Director, Digital Compliance

Our Global Privacy and Digital Trust Program is grounded in organizational accountability, responsible data stewardship, consistent global practices and standards, and ongoing oversight to ensure we adapt to evolving regulatory expectations as technology and the business continue to change.

The Director, Digital Compliance, will hold a leadership role in the Global Privacy and Digital Trust Office, reporting directly to the Chief Privacy and Digital Trust Officer. The role will help enable the compliant and responsible adoption of emerging technologies and digital solutions across our organization. This role will work in close partnership with Legal and International Legal & Compliance and serve as a trusted advisor to IT, Research and Development Division, Human Health, Animal Health, Procurement, and HR to provide practical, solutions-oriented compliance guidance related to transformative technologies, including AI, advanced analytics, digital health solutions, connected platforms, and data-driven business initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with IT and other key stakeholders to create and execute a comprehensive governance and communication program for AI compliance.
• Support the design and implementation of next-generation AI Governance, including developing and maintaining AI policies, standards, and procedures, evolving AI risk assessments (e.g., triage design, risk tiering, domain-specific assessment frameworks, automation, and streamlined decision workflows), supporting third-party AI due diligence, and implementing AI incident reporting processes.

• Lead the compliance team guiding the implementation of technical controls for teams building agentic AI solutions, including human-in-the-loop patterns, tool access controls, retrieval and grounding practices, logging, monitoring, token and data minimization, and incident response playbooks.
• Provide strategic guidance on the responsible development, procurement and/or deployment of AI-enabled technologies across the organization.
• Translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into actionable, operational guidelines for technical and business teams.
• Monitor emerging AI regulations, industry standards, and internal policy requirements and partner with stakeholders to implement appropriate controls and mitigation measures.
• Represent AI compliance on internal steering committees, divisional governance committees, and project teams.

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to foster a culture of responsible innovation and accountability.

Qualifications

• B.A./B.S. required; advanced degree in law, privacy, digital technologies, or public policy preferred.

• 10+ years of experience in compliance, privacy, legal, regulatory affairs, digital governance, or related functions, preferably in a pharmaceutical, life sciences, healthcare, or highly regulated environment.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional governance programs.
• Strong understanding of data protection laws, data governance, emerging AI regulations and governance, and risk management principles.
• Proven experience counseling on AI systems from a compliance perspective, including risk assessment review, auditability, transparency obligations, and lifecycle governance.
• CIPP/E/US/CIPM, AIGP, or other AI certification preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong interpersonal and oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical and AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders, and experience interacting in, and presenting to, large groups and senior leaders.
• Strong technical aptitude and demonstrated experience with AI and ML technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive complex compliance initiatives across a global organization.
• Established and effective business counseling skills, rooted in deep subject matter expertise in the relevant guidance, policies, codes, and regulations, as well as their application to business objectives, initiatives, and processes.
• Demonstrates a practical, analytical, and collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to develop strong working relationships with key leaders across the organization, including within our company's Research Laboratories, Human Health, Animal Health, and across global support functions.
• True “team player” mindset with the ability to integrate seamlessly into a cohesive global team.
• Sound judgment founded on strong ethical values and compliance principles, demonstrated through timely and disciplined decision making.

Required Skills:

Compliance Activities, Compliance Activities, Compliance Policies, Compliance Program Development, Compliance Reporting, Controls Management, Data Privacy, Data Protection Laws, Detail-Oriented, Ethical Compliance, Global Coordination, Governance Framework, Government Programs, Information Technology Compliance, Interpersonal Relationships, Metrics Analysis, Policy Governance, Policy Implementation, Privacy Laws, Privacy Regulations, Problem Identification, Professional Integrity, Regulatory Communications, Regulatory Compliance Audits, Regulatory Compliance Consulting {+ 8 more}

Preferred Skills:

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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:

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.

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 .

You can apply for this role through (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.