Project Manager (all genders)
Merck KGaA has closed or removed this posting -- see current similar openings below.
About this opportunity
Work Your Magic with us!
Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.
Your role
As a Project Manager, you will lead transformation initiatives from initial scoping through implementation and rollout, turning strategic objectives into sustainable operations. You will manage a diverse portfolio spanning business process transfers, organizational changes, post-merger integrations, business development initiatives, and other complex projects. Working across functions, countries, and organizational boundaries, you will bring structure to complexity and keep projects moving with clear priorities and strong governance. You will define project plans, processes, and procedures that support consistent, high-quality delivery. You will identify risks early, agree effective mitigation plans, and monitor progress, quality, resources, and key performance indicators across the portfolio. You will provide concise status updates to senior management through governance calls and presentations. You will coordinate portfolio planning with project teams, the PMO, and key stakeholders, while identifying resource constraints and initiating timely adjustments. As the primary contact for issue escalation and resolution, you will ensure that project requirements, methodologies, tools, and templates are applied effectively. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional transformation managers, external partners, vendors, customers, tax providers, and service providers. You will also support research into new business opportunities, facilitate business development discussions, and help build lasting relationships with prospective and existing customers.
Who you are
You have a university degree, preferably in business, management, or a related field.
You bring at least five years of professional experience, including at least three years of project leadership or equivalent relevant experience.
You have proven expertise in project management, ideally supported by a recognized methodology or certification such as PRINCE2 or Scrum.
You have experience in business process effectiveness, process development, or process management.
Experience with post-merger integration, mergers and acquisitions, consulting, or business development is a strong advantage.
You communicate confidently in English and German, both in writing and verbally.
You are highly organized, analytical, and decisive, with strong problem-solving and stakeholder-management skills.
You thrive in agile, collaborative, international, and sometimes ambiguous environments, remaining resilient, empathetic, and effective under pressure; occasional business travel is no problem for you.
What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!
Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!
Job details
How this role compares
Computed from every other active BD&L & Strategic Planning role in our database, not just this employer's listings.
We currently track 53 comparable Manager BD&L & Strategic Planning roles across 17 biopharma companies.
Salary context
22 of 53 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)
Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.
Where these roles are based
Top locations among the 53 comparable roles
+ 5 more countries
Seniority mix
53 of 53 peers have a known seniority level
Therapeutic area mix
8 of 53 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden
Currently open similar roles
This posting is closed, but here are live openings closest to it -- ranked by similarity, not by how well you'd qualify for them.
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How we calculate "similar"
No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.
Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.
0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.