Assoc. Dir , Technical Product Management

Role Summary This role serves as the senior technical and product leader for pilot plant and manufacturing-facing research automation platforms. The Associate Director is accountable for strategy, architecture, delivery, and operational excellence of plant-side automation and OT infrastructure, while also providing hands-on technical leadership and oversight of system integration, cybersecurity, and regulated operations. This position owns the plant automation technology portfolio end-to-end, from concept and design through validation, deployment, support, and lifecycle management. Location Rahway, NJ (supports multiple sites) Key Responsibilities Define and own the strategy for pilot plant and plant-facing research automation platforms Act as technical lead and single point of accountability for plant automation solutions for capital end project deployments Translate business, scientific, and manufacturing needs into platform roadmaps and execution plans Lead OT architecture, infrastructure design, and system integration across plant environments Ensure secure, compliant OT networking aligned with ISA/IEC 62443 principles Oversee integration of plant automation systems with enterprise platforms (PI, MES, data platforms) Lead and approve system design, architecture decisions, and technical standards Within the scope of the product, manage capital and non-capital project execution, including scope, estimates, and delivery timelines Ensure adherence to SDLC, change control, validation, and GMP requirements Partner with Quality, Engineering, Infrastructure, Security, and vendors on delivery and support Provide escalation leadership for incidents, root cause analysis, and remediation Lead continuous improvement of OT platforms, including obsolescence and modernization Manage and mentor R3 engineers and contractors supporting plant automation Communicate platform status, risks, and roadmap clearly to leadership and stakeholders Required Skills and Experience 8+ years experience in automation, OT infrastructure, or plant automation systems Strong experience with DeltaV, PLCs, Ignition, SCADA, MES Hands-on knowledge of OT networking, firewalls, VLANs, and segmented architectures Experience designing and operating virtualized OT environments (VMware, Hyper-V) Proven experience integrating plant systems with enterprise IT platforms Demonstrated leadership in regulated (GMP) environments Strong understanding of SDLC, validation, and change management Ability to lead multiple concurrent initiatives and cross-functional teams Strong communication skills with technical and non-technical stakeholders Education Bachelor’s degree in Automation, Engineering, Computer Science, or related field Master’s degree preferred Requirements 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 the EEOC Know Your Rights and GINA Supplement pages. Our salary range for this role is $142,400.00 - $224,100.00. 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 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 including medical, dental, vision, retirement benefits (401(k)), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at the Merck compensation and benefits page. You can apply for this role through Merck’s career site. The application deadline is stated on this posting. Travel requirements: 25%. Hybrid work arrangement. Visa sponsorship: No. Relocation: No. #J-18808-Ljbffr Merck