Director, Clin. Operations - Project Management Office (Hybrid)

The Director, Project Management Office (PMO) reports to the Head of Global Data Management & Standards (GDMS) Business Operations and is responsible for leading the governance and oversight of the GDMS portfolio of strategic projects ensuring initiatives are prioritized and planned in alignment with organizational goals and executed with discipline and transparency. The role is accountable for defining, maintaining, and implementing the project management office framework and associated processes including standardized planning, resource management, governance, and performance oversight to enable high-quality project delivery.  The role proactively engages with stakeholders across GDMS and Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO) to ensure aligned intake, business case and resource evaluation, approval, leadership assignment, execution oversight, implementation, and value realization. 

Responsibilities 

Strategic Alignment & Stakeholder Partnership

• Proactively engages across GDMS functional areas and business stakeholders to define and implement the global PMO strategy aligned with the broader organization, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities 

• Defines, implements, and maintains the PMO framework and associated processes including intake, business case development, prioritization, project planning, execution oversight, status reporting, risk identification and management, and decision making 

• Govern the GDMS project and initiative book of work, including prioritization and sequencing of efforts across sub-functions, and active management of cross-vertical dependencies within GDMS and beyond, ensuring the portfolio remains aligned to strategic priorities and resource capacity 

Project, Program, & Portfolio Management

• Provides portfolio-level oversight of all GDMS strategic projects through the use of executive dashboards and reporting capabilities 

• Leverages program reviews to ensure projects are executed consistent with timeline, resource, and quality expectations 

• Collaborates with initiative sponsors and leads to ensure efficient use of resources and quantifiable value realization  

• Establish and implement a GDMS project management framework and toolkit, ensuring a standardized end-to-end approach to project delivery across all GDMS initiatives; institute governance for GDMS project oversight 

• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget , implementing consistent tracking, reporting, and escalation processes that provide leadership with visibility into delivery health  

Performance Reporting & Business Continuity

• Identify, define, track, and report on GDMS-wide organizational goals and KPIs including both portfolio-level and project-specific indicators as defined in project charters 

• Maintain and continuously improve the GDMS Business Continuity Plan (BCP) applying a standard framework with documented processes, defined ownership, and a regular testing cadence  

Technical Skills:

• Knowledge of clinical trial operations and clinical data management processes 

• Proven ability to define and govern large-scale operational processes and lead cross-functional global teams 

• Proficiency in the development and use of portfolio and resource management tools, metrics, and dashboards to enable enterprise governance and transparency 

• Experience with facilitating governance forums; defining, implementing, and monitoring project health measures; and establishing value realization measurement capabilities 

• Demonstrated ability to direct, oversee, and mentor PMO and project team members to execute and deliver results consistent with established frameworks and processes 

• Preferred: PMP Certification 

Non-technical Skills:

• Demonstrated strategic leadership and ability to influence senior- level leaders and enterprise stakeholders 

• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills across global and matrixed environments 

• Strong conceptual and analytical thinking; able to translate strategy into actionable execution 

• Demonstrated success driving change and alignment across complex, cross-functional structures 

• High resilience, adaptability, and professional maturity in evolving business environment 

• Fluent in English 

Enterprise Leadership Skills:

• Business Savviness | Uses organizational and industry insights to identify trends, assesses Data Management operating practices and performance, evaluates process or operating model changes, and anticipates impacts on delivery, resourcing, and stakeholders 

• Strategic Planning | Triages activities and assignments by business criticality, and reprioritizes work as timelines, risks, and stakeholder needs shift 

• Influence | Communicates the benefits of proposed changes for individuals, teams, and the organization; tailors the influence approach to stakeholder motivations; uses data and evidence to address likely objections; reinforces key benefits and decisions to confirm understanding. 

Qualifications & experience: 

• Bachelor's Degree with minimum of 10 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, data management, or clinical trial operations. Demonstrates deep subject matter expertise in project and portfolio management and ability to direct and lead global, cross-functional teams.    

OR

• Advanced Degree (Masters or Doctorate) minimum of 8 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, data management, or clinical trial operations. Demonstrates deep subject matter expertise in project and portfolio management and ability to direct and lead global, cross-functional teams.    

eligibleforERP

clinicaltrialjobs

GDMS

Required Skills:

Business Acumen, Business Case Development, Business Continuity, Business Operations, Clinical Data Management, Clinical Study Management, Clinical Trials, Data Management, Data Processing, Data Validation, Decision Making, Ethical Standards, Global Team Collaboration, Identifying Risks, Mentoring Staff, Negotiation, Portfolio Management, Project Delivery, Project Prioritization, Regulatory Compliance, Service Provider Management, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Planning

Preferred Skills:

Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Metrics Management, Pharmaceutical Industry, Research and Development

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US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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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.