Controls Strategy Lead (SCADA/Ignition)

Job Description

Role Summary:

In the Development Sciences and Clinical Supply organization, we believe digital is the force multiplier that enables faster experiments, smarter decisions, more robust supply chains, and is ultimately redefining how we bring medicines to patients.

Within Development Sciences and Clinical Supply, the Development Sciences and Clinical Supply Digital Technologies team is building the next generation of data-rich, connected lab environments—where hardware, software, and AI-driven tools work together to accelerate pharmaceutical development. Our goal is simple but ambitious: embed advanced digital capabilities into the DNA of how we work. We believe this future starts with an effective foundation of laboratory tools: innovative robotics, process analytical technology, high-throughput technologies, reliable instrumentation, and integrated systems that seamlessly transition data from the physical labs to the digital world. We believe innovation is fueled by teams that come together to build technologies that truly impact how our scientists conduct research. We’re looking for a director to help define and deliver this future vision.

This position serves as a technical leader for laboratory operations technology and orchestration platforms across the Development Sciences and Clinical Supply organization. The successful candidate will combine deep hands-on technical expertise with strategic leadership, helping define the long-term architecture, standards, roadmap, and adoption strategy for laboratory SCADA and orchestration platforms while continuing to actively design and implement high-impact solutions. 

The role requires collaboration across laboratory automation, scientific organizations, facilities, IT, engineering, digital product teams, and external technology partners to ensure laboratory automation platforms evolve into a scalable, sustainable, and enterprise-aligned ecosystem. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead Ignition and laboratory orchestration strategy: Shape the vision, roadmap, architecture, standards, and investment priorities for scalable SCADA and orchestration capabilities across Development Sciences and Clinical Supply, partnering with scientific, automation, digital, IT, and engineering leaders. 

• Deliver high-impact solutions: Remain hands-on by designing, developing, and deploying complex Ignition, automation, and integration solutions while providing technical leadership across critical programs and unique business challenges. 

• Build sustainable platform ecosystems: Establish reusable architectures, development patterns, governance, validation approaches, and implementation practices that connect instrumentation, robotics, process equipment, data platforms, and enterprise systems. 

• Advance innovation and future capabilities: Evaluate emerging technologies and translate opportunities in AI, advanced analytics, digital twins, and autonomous laboratories into practical platform capabilities that address current and future scientific needs. 

• Grow organizational technical depth: Coach, mentor, and educate laboratory automation, software, and digital engineering colleagues through direct project engagement, formal mentorship and training, technical forums, and communities of practice. 
• Influence decisions and adoption: Communicate complex technical ideas, build alignment across teams and sites, and guide technology selection, resource prioritization, and adoption of common platform approaches. 

Education Minimum Requirement:

• A Ph.D. in Engineering (i.e. Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical), Robotics, Mechatronics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences or a closely related field with at least 6 years of relevant experience
• A M.S. in Engineering (i.e. Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical), Robotics, Mechatronics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences or a closely related field with at least 8 years of relevant experience
• A B.S. in in Engineering (i.e. Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical), Robotics, Mechatronics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences or a closely related field with at least 10 years of relevant experience

Required Experience and Skills:

• Significant experience designing and deploying industrial or laboratory SCADA, orchestration, or operations technology solutions. 

• Demonstrated expertise with Ignition, DeltaV, WinCC OA, or similar industrial automation platforms. 

• Proven ability to lead technical strategy while remaining an active individual contributor. 

• Demonstrated success delivering complex automation, integration, or digital transformation initiatives. 

• Experience developing software solutions using modern engineering practices including version control, testing, CI/CD, and maintainable software architectures. 

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical concepts to broad scientific and leadership audiences. 

• Demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and developing talent. 

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Strong understanding of systems integration, industrial networking, OT/IT convergence, cybersecurity, and platform architecture 

• Deep expertise with Ignition architectures, gateway deployment strategies, module development, and enterprise-scale implementations. 

• Experience developing laboratory digital transformation strategies. 

• Experience with data historians, MES, LIMS, ELN, enterprise data platforms, and cloud-based analytics solutions. 

• Experience integrating laboratory robotics, process analytical technology (PAT), and advanced instrumentation platforms. 

• Familiarity with AI/ML applications within laboratory operations and scientific workflows. 

• Experience building reusable software frameworks, development standards, or enterprise technology platforms. 

• Understanding of biologics, vaccine, sterile, small molecule, or analytical development environments. 

• Experience leading communities of practice, technical academies, or organizational training programs. 

• Demonstrated ability to identify future technology needs and develop long-term platform roadmaps. 

• Strong understanding of regulatory, quality, and compliance considerations relevant to pharmaceutical development environments. 
• Ability to influence technical direction across multiple organizations without direct authority.

Required Skills:

Analytical Thinking, Analytical Thinking, Automation, BuildMaster, Change Agility, Commercial Software, Consulting, Cross-Functional Leadership, Digital Transformation, Digital Twin, Engineering Principle, Engineering Standards, Estimation and Planning, Implementation Methodologies, Integrated Product Teams, Intercultural Collaboration, Maintenance Supervision, Manufacturing Scale-Up, Platform Management, Professional Engineering, Results-Oriented, Retention Strategies, Software Architectures, Software Design, Software Development Management {+ 9 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The primary location for this posting is:

USA - New Jersey - Rahway

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is:

$173,200.00 - $272,600.00

This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

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. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

11/4/2026

*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.