Merck & Co, Inc

Associate Director, Development Project Management (Hybrid)

Merck & Co, Inc • $142K — $224K *
North Wales, PA 19454In-Person
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a scientific or applied discipline preferred.
  • 5+ years of project management experience or related role required.
  • Advanced degree (e.g., MS, MBA, Ph.D., PharmD) preferred.
  • Strong background in product development preferably in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry.
  • Experience with clinical drug development phases highly preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Manage the end-to-end drug development process and drive cross-functional teams.
  • Guide teams in creating, approving, and executing integrated project plans.
  • Build and maintain project schedules in enterprise management systems.
  • Identify and remove obstacles to enhance team dynamics.
  • Ensure decision-making aligns with corporate governance and requirements.
  • Lead and facilitate key team meetings for progress tracking.
  • Participate in departmental initiatives for business process improvement.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work arrangements available.
  • Support for ongoing training and personal development activities.
  • Opportunities for mentorship and coaching of project managers.
  • Participation in improving team collaboration and efficiencies.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Development Project Managers in GPAM are enterprise leaders that leverage a strong Project Management foundation to enable pipeline progression through integrated planning, aligned project execution, and problem solving. The GPAM Associate Director, Project Manager, is a core member of Drug Development Teams (e.g. Discovery Teams, Early Development Teams and/or late Product Development Teams), partnering with team leaders to develop strategies and execute our Company's drug and vaccine development efforts to progress the Research & Development pipeline and realize its full potential.

The Associate Director is expected to provide project management leadership and drive cross-functional teams with sufficient influence and mastery of project management to take on challenging assignments with minimal guidance. Projects could span any therapeutic area in which our company is actively engaged. In addition to project work, the Associate Director is expected to contribute to ongoing business process improvement and talent development in Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM).

This position may be based in either Rahway, NJ or Upper Gwynedd, PA

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Managing the end-to-end drug development process, including projects of significant complexity; driving cross-functional teams and leading by influence to develop comprehensive strategies and ensure successful execution.
  • 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 different disciplines (e.g., clinical, regulatory, market access, manufacturing, CMC, commercial, and other areas) as applicable to the project, and driving alignment with key stakeholders and partnerships with Project and Alliance Managers across the GPAM organization, including colleagues in Japan and China.
  • Building and maintaining project schedules and critical project information in enterprise project management systems and databases. Using these tools to integrate activities across key team members, proactively identify risks, address uncertainty, escalate appropriately, assess program status, and ensure clear and effective communication with key team, management, and cross-departmental stakeholders.
  • Leveraging relationships and networks to improve and enhance team dynamics; proactively identifying and removing obstacles to drive business results.
  • Navigating our company's process and organizational norms to enable teams to understand corporate governance and business requirements, thereby enabling decision-making.
  • Leading key team meetings including creating thoughtful agendas, ensuring appropriate participation, contributing project management insights, and following up to ensure the team continues to make progress while holding others accountable.
  • 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.
  • Participating in Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) departmental initiatives and workstreams aimed at improving the way that we work and the way that we interact with one another as well as other departments. Improving business processes to find new efficiencies and connect people to the information that they need.
  • Providing mentoring, coaching, and oversight to partner project managers working on common projects. Sharing lessons learned and best practices to impact the Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) community positively.


Required Education, Experience, and Skills:

  • Bachelor's degree required; concentration in a scientific or applied discipline preferred
  • Minimum of five (5) years of experience in project management or a related role required


Preferred Experience and Skills:

  • Advanced degree (e.g., MS, MBA, Ph.D., PharmD) preferred
  • Product development experience strongly preferred (ideally in pharmaceutical/biotech industry)
  • 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


GPAMjobs

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Required Skills:
Business Decisions, Change Management, Clinical Research, Collaboration, Cross-Functional Leadership, Drug Development, Enterprise Project Management (EPM), Process Optimization, Progress Monitoring, Project Implementations, Project Management, Project Management Governance, Project Planning, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking, Team Organization

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Employee Status:
Regular

Relocation:
No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:
No

Travel Requirements:
10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid

Shift:
Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
n/a

Job Posting End Date:
09/19/2026
*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.

About Merck & Co, Inc

Schering-Plough Corporation is a major U.S.-based manufacturer of pharmaceuticals. It operates in three segments: Prescription Pharmaceuticals, Animal Health, and Consumer Health Care. Schering-Plough develops products targeting on allergy, cancer, hepatitis, cardiovascular, central nervous system, respiratory system, and more.  It was founded in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering as Schering AG in Germany. Schering-Plough manufactured several pharmaceutical drugs, the most well-known of which were the allergy drugs Claritin and Clarinex, an anti-cholesterol drug Vytorin, and a brain tumor drug Temodar. It also developed drugs targeting on central nervous system and the respiratory system. Schering Plough also owned and operated the major foot care brand name Dr. Scholl's and the skin care line Coppertone. These also became a part of the new company. Schering-Plough was a full member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), a membership which is also maintained by the new Merck.

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Join the visionary team at Merck & Co, Inc, a global leader in healthcare dedicated to advancing the world of medicine. As part of our professional community, you'll find dynamic job opportunities that foster innovation and leadership across various fields. Merck & Co, Inc is not just a company; it's a place where you can make a difference.

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We understand that our employees are our greatest asset, which is why we offer competitive benefits designed to support the health and well-being of you and your family. From comprehensive health care coverage and retirement plans to flexible working conditions and wellness programs, our benefits package is designed to meet the diverse needs of our team members.

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Learn more about Merck & Co, Inc
Size
68,000 employees
Market Cap
$282.6 billion
Industry
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Net Income
$7 billion
Founded
1668
5 Year Trend
+4.1%
Revenue
$47.9 billion
NASDAQ
MRK
* Ladders Estimates

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