Associate Director, Workforce Analytics Solutions and HR System Release Management

Job Description

About the Role

Join our HR Technology team as an Associate Director focused on the design and delivery of HR solutions supporting the Workforce Analytics Center of Excellence (CoE) and on HR System Release management. In this role, you will identify opportunities to streamline existing operations and assess future technology solutions that enable the Workforce Analytics (WFA) strategy. Additionally, you will support the overall HR Information Management function for all system releases, system change management, system governance, and tenant management activities. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on our company's HR technology landscape.

What You Will Do

• Strategic Planning:

  • Participate in strategy/process design sessions with Workforce Analytics CoE to consult on solutions (both existing and new) that will best achieve desired strategic outcomes.

  • Develop, prioritize, and support the Workforce Analytics CoE technology roadmap.

• Stakeholder Engagement:

  • Engage with HR stakeholders to gather requirements, understand pain points, and identify opportunities for process improvements.

• Solution Design & Implementation:

  • Author or facilitate creation of functional requirements to effectively build and/or configure solutions.

  • Author process design documents, use cases/business scenarios, and configure systems for prototyping and design considerations.

  • Work with process/functional lead and test leads to define test strategy and test plan and execute user testing.

  • Manage all work/deliverables per project plan, report/escalate status, issues, and risks with mitigation plans weekly to project/program manager.

  • Identify opportunities for continued automation, efficiency, and improvements in usability and scalability.

  • Apply technical expertise to resolve complex business problems independently and collaboratively.

• Privacy and AI Compliance:

  • Create/update required Data Privacy forms for all relevant objects requiring data; work with the Data Privacy Office and data steward to obtain Local and Global Data Privacy and works council approvals.

  • Create/update required AI Assessment forms for all relevant objects requiring AI usage; work with the AI Ethics team, Global Privacy, and Legal to obtain Local and Global approvals for AI.

• HR System Release Management:

  • Support the ongoing operations of Workday with specific focus on tenant management and upgrade/functionality releases.

  • Manage and oversee the system/enhancement release schedule as it relates to HR information systems.

  • Manage and maintain the system change management and governance processes working closely with counterparts in the IT organization.

  • Manage overall regression testing approach and processes across functions in support of HR system upgrades/functionality releases.

  • Ensure effective, controlled, and compliant HR processes and systems that meet internal audit, SDLC (system development lifecycle), and external regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 10 years of experience in HR, HRIS, IT, or Operations function.

• Minimum of 2 years of experience with Workday tenant management and bi-annual update/release cycles.

• Minimum 2 years of experience with Workday Advanced Reporting, Visier, Viva Glint, AWS Workbench or other Workforce Analytics tools.

• Proven project management experience at least 2 global HR technology projects in a deadline-driven environment.

• Experience managing system change management and governance processes for enterprise SaaS platforms.

• Documented experience authoring functional requirements, process design documents, and use cases.

• Engage with HR stakeholders to gather requirements, understand pain points, and identify opportunities for process improvements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience implementing AI-powered HR tools and navigating AI ethics/privacy approvals.

• Experience with API integration between Workday and enterprise systems.

• Experience managing or executing mergers, acquisitions and / or divestitures in an HR technology environment.

• Workday Experience (experience managing / executing EIBs).

Required Skills:

Measurement Analysis, Portfolio, Programme, and Project Support, Program Management, Risk Management, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Visier (Platform), Waterfall Model, Workday Extend, Workday Reporting, Workday Software

Preferred Skills:

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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:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

04/25/2026

*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.