Job Description

The Director, Change Management reports to the Head of (GDMS) Business Operations and is responsible for the development, maintenance, and implementation of the GDMS change management framework, GDMS Business Continuity Plan (BCP), and their associated processes. Ensures change management is embedded as a foundational component of GDMS chartered initiatives and consistently applied across functional areas. In concert with business stakeholders, coordinates the impact assessment of strategic initiatives and disruptive incidents on GDMS operations and facilitates implementation of aligned change management and business continuity strategies.    

Responsibilities  
 

Strategic Alignment & Stakeholder Partnership 

• Coordinates across Global Data Management & Standards (GDMS), Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO), and other business stakeholders to identify and understand the change impact of strategic transformation projects and other optimization initiatives on the GDMS organization and operations 

• Partners with GDMS functional area heads and Business Operations leadership to evaluate and characterize adoption, performance, and value realization risks and develop targeted change management strategies to drive enhanced business readiness and adoption success 

• Develop and maintain impact assessments and stakeholder analyses across GDMS and GCTO-wide transformation initiatives; identify, segment, and manage key stakeholders across leadership levels to inform change strategy and sequencing 

• Serves as a reliable partner by providing change management consultation to stakeholders and cross-functional project teams to drive effective, aligned change management strategies 

Governance, Risk, & Operational Performance 

• Oversees the GDMS BCP (Business Continuity Planning) framework, ensuring readiness, documentation, and cross-functional testing are embedded into GDMS operations 

• Partners with the organizer and lead of the GCTO BCP framework to ensure consistency and alignment with the GDMS BCP 

Change Management & Adoption 

• Oversees the strategy, governance, and execution of the GDMS change management framework across all functional areas 

• Establish and lead a GDMS Change Management Champions Network across sub-functions; build change management capability by training leaders and project teams on principles, tools, and methodologies 

• Develops, and maintains, and oversees integrated change management plans to aid in strategic planning and risk management 

• Oversees the implementation of integrated change management plans  

• Develops measurement approaches to characterize change readiness and change adoption; align with PMO on KPIs for tracking adoption and utilization 

• Partner with communications team to develop and oversee change management communication strategy 

Qualifications, Skills & Experience  

 Technical Skills: 

• Knowledge of clinical trial operations and clinical data management  

• Expertise in designing, implementing, and maintaining change management frameworks, including change strategy, adoption, and roll-out across a large, global, matrixed organization  

• Understanding of organizational change, process governance, and performance analytics, including adoption measurement and benefits realization tracking 

• Proven ability to lead large cross-functional teams; conduct change impact and stakeholder assessments; and translate insights into strategic, executable change plans 

• Advanced ability to direct and mentor process and change teams to deliver data-driven insights, process optimization, and sustained adoption outcomes. 

• Proficiency in establishing adoption metrics, dashboards, and feedback loops (e.g., training, readiness, engagement, resistance)  

• Proven ability to embed new ways of working through communications, training, and reinforcement. 
   

Non-technical Skills: 

• Demonstrated strategic leadership and ability to influence senior-level leaders and executives  

• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills across global and matrixed environments 

• Strong conceptual and analytical thinking; able to translate strategy into actionable execution 

• Proven ability to mentor and coach across multiple levels  

• Demonstrated success driving change and alignment across complex, cross-functional structures 

• High resilience, adaptability, and professional maturity in evolving business environment 

Enterprise Leadership Skills: 

• Business Savviness | Uses organizational and industry insights to identify trends, assess Data Management operating practices and performance, evaluate process or operating model changes, and anticipate impacts on delivery, resourcing, and stakeholders 

• Strategic Planning | Triages activities and assignments by business criticality, and reprioritizes work as timelines, risks, and stakeholder needs shift 

• Influence | Communicates the benefits of proposed changes for individuals, teams, and the organization; tailors the influence approach to stakeholder motivations; uses data and evidence to address hesitancy or resistance; reinforces key benefits and decisions to confirm understanding 
   

Qualifications & experience:  

• Bachelor's Degree with a minimum of 10 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, data management, or clinical trial operations. Demonstrated subject matter expertise in change management and leading cross-functional teams. 
   

OR 
 

• Advanced Degree (Masters or Doctorate) with a minimum of 8 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, data management, or clinical trial operations. Demonstrated subject matter expertise in change management and leading cross-functional teams. 

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The salary range for this role is

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this 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.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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. 

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