Job Description
The Lead Associate, Customer Service is responsible for leading the day-to-day operational performance of the Customer Services function, with a particular focus on order management, logistics, inventory allocation, customer fulfilment, and business process improvement.
This role acts as the operational lead for customer order fulfilment and supply chain coordination, ensuring exceptional service levels whilst balancing customer demand, inventory availability, regulatory requirements, and business priorities.
The successful candidate will provide leadership across the Order & Logistics team, drive operational excellence, identify opportunities to improve efficiency through automation and AI-enabled solutions, and act as a key escalation point for customers, distribution partners, and internal stakeholders.
The role requires a proactive leader who can take ownership of complex operational challenges, manage competing priorities, and deliver continuous improvements that enhance customer experience and business performance.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Lead the daily activities of the Order & Logistics function, driving service excellence and operational effectiveness.
- Act as the operational lead for customer order fulfilment, ensuring orders are processed accurately and delivered on time.
- Provide leadership, guidance, coaching, and support to team members.
- Monitor operational performance and proactively address risks affecting customer service or supply continuity.
- Serve as the first point of escalation for complex customer, logistics, invoice, and order-related issues.
- Lead operational reviews and drive actions to improve service levels and customer satisfaction.
Order Management & Logistics
- Oversee the full order-to-delivery process, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency throughout the customer journey.
- Maintain effective management of SAP order activity, customer back orders, and supply constraints.
- Coordinate closely with Demand Planning, Supply Chain, Distribution Partners, and Commercial teams to resolve fulfilment challenges.
- Manage customer allocations and product release processes, balancing customer requirements with available stock.
- Lead short supply reviews and allocation planning activities to support fair and effective product distribution.
- Manage distribution partner product setup, inventory monitoring, and operational communications.
- Drive improvements in logistics performance and customer fulfilment outcomes.
Allocation & Supply Management
- Take ownership of product allocation processes and stock prioritisation activities.
- Partner with Supply Chain, Planning, and Commercial teams to develop allocation strategies during constrained supply situations.
- Monitor inventory trends, supply risks, and customer demand patterns.
- Provide recommendations and operational leadership during periods of supply disruption.
- Lead allocation communication plans with internal stakeholders and customers where required.
Customer Experience & Escalation Management
- Maintain an exemplary standard of customer service across all customer interactions.
- Lead investigations and resolution activities relating to complaints, disputes, service failures, and delivery issues.
- Gather and analyse information to support rapid resolution of escalated cases.
- Manage exception handling for returns, credits, invoicing issues, damaged deliveries, and customer claims.
- Build strong working relationships with customers, distribution partners, and internal stakeholders.
Continuous Improvement & Digital Innovation
- Identify opportunities to improve operational processes, eliminate waste, and simplify ways of working.
- Use data, reporting, and operational insights to drive process improvements.
- Champion the use of automation, AI tools, and digital technologies to improve efficiency, accuracy, and customer experience.
- Lead initiatives that streamline order processing, reporting, customer communications, and operational workflows.
- Develop and maintain SOPs, process documentation, and operational best practices.
- Support broader business transformation and continuous improvement projects.
Data, Reporting & Analysis
- Produce and analyse operational reports, KPIs, and performance metrics.
- Monitor customer service, logistics, inventory, allocation, and fulfilment performance.
- Provide insights and recommendations to management based on data trends.
- Support business decision-making through effective use of operational data and reporting.
Compliance & Quality
- Raise and manage incident reports relating to quality, logistics, compliance, or service failures.
- Support investigations into non-conformances, temperature deviations, damaged deliveries, and customer complaints.
- Maintain compliance with company policies, quality requirements, and regulatory standards.
- Manage Bona Fide verification activities and annual reviews.
People Development
- Support onboarding, training, and development of new team members.
- Share knowledge and best practices across the team.
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
- Support departmental projects and cross-functional initiatives.
Experience & Qualifications
Essential
- Significant experience within Customer Service, Supply Chain Operations, Order Management, Logistics, or Customer Operations.
- Experience leading operational activities, projects, or teams within a customer-focused environment.
- Strong understanding of order-to-cash processes and customer fulfilment operations.
- Experience managing escalations and complex customer issues.
- Experience working with ERP systems such as SAP.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
Desirable
- Experience managing or supporting product allocation processes.
- Experience working with distribution partners, inventory management, or supply planning teams.
- Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives.
- Experience using AI, automation, digital tools, or process optimisation technologies to improve business performance.
- Pharmaceutical, animal health, healthcare, FMCG, or regulated industry experience.
Key Competencies
- Leadership and ownership
- Operational excellence
- Customer focus
- Commercial awareness
- Data-driven decision making
- Continuous improvement mindset
- Stakeholder management
- Change leadership
- Digital and AI literacy
- Problem solving and decision making
- Resilience and adaptability
Additional location(s) Compensation Information:
Required Skills:
Customer Service, Order Processing, People Management, Problem Resolution, Product Sales Training, Report Preparation, Sales Data Management, Sales Order Processing, Sales Reporting, Sales Support, Service Requests, Technical Support, Work Order Management
Preferred Skills:
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
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:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:
No
Travel Requirements:
No Travel Required
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
N/A
Job Posting End Date:
10/28/2026
*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.