Senior Director, Program Lead - Infectious Diseases

Job Description

This position provides expert strategic and operational leadership in the planning and execution of highly complex program(s) (e.g., spanning multiple disease areas/indications, involving large outcome trials). In this position, you will have the opportunity to lead and direct global, cross-functional teams in end-to-end clinical development activities (strategic planning through post-marketing approval). You will apply project management and organizational leadership expertise in our fast paced, industry-leading, dynamic bio-pharmaceutical company. You will have both direct & indirect reports, managing team(s) across programs/within a disease area.

Your responsibility in this role will include:

Leading and directing teams within a program/disease area/asset on key program planning and execution elements (e.g., program-level overviews; senior management and governance meetings)

Providing operational input at the CST level during protocol design (e.g., feasibility, execution risk, operational implications of design choices) and on program-level development planning documents (e.g., Clinical Development Plan, Protocol Concept Sheet, Protocol), ensuring program-level consistency and delivery of program objectives

Developing and maintaining the Clinical Operations Project Schedule, defining timelines for key trial milestones (e.g., DBL), and providing ongoing operational oversight of trial plan deliverables (e.g., Central Lab plan, Specimen Management Plan)

Providing program-, disease-area, or asset-level oversight & context to inform trial-level enrollment, site feasibility & selection, and leading patient and site engagement strategies with Patient Advocacy Groups and Key Opinion Leaders across trials

Conducting resource planning and staffing across a program, disease area, or asset (hiring and/or project onboarding; management of Trial Managers; may include management of other Program Leads)

Holding overarching responsibility and oversight of program, disease-area, or asset-level execution, providing innovative ideas to achieve organizational objectives, tracking key trial milestones and metrics across the program, proactively managing delays, and surfacing execution risks

Leading efforts and applying expertise to maximize operational feasibility and efficiency, and ensuring consistency and quality across the assigned portfolio

Serving as the primary escalation point for trial teams on operational issues, fielding and resolving cross-functional issues, promoting cross-functional solutions, and escalating to management as needed

Partnering with Portfolio Sourcing & Relationship Management (PSRM) on program-level service provider strategy (e.g., selection, qualification, contracting, oversight), resolving escalated issues and promoting consistent standards across studies

Reviewing and providing expert operational input on trial-level regulatory submissions (e.g., IND, CTA, Article 46), Health Authority responses and meeting material, Risk Language, and the Clinical Study Report

Reviewing trial-level ADI/RAID logs, Quality Plans, and readouts from quality metric dashboards (e.g., protocol deviations, temperature excursions), and proactively identifying and minimizing operational risks across the program/disease area/asset (e.g., clinical supply disruptions, service provider performance issues), escalating issues to CST and PDT as needed

Collaborating with CQRM, CQOM, and CST to develop, maintain, and review the program-level RACT (including program-specific metrics and thresholds, e.g., KRIs, QTLs), and reviewing and approving the Program Quality Plan

Reviewing protocol-level CTQ factors and key trial plans to ensure program-/disease-area/asset-level consistency as appropriate and quality control (e.g., reduction of manual data tracking/review efforts, appropriate balance between site & central monitoring)

Owning proactive inspection readiness across the trial/program lifecycle, including supporting the authoring of post-inspection observation responses and CAPA/SQI management, in close collaboration with Clinical Quality Operations

Serving as the operational representative on the Product Development's Clinical Subteam to escalate trial-/program-/disease-area-/asset-level risks, quality issues, and timeline/cost challenges, integrating solutions into program-level planning

Collaborating and facilitating interactions with key internal and external stakeholders (e.g., KOLs, vendors) in support of clinical program/disease-area/asset objectives

Leading and implementing process improvement and strategic initiatives (e.g., digital transformation)

Potentially leading operational components of mergers and acquisitions (e.g., due diligence activities, portfolio integrations)

Training, upskilling, and supervising direct and indirect reports, and managing the professional development and performance of direct reports, which may include Trial Managers and other Program Leaders

Supporting CTT onboarding and developing Trial Manager role-specific training

Championing and driving initiatives for digital proficiency/AI fluency to enhance efficiency and data-driven decision-making in clinical operations

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

Expert knowledge of GCP and ICH regulations

Expert understanding of end-to-end clinical research process, TA, and competitive landscape

Drives strategic adoption of scalable digital and AI-enabled approaches; experience in reviewing AI output, understanding limitations and constraints

Advanced knowledge of clinical database platforms, central monitoring/RBQM platforms & data review tools

Demonstrate advanced delegation, project-management, and program-wide decision-making skills to meet business needs and drive changes that shape the support, resourcing, and implementation of projects, programs, and/or technologies according to a budget/project plan

Ability to interact collaboratively and navigate high-stake conflicts with key internal/external stakeholders, leading through deep expertise and strategic influence

Demonstrate advanced problem solving, critical thinking, and scenario-planning skills (i.e. resolving complex technical, operational, and financial problems by weighing resource availability against department objectives), keeping an enterprise vision/view

Demonstrate advanced verbal and written communication skills

Demonstrate strong leadership by influencing internal & external stakeholders, and building talent through oversight, coaching, and mentoring

Education/Experience:

Bachelor’s degree + 15 years

OR

Master’s + 12 years

OR

PhD/PharmD + a minimum of 8 years Pharmaceutical and/or clinical drug development experience.

Preferred:

Degree in life sciences, preferred.

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred

Experience in conducting pragmatic studies preferred

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Required Skills:

AI Enablement, Clinical Databases, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials Monitoring, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Data Management, Ethical Standards, ICH Guidelines, Operational Leadership, Project Management, Regulatory Submissions, Scientific Writing, Therapeutic Knowledge

Preferred Skills:

Adaptability, Innovation, Strategic Thinking

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

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.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The primary location for this posting is:

USA - New Jersey - Rahway

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is:

$210,400.00 - $331,100.00

This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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 .

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

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):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

11/18/2026 *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.

Requisition ID:R425334