**Job Description** The Associate Director, Sustainability Strategy & Engagement will join the Company as a member of the Social Impact and Sustainability (SIS) function, a strategic leader managing sustainability initiatives across our focus areas: environmental sustainability, access to health, employee engagement, and ethics and values. The Associate Director will serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, including helping to identify, measure, and mitigate risks and advance priority opportunities in a fast-paced and changing environment with a rapidly evolving set of expectations from all stakeholder groups.  This person should have a successful track record of achievement, analytical capability and business acumen to serve as a trusted advisor with cross-functional leaders to provide insights on highly complex and/or sensitive economic, environmental and social issues that have the potential to impact the Company’s reputation and license to operate. The candidate selected for this role will work under the guidance of the Director, Sustainability Strategy & Engagement. The SIS team is dynamic and entrepreneurial, focused on achieving results through collaboration and staying ahead of external developments. We are dedicated to incorporating responsible practices into our operations. We strive to advance our sustainability commitments, manage sustainability reporting, and utilize data and tools effectively, all while engaging stakeholders to drive support and involvement. **Primary Responsibilities:** + Lead strategic sustainability initiatives by collaborating with internal stakeholders, including corporate executives, to develop and implement strategies, track key metrics, and advance sustainability priorities. + Advise leadership on global best practices in sustainability, emerging risks, and opportunities by monitoring, analyzing and interpreting trends, policies, and programs. + Drive cross-functional working groups to advance progress on sustainability focus areas, including managing related topics on our multi-year sustainability roadmap (2026-2030) in partnership with key business units/leaders. + Liaise with diverse business functions to develop and manage processes for reporting on our progress and impact in our annual report, ensuring completeness and accuracy of data and content for our annual report. + Support participation in major sustainability surveys and indices, and develop strategies to meet diverse stakeholder expectations (customers, government, investors, employees). + Partner with global communications to ensure sustainability efforts are effectively communicated internally and externally. + Build and maintain strong relationships with key external stakeholders such as NGOs, international organizations, and customers. **Qualifications** **Education Minimum Requirements:** + BA/BSdegree required. **Required Experience and Skills:** + A strategic thinker with a minimum of 5 years of experience in corporate responsibility, sustainability, enterprise risk, or related fields, ideally within the pharmaceutical or healthcare sectors. + A self-starter with proven success leading cross-functional teams and influencing at all organizational levels. + Skilled at navigating ambiguity and driving results through collaboration and accountability. + An excellent communicator with strong consulting, project management, research, and analytical skills. + Experienced in managing budgets, key performance indicators, and reporting. + Familiar with sustainability trends, frameworks, and best practices, with the ability to translate complex issues into actionable strategies. **Preferred Qualifications** + Experience in the pharmaceuticalindustry or health care sector. + 10+ years of experience with increasing levels of responsibility. + Data science or social science analytical skills. + Background in agency management or consulting. + Graduate degree. 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:** No Travel Required **Flexible Work Arrangements:** Hybrid **Shift:** Not Indicated **Valid Driving License:** No **Hazardous Material(s):** n/a **Required Skills:** **Preferred Skills:** **Job Posting End Date:** 07/16/2025 ***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:** R342749