Merck & Co, Inc

Dir , Commercial Data Capability

Merck & Co, Inc$173K — $272K *
Healthcare
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S. or M.S. in Engineering or related field (such as Business, Analytics, or Computer Science)
  • Minimum 10+ years in data architecture, data platform engineering, or data product leadership with biopharma/healthcare experience
  • Hands-on experience with GenAI and ML platform tools (Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock) preferred
  • Familiarity with AI governance and responsible AI frameworks
  • Experience in managing data ecosystems specific to biopharma challenges

Responsibilities

  • Lead and oversee four specialized teams in data quality, innovation, operations, and foundational capabilities
  • Translate GenAI and modernization ambitions into executable roadmaps
  • Champion Data Architecture and Engineering excellence across the organization
  • Architect GenAI-ready data infrastructure to support scalable solutions
  • Lead evaluation and production of GenAI solutions to enhance enterprise fluency
  • Direct legacy-to-modern data platform migrations to ensure scalable architectures
  • Oversee the implementation of automated Data Quality frameworks across data tiers

Benefits

  • Flexible work arrangements with hybrid options
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Collaborative and innovative work environment
  • Access to cutting-edge technology and resources
  • Opportunity to lead and shape the future of data architecture and AI integration
Full Job Description
Job Description

Director Commercial Data Capability - Head of Platform & Engineering Excellence

This role is the "Head of Platform & Engineering Excellence." This leader and their team provide the foundational platforms, tools, and services (quality, ops, GenAI infra) that Core data domains/solutions and the Emerging business solutions teams will consume. This leader serves as the primary engineering and platform partner to Core Data Domains and Emerging Business Solutions teams, providing the foundational capabilities they need to build and scale their respective data products. This leader will lead four specialized teams - Data Quality & Business Rules Management, Innovation Capabilities, Data Operations, and Foundational Capabilities - with a mandate to modernize our data infrastructure, embed Generative AI solutions across the commercial data organization, and ensure the long-term resilience and sustainability of our data platforms. Additionally, This leader will serve as the organization's champion for Data Architecture & Engineering excellence and embed AI assisted data product development as the standard for how we operate.

This leader will lead the team that builds the foundational GenAI infrastructure (the "factory"), while the Core and Emerging business solutions teams use that factory to build specific GenAI-powered data products.

Position Responsibilities

Role Overview

Serve as the champion for Data Architecture & Engineering excellence, leading the modernization of data infrastructure, embedding GenAI solutions, and ensuring the resilience of commercial data platforms to support the DHH organization.

A. Team & Capability Leadership:

1. Lead Specialized Teams: Direct and oversee four core capability areas: Data Quality & Business Rules Management, Innovation Capabilities, Data Operations, and Foundational Capabilities.

2. Roadmap Execution: Translate the organization's GenAI and modernization ambitions into prioritized, executable technical and engineering roadmaps.

3. Role Model Leadership: Demonstrate senior leadership behaviors including cross-functional leadership, swift decision-making, strategic thinking, and fostering a culture of technical innovation.

B. GenAI & Innovation Infrastructure:

1. GenAI-Ready Architecture: Architect and oversee the design of GenAI-ready data infrastructure, including curated semantic layers, vector store implementations, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines.

2. Pilot to Production: Lead the Innovation Capabilities team in evaluating, piloting, and productionizing GenAI solutions to increase enterprise GenAI fluency and adoption.

C. Foundational Architecture & Modernization:

1. Legacy-to-Modern Migration: Direct the Foundational Capabilities team in executing legacy-to-modern platform migrations and building future-proof, scalable architectural foundations.

2. Architecture Standards: Champion and enforce enterprise data architecture standards, including cloud-native design patterns, composable data product architecture, and API-first data access.

D. Data Quality & Reliability (DataOps)

1. Data Operations Lifecycle: Lead the Data Operations team to ensure steady-state platform operations, high availability, rapid incident response, and strict SLA adherence.

2. Automated Data Quality: Oversee the Data Quality & Business Rules Management team to implement and scale an automated Data Quality (DQ) framework across all data tiers.

Behavioral Competencies

A. Technical Translation & Communication:

A1. Bridges the gap: Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to translate complex GenAI, architectural, and engineering concepts into clear business value for non-technical commercial stakeholders.

B. High-Performance Team Leadership:

B1. Builds and empowers: Strong organizational and leadership skills with a track record of hiring, building, and mentoring specialized, high-performing technical teams (Data Ops, Quality, Innovation).

B2. Decisive execution: Demonstrates swift decision-making and cross-functional leadership to keep infrastructure migrations and pilots on track.

C. Strategic Innovation & Change Champion

C1. Drives modernization: Acts as the organization's champion for modern data architecture standards, fostering a culture of innovation that embraces AI-assisted workflows.

C2. Forward-looking resilience: Balances the excitement of piloting GenAI with the disciplined mindset required to maintain steady-state operations and SLA adherence.

D. Architectural Vision:

D1. Translates ambition to reality: Ability to take the enterprise's high-level GenAI and modernization ambitions and break them down into prioritized, executable technical roadmaps.

Functional Competencies

A. Generative AI & Semantic Infrastructure

A1. AI Implementation: Proven, hands-on expertise in Generative AI strategy and implementation, including direct experience with LLMs, RAG architectures, and vector databases in production environments.

A2. AI-Ready Data: Deep understanding of preparing enterprise data for AI consumption (curated semantic modeling, metadata enrichment, ontology design, LangChain, Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock).

B. Modern Data Architecture

B1. Cloud-native design: Strong expertise in cloud-native data platforms, data lakehouse architectures, API-first data access, and composable data product architecture (prior exposure to Data Mesh operating models preferred).

C. Platform Operations (DataOps) & Migration

C1. Reliability at scale: Solid understanding of modern DataOps practices, including SLA/SLO management, incident response, and system observability.

C2. Legacy modernization: Extensive experience directing legacy-to-modern platform migrations and building future-proof architectural foundations.

D. Data Quality & Automated Governance

D1. Automated frameworks: Experience leading large-scale data quality programs, embedding automated Business Rules Management, and implementing scalable DQ frameworks across all data tiers.

D2. Responsible AI: Familiarity with implementing AI governance and responsible AI guardrails within the data infrastructure.

Education:

  • B.S. or M.S. in Engineering or related field (Business, Analytics, Engineering, Pharmacy, Technology fields, Liberal arts, Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, etc.)


Required:
  • Minimum 10+ years of relevant work experience with a demonstrated track record in data architecture, data platform engineering, or data product leadership, with meaningful experience working in the biopharma or healthcare industry


Preferred:
  • Hands-on experience with specific GenAI and ML platform tooling such as Azure OpenAI Service, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, LangChain, LlamaIndex, or equivalent LLM orchestration frameworks
  • Experience implementing AI governance and responsible AI frameworks, including model transparency, bias assessment, data lineage for AI pipelines, and audit-readiness for AI-generated outputs in regulated industries
  • Familiarity with commercial biopharma data ecosystems and the specific challenges of preparing pharma commercial data (HCP data, promotional content, patient-linked data) for GenAI consumption
  • Experience building or managing vector store implementations and embedding pipelines (e.g., Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector, or equivalent) in a production enterprise environment
  • Prior exposure to data mesh or data product operating model frameworks and experience translating those principles into practical platform and governance decisions


Required Skills:
AI Architecture, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Architecture Development, Database Administration, Data Engineering, Data Infrastructure, Data Lineage, Data Management, Data Modeling, DataOps, Data Quality, Data Quality Test Automation, Data Visualization, Design Applications, Generative AI, Information Management, Microsoft Azure Batch Artificial Intelligence (AI), Product Management Leadership, Responsible AI, Software Development, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Strategic Thinking, System Designs

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:
08/18/2026
*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.

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.

Merck & Co, Inc Careers

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.

Work You’ll Do

At Merck & Co, Inc, we are committed to improving global health through groundbreaking research and innovative healthcare solutions. Our team is at the forefront of developing new therapies and vaccines that significantly impact public health worldwide. By joining us, you will collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry, using your skills to contribute to projects that save and improve lives around the globe.

Explore Career Paths

Whether you're seeking an internship, a graduate opportunity, or a professional position, Merck & Co, Inc offers a range of career paths in environments that promote rapid professional growth and development. Explore job opportunities in research, digital transformation, manufacturing, and more, all while benefiting from a culture that supports diversity and inclusion.

Innovate and Lead

Merck & Co, Inc is an ideal environment for those who lead with curiosity and the drive to innovate. Our leadership is committed to fostering a culture where inventive thinking and collaboration are encouraged, making it a perfect place for professionals who seek to make an impact through their work.

Develop Your Skills

With Merck & Co, Inc, you are not just getting a job; you're gaining access to unparalleled career development opportunities. Enhance your skills through diverse training programs, workshops, and continuous learning courses designed to help you grow at every stage of your career.

Benefits and Culture

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.

Join Our Team

Ready to advance your career at Merck & Co, Inc? Search open positions that match your skills and interests. We are continuously hiring and looking for passionate, creative, and solution-driven team players. Prepare your resume, sharpen your interview skills, and become part of a company that's dedicated to making a difference.

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

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