Senior Associate, Administrative Services

Job Description

Senior Associate, Administrative Services, Global Policy and Public Affairs Team

Join our company’s Global Policy and Public Affairs team —

This function sits at the forefront of how we engage with policymakers, multilateral institutions, and key stakeholders to shape policy environments that enable scientific innovation and expand patient access worldwide. By bringing together global and regional capabilities, we are strengthening our ability to anticipate policy shifts, respond to emerging challenges, and position the company as a trusted partner in advancing public health.

The greatest inventions would not be brought to market without the right project management and administrative support. Woven into every part of the organization, our Administrative teams make sure our concepts become reality.

As we continue building this global function, we are seeking individuals who bring fresh thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a collaborative mindset. 

Position: Senior Associate, Administrative Services, Global Policy and Public Affairs

As a Senior Associate, you will serve as the Administrative Assistant supporting the Global Pharmaceuticals and Infectious Disease Policy and Government Relations Team. In this role, you will provide seamless executive support while helping drive operational excellence.

We are seeking an experienced, highly organized professional who anticipates needs before they arise and ensures day-to-day operations run with precision and efficiency. You will manage complex, frequently shifting calendars; coordinate travel; prepare expense reports, manage purchase orders and coordinate materials for senior-level internal and external engagements; and support high-profile meetings with policymakers, industry leaders, and senior headquarter executives. Your ability to prioritize competing demands and maintain discretion in handling sensitive information will be essential.

Success in this role requires exceptional attention to detail, sound judgment, and the confidence to operate independently in a fast-paced environment. You will also need to collaborate effectively with other admins in the policy organization to coordinate schedules, provide back-up when other are out and be an active member of our administrative support team.

Scope of Work & Responsibilities

Time Management & Scheduling

• Manage complex calendars for the Global Pharmaceuticals and Infectious Disease Policy and Government Relations Team; resolve conflicts and ensure accurate, up-to-date logistics and meeting details.

• Assess meeting requests for priority and urgency, aligning schedules with strategic objectives.

• Coordinate and compile agendas and briefing materials from across teams to ensure leadership is fully prepared.

Travel Coordination

• Arrange domestic and international travel, including itineraries, transportation, accommodations, visas, and passport renewals to ensure seamless travel.

• Monitor and adjust travel plans as needed, updating calendars and itineraries in real time and providing proactive support.

Administrative Support

• Prepare and manage expense reports, purchase orders, and required documentation.

• Budget/Finance Management experience.

• Perform general administrative duties, including notetaking, data entry, and document management.

• Maintain accurate organizational charts and team contact lists.

• Support special projects and ad hoc initiatives as needed.

Meeting & Event Support

• Prepare, print, and organize meeting materials.

• Support in hosting senior executives and external guests in the D.C. office, including visitor registration, office access, catering, and workspace coordination.

• Provide on-site troubleshooting for IT issues during meetings (no dedicated on-site IT support).

Facilities Management

• Manage site access for guests, registering visitors with building security and assisting with allocating temporary work spaces

• Manage the DC Office supplies and inventory, receiving deliveries and restocking printers and refrigerators

• Troubleshoot basic IT issues and work with IT remote support to solve problems

Education Requirements:

• Required: High School Diploma

• Preffered: Further education or relevant certifications (e.g., Certified Administrative Professional, Project Management Certification)

Required Experience and Skills:

• At least 10 years of administrative experience.

• At least 3 years supporting senior leadership roles.

• Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and collaboration tools; ability to create executive-ready materials.

• Experience scheduling complex, multi-leg domestic and international travel.

• SAP or equivalent ERP experience processing expense reports and basic financial tasks.

• Ability to learn new technology and digital tools to perform work efficiently.

• Exceptional communication skills to interact effectively with executives and internal/external stakeholders, both onsite and remotely.

• Extraordinary attention to detail.

• Proactive, self-directed, comfortable making decisions with incomplete information, and a well-developed sense of when to seek executive alignment.

• Strong organizational skills and ability to handle and prioritize simultaneous assignments.

• Ability to work as a team with the other Administrative Assistants across our Company

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Familiarity with the expectations of high-level offices, such as CEOs or government officials

• Event planning experience is a plus

• Experience with Workday, Ariba or related software programs preferred.

• Budget/Finance Management experience.

#MSJR

Required Skills:

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:

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

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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

05/29/2026

*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.