA Sponsorship:

  No

  Travel Requirements:

  10%

  Flexible Work Arrangements:

  Hybrid

  Shift:

  1st - Day

  Valid Driving License:

  Yes

  Hazardous Material(s):

  n/a

• About the company

  Merck & Co., Inc.,

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