**Job Description** The Associate Director is responsible for defining sourcing strategies for Clinical Innovative and Decentralized Services in support of our Company's clinical development pipeline. The role will need to interact effectively with senior leaders within our Company's Global Clinical Development (GCD) division to ensure alignment with and delivery of business objectives. The selected candidate will be responsible for ensuring that all sourcing strategies are compliant and follow Global Procurement’s SOPs. **Responsibilities** : + **Leadership** : Accountable for development and implementation of robust sourcing strategies that link to core business deliverables while leveraging knowledge of the marketplace and supplier community. Provide leadership and direction for cross-functional teams. Build high performing engagement models with business units and regions. + **Strategy Development/Implementation:** Utilizes Sourcing Management Process and other tools and techniques to create breakthrough strategies that deliver quick wins and generate legitimate business value. + **Continuous Improvement:** Ensure that each supplier relationship is established with a bias for continuous improvement. Support development and monitoring of key performance indicators that demonstrate improvements. + **Change Management:** Utilizes outstanding project, program and change management skills to manage and drive change both internally and externally. + **Contract Negotiation:** Reviews and negotiates contract terms and conditions both with internal and external stakeholders, including Legal and Finance. Performs detailed analysis of supplier proposals and payment schedules and conducts rigorous price negotiations with suppliers. + **Diversity:** Actively supports diversity, both within our Company as well as expanding relationships and spend with Diverse Suppliers. + **Category Knowledge:** Leverages deep understanding of marketplace, competitors and business requirements. Develop keen insights on near term as well as long-term horizon. + **Cost Management:** Helps drive the control, containment and reduction of costs for our Research & Development Division. Implements Supplier Value Management with key suppliers to foster innovation, manage supplier performance and ensure continuous improvement. **Education Minimum Requirement:** + B.S./B.A. in Business, Finance, Science, or related field required. MBA or advanced degree is desirable, but not required. **Required Experience and Skills:** + Minimum 7 years of strategic sourcing in clinical development procurement or related experience in pharmaceutical industry or clinical field. + Excellent analytical, project management, communication, relationship, team building and leadership skills + Extensive experience managing internal and external business relationships + Must be adaptable in dealing with ambiguous and complex environments + Able to effectively lead diverse, cross-functional teams to achieve stakeholder, department, and company goals + Demonstrated negotiation skills + Proficient in the use of personal computers and business software, including MS Excel and Word **Preferred Experience and Skills:** + Strong preference for experience with clinical trial specialty services + Experience, either at a sponsor or CRO, working on outsourced services for clinical trials \#eligibleforerp Current Employees apply HERE (https://wd5.myworkday.com/msd/d/task/1422$6687.htmld) Current Contingent Workers apply HERE (https://wd5.myworkday.com/msd/d/task/1422$4020.htmld) **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 (https://survey.sogosurvey.com/r/aCdfqL) 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 (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/22-088\_EEOC\_KnowYourRights\_10\_20.pdf) 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 (https://www.msdprivacy.com/us/en/CCPA-notice/) **U.S. Hybrid Work Model** Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”. The salary range for this role is $126,500.00 - $199,100.00 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, 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 **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:** 10% **Flexible Work Arrangements:** Hybrid **Shift:** Not Indicated **Valid Driving License:** No **Hazardous Material(s):** N/A **Required Skills:** Adaptability, Adaptability, Business Management, Change Management, Clinical Testing, Commercial Contract Negotiations, Communication, Contract Negotiations, Cost Controls, Cost Management, Data Analytics, Driving Continuous Improvement, Global Sourcing Strategies, Inventory Control Management, Management Process, Managing Change Requests, Packaging Procurement, Procurement, Procurement Strategies, Production Planning, Project Management, Results-Oriented, Risk Management, Strategic Procurement, Strategic Sourcing {+ 3 more} **Preferred Skills:** **Job Posting End Date:** 06/30/2025 ***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.** **Requisition ID:** R354257