Director, Global Clinical Supply Planning, Project Management - Hybrid

Job Description

The Global Clinical Supply (GCS) organization is accountable for managing the 'end-to-end' integrated clinical supply chain across the full of our company's Research Laboratories portfolio of Human Health clinical trials.  GCS is accountable for the planning, sourcing, labeling, packaging and delivery of clinical supplies to clinical sites globally. The GCS Planning (Planning) organization is the key interface between clinical development teams and the operational/executional arms within the business

The Director, Global Clinical Supply Planning responsible for the planning, execution, and delivery of clinical trial supplies across one or more clinical development programs. The Director ensures timely, compliant, and cost‑effective availability of IMP and comparators to support global clinical trials while operating within a GxP‑regulated environment.  The role manages a team of global clinical supply planners, communicates status and risk to senior stakeholders, drives mitigation plans and ensures timely, compliant delivery of clinical supplies.  The team leader partners closely with Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO), Development, Quality, Regulatory, Technical Operations, and external vendors to manage supply risks, support protocol execution, and meet program timelines.

Key responsibilities

• Portfolio: Clinical Supply Planning & Execution

  • Accountable for the development & execution of clinical supply plans for an assigned portfolio (Phase I–IV, IIS, collaborations, acquisitions-related programs) in alignment with therapeutic‑area strategy

  • Accountable for demand forecasts and supply strategies that account for enrolment variability, protocol amendments, and country activation.

  • Ensuring integrity of supply timelines, contingency plans and program-level risk registers, report progress, risks and mitigation actions to the Therapeutic Area Senior Director and other stakeholders.

  • Ensures appropriate integration with IRT/RTSM systems and clinical trial timelines.

  • Prioritize program-level resource allocation and schedule trade-offs to support portfolio objectives and business continuity.

  • Provide input to portfolio-level decisions affecting clinical supply (resource trade-offs, change-control priorities, regulatory constraints).

• People: Leadership & Talent Development

  • Leads a team of global clinical supply planners: recruit, deploy, coach and develop staff to meet operational needs.

  • Conducts performance management and career development for direct reports; mentor planning managers and team leads to build capability and succession pipelines and future-ready capabilities.

  • Ensures team competency in planning practices, regulatory/GMP expectations and operational execution.

  • Fosters a culture of accountability, quality and continuous improvement driving measurable performance against objectives.

• Processes

  • Implements and standardizes planning processes and governance for the portfolio; establish relevant metrics and leading indicators (risk, change-control, continuity).

  • Drives local remediation, preventive actions and training to address process gaps and recurring failures.

  • Ensures compliance with GMP, company policies and SOPs; support updates to SOPs and team training materials as required.

  • Supports budget stewardship for portfolio-level clinical supply spend and collaborate with finance to align forecasts and actuals.

• Partners

  • Build and maintain working relationships with Clinical Operations, Clinical Research, Quality, Finance, Procurement, Business Analytics and external partners (CMOs/CROs, collaborators).

  • Act as the primary GCS Planning contact for portfolio stakeholders, influencing delivery timelines and resolving cross-functional issues.

  • Support cross-divisional initiatives and contribute to due diligence or integration activities where portfolio responsibilities apply.

Additional accountabilities

• Provide subject‑matter expertise and real‑time operational support to resolve complex planning issues across sites and functions.

• Contribute to departmental strategy and participate in cross-functional projects as required by the therapeutic area leadership.

• Monitor industry best practices, regulatory and GMP developments and recommend process or policy changes to improve planning effectiveness.

Required Education and Experience:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (PhD, MBA, PharmD, or equivalent) preferred.

• Experience: 10+ years of relevant experience in clinical supply planning, pharmaceutical development, clinical operations, supply chain, or related biopharmaceutical functions, with experience leading global, cross-functional workstreams and teams.

• Technical expertise: Strong knowledge of global clinical development, GMP and quality expectations, clinical supply chain operations, order management, and end-to-end supply processes.

• Scope of leadership: Demonstrated leadership across selected development phases and/or therapeutic areas, with experience supporting moderately to highly complex global programs.

• Late-stage and launch support: Experience supporting pivotal studies, accelerated development programs, and launch readiness within a defined portfolio or area of responsibility.

• Integration experience: Exposure to M&A integration and/or pipeline expansion activities preferred.

• Leadership and influence: Proven ability to lead teams, coach and develop talent, manage performance, and influence cross-functional stakeholders in a matrix environment.

• Communication: Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly to senior stakeholders.

• Decision-making and organization: Strong analytical, project management, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, resolve issues, and operate through ambiguity.

• Tools: Proficient in Microsoft Office and comfortable using planning and analytics tools.

 

Preferred Experience and Skills: 

• Clinical supply planning leadership across one or more therapeutic areas and development stages (Phase I–IV, IIS, partnerships/collaborations, post-merger integration/acquisitions support)

• Ownership of global supply plans, demand/supply balancing, and execution for complex clinical programs

• Stewardship of program-level budgets and resources; ability to operate within defined financial targets

• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including coaching, feedback, and performance management.

• Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management in a global matrix environment

• Ability to lead process improvements and drive adoption of standard work across teams.

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make sound decisions in ambiguous or time-sensitive situations.

• Experience with program/project governance, milestone tracking, and operational excellence

• Clear, concise communication and presentation skills for senior internal stakeholders

• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills in support of planning priorities and supply decisions

• Understanding of risk management, KPI tracking, and use of leading indicators to anticipate supply issues

• Working knowledge of GMP, quality systems, SOPs, and clinical supply documentation requirements

• Experience with order management, supply chain coordination, and document control processes

• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and planning/analytics tools used for supply forecasting and reporting.

• Global mindset and cultural agility; ability to work effectively across regions and time zones

GCSCareer

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Required Skills:

Change Management, Clinical Research, Clinical Supply Chain Management, Clinical Trial Management, Clinical Trials, Clinical Trials Operations, Communication, Decision Making, Feasibility Studies, Global Mindset, GMP Compliance, Oral Communications, Organizational Performance Management, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Product Development, Portfolio Management, Process Improvements, Project Governance, Project Management, Results-Oriented, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking, Supply Chain Coordination

Preferred Skills:

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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

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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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

No

Job Posting End Date:

05/27/2026

*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.