Job Description

A robust analytical testing network is essential to realize our company's mission and strategic priorities to deliver life-changing products through pipeline acceleration and uninterrupted supply of commercial product. The Associate Director, Critical Reagent Planning and Controls is a key leadership role accountable for full lifecycle critical reagent demand and supply planning activities to realize uninterrupted supply of well-performing, qualified reagents for our company's growing inline large molecule product portfolio.

The leader of the Critical Reagent Planning and Controls team will develop and oversee the execution of standard processes to ensure the right work is initiated at the right time to ensure continuous supply of reagents through risk-appropriate resupply strategies and inventory targets. This role will track and communicate key performance indicators as well as communicate opportunities and risks to critical reagent and partner functions. This role will prepare and maintain integrated reagent supply master work plans across near and long-time horizons to support seamless partnership between the critical reagent team, partner functions, and reagent customers. This role will also support financial forecasts for the LM Critical Reagent team. This is a new team and new team leader position to centralize and standardize planning activities for the portfolio of inline large molecule critical reagents.

The ideal candidate for this position will have prior experience in a planning role (product, analytical, or operations), a deep understanding of the BCR qualification and re-evaluation processes, and scientific or technical background to effectively communicate and identify robust solutions for issue mitigation throughout the reagent lifecycle. This role requires the ability to effectively organize, prioritize, and communicate the execution of complex workstreams across multiple functions. This role requires balancing of operational and strategic elements to stabilize immediate reagent supply while advancing longer term BCR planning capabilities.

Primary Activities:

As leader of the critical reagent planning and controls team, the Associate Director is accountable to create executable, integrated supply replenishment plans to maintain target inventory levels for all reagents managed within the LM Critical Reagents team.

• Establish reagent-specific stock targets, including assumptions and oversight for introduction of new reagents.
• Collaboratively establish and maintain standard lead times for core work activities associated with reagent supply and qualification and integrate this information into a standard planning approach/model.
• Develop and deploy scalable standard process to forecast reagent consumption and monitor actuals vs. forecast
• Establish process and information flows with functions and stakeholders across the reagent supply chains and qualification pathway to inform high probability of success reagent supply plans, including project or other work dependencies (such as Assay procedure life cycle approved projects, product introductions, product/analytical team priorities, stability studies, testing or manufacturing facility constraints). Foster effective cross-divisional collaborations at local site and global levels.
• Prepare and publish integrated work schedules to enable coordination and prioritization of work by executing functions: sourcing, form/fill, testing, data collection, stock transfers/routine order fulfillment.
• Develop tracking and reporting tools to monitor KPIs across BCR lifecycle and promote a culture of early issue identification/resolution with escalation through appropriate tier processes, including proactive management of sourcing/supply chain and qualification testing risks. Utilize digital dashboards to enable efficient, fit-to-purpose communication across functions.
• Develop inventory build remediation plan for reagents currently operating below desired stock targets and report progress.
• Collaborate with Finance to utilize integrated work schedules to support standard forecast cycle deliverables and streamline process for BCR cost allocation.
• Oversee key external partnerships, including review/approval of agreements and contracts and joint meetings.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Bachelor's level in a core science (such as chemistry, biology) or applied field (engineering, supply chain management)with seven (7) years in a planning role or operational role with planning function responsibilities.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Familiarity with GMP analytical laboratory operations and analytical test methods
• Strong project management competencies: ability to define and implement project plans for achievement of aligned metrics including measurement of key performance indicators. Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects involving multiple execution functions and stakeholders.
• Expert-level capability with MS Excel. Additionally, familiar with one or more standard project management systems (MS Project, Primavera, etc.).

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience installing S&OP process or other control-related business processes for a functional area. Experience with ERP (preferably SAP) and transactions/usage of LIMS strongly preferred.
• Lean/six sigma or internal company MPS experience, including process mapping and value stream mapping
• Experience with external vendor/contract laboratory management
• Experience with large molecule production processes, process development, or direct analytical testing
• Excellent presentation, oral and written communications skills: ability to simplify complex situations to clear, focused, fit-to-purpose communication with target audience
• Direct or indirect leadership responsibilities demonstrating effective collaboration, listening skills, personnel coaching, and ability to influence decisions across organizational levels
• Demonstrated willingness to learn new areas, seek-to-understand and continuously improve mindset, and ability to rapidly acquire working competency in adjacent or new areas to drive positive change.

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders). Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

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Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence. This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as "remote".

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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:

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Shift:

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Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Job Posting End Date:10/06/2024

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:R315735