Director Digital Manufacturing Operations

Job Description

An amazing opportunity has arisen for a Digital Manufacturing Operations Director. This is a crucial role that is a trusted partner who fosters enablement of purposeful innovation and sustained value from our digital assets, while enabling a safe, compliant, reliable, and cost effective supply to our patients. This role provides support to our manufacturing division to as they aspire to simultaneously run the business, grow the business, and transform the business. A focus on creating and fostering an engaged and inclusive culture is essential to deliver sustained performance excellence.

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Direct the technical activities of automation, IT, and digitally competent team members to achieve business objectives through execution of standard work and processes
• Adapt and implement functional strategic plans and priorities based on division scorecard and overall digital strategic plans to address local business, service and operational challenges
• Provide leadership for the team across technical, compliance, security, and business acumen knowledge domains
• Develop and manage department budget
• Direct support of regulatory inspections and audits and other validation activities
• Provide leadership of digital process improvements, productivity, and system support projects
• Lead individual and team development through approved HR guidance and practices
• Provide guidance on digital activities to key stakeholders
• Provide guidance and ensure that the team follow established standards, principles and governance
• Support problem solving practices to identify and resolve technical and operational problems; able to collaborate with peers to resolve problems that cross into inter-related units
• Provide governance over Portfolio, Project Execution and Asset Life Cycle Management (LCM) for all automation and IT assets
• Guide proactive strategic management of shop floor assets and their risk profiles
• Build relationships/partnerships with digital leaders across the business network and product value teams
• Manage vendor relationships

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Engineering or Computer Science

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum ten (10) years of experience in a production regulated industry (part or all of the ten years providing manufacturing automation services) – OR – Master’s or MBA degree with eight (8) years’ experience – OR – PhD with five (5) years’ experience

• Minimum of five (5) years of direct people management experience

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in a GMP manufacturing automation role with experience across IT and OT systems

• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with direct reports, team, peers and site/business leaders

• Demonstrated leadership in achieving shared objectives in a matrix organization

• Strong understanding of manufacturing principles/ processes and ability to translate manufacturing requirements into Automation/IT solutions

• Ability to develop, articulate and build support around a long-term vision and implement incremental milestones in support of that vision

• Proven track record of analytical skills, problem solving and attention to detail

• Able to demonstrate the company's Leadership Principles (Ways of Working) and Enterprise Leadership

• High personal integrity, credibility, and energy

• Excellent communication and influencing skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Lean Six Sigma experience preferred.

• Strong Problem solving, Project management, Communication and Collaboration skills required

Required Skills:

Automated Manufacturing Systems, Automation Technology, Collaborative Communications, Computer System Validation (CSV), Digital Manufacturing, Establishing Contacts, Group Problem Solving, Information Technology (IT), Leadership, Lean Six Sigma (LSS), Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing Processes, People Management, Process Manufacturing, Regulatory Inspections, Relationship Building, Shop Floor Management, Shop Management, Strategic Management, Strategic Planning, Teamwork, Waterfall Model

Preferred Skills:

Change Management, Project Management, Six Sigma

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

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

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

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, Monday - 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”.

The salary range for this role is

$173,200.00 - $272,600.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this 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.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

04/22/2026

*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.