Job Description
Role Overview
The APEX Engagement Lead Senior Specialist plays a key role in connecting business and IT stakeholders with the capabilities of APEX (AI Process Mining Software Engineering and User Experience Design). This role focuses on turning strong relationships into concrete opportunities driving awareness and understanding of APEX technologies and helping divisions navigate the APEX demand intake process.
This is a highly visible hands-on role with significant room for creativity and experimentation. The Engagement Lead will build and grow relationships with senior stakeholders (up to VP level) and help shape a high-quality pipeline of opportunities into APEX. It is an excellent developmental role for someone who wants to deepen their experience with AI and advanced digital technologies gain exposure to senior leaders and work with a high degree of independence.
The role reports to the Associate Director APEX Engagement. The Engagement team is part of AI Compass a suborganization of APEX consisting of Engagement Portfolio AI Innovation Studios & Product.
Key Responsibilities
1. Turning Long-Term Relationships into Impact
Build and nurture strong relationships with key IT and business stakeholders in assigned areas.
Act as a trusted partner who understands their priorities challenges and ambitions and connects them to relevant APEX capabilities.
Proactively look for areas where APEX can help drive better outcomes and convert those into concrete opportunities in the APEX funnel.
Maintain a clear high-level view of the overall APEX portfolio in your areas of responsibility to ensure coherence avoid duplication and spot synergies.
2. Demand Intake & Guiding Stakeholders Through the APEX Process
Serve as a primary point of contact for new ideas and use cases coming from your area of responsibility.
Clarify objectives sponsorship and business rationale for potential use cases ensuring a solid foundation before handing over to other APEX teams for deeper analysis and design.
Help stakeholders understand the APEX lifecycle what to expect at each stage and what is needed from them to move forward.
Track and communicate the status of opportunities within your divisions ensuring transparency and clear expectations and
Understand eventual impact of the use cases and value pull through.
3. Presentations & Workshops to Market APEX and Its Technologies
Develop and tailor clear compelling presentations and narratives that explain APEX capabilities and success stories to different audiences including senior leaders.
Design and facilitate interactive workshops and sessions that inspire stakeholders to think differently about how AI Process Mining Software Engineering and User Experience Design can help them.
Experiment with new formats storytelling techniques and ways of engaging audiences using feedback and results to continuously improve.
Collaborate closely with APEX technical and delivery teams to ensure alignment between what is presented and what can be delivered.
4. Education & Communities
Organize and host sessions such as lunch & learns office hours demos and community events to help stakeholders better understand APEXs technologies and how to use them.
Curate and create accessible materials (e.g. FAQs simple guides short playbooks internal posts) to demystify AI and other APEX capabilities.
Support and nurture internal communities of interest around AI and other APEX topics helping connect people with similar interests and needs.
Encourage knowledge sharing across divisions by highlighting examples lessons learned and practical tips.
What Success Looks Like
A growing number of high-quality well-framed opportunities in the APEX funnel from your divisions.
Strong positive relationships with stakeholders reflected in feedback and willingness to involve APEX early in their thinking.
Increased awareness and understanding of APEX capabilities leading to greater adoption of AI and other APEX solutions.
Engaging workshops presentations and education activities that generate interest ideas and follow-up opportunities.
Experience & Education
Experience
Bachelors degree in any relevant field (e.g. business technology engineering social sciences design or related areas).
Typically 5 years of experience in roles such as consulting digital transformation product engagement or similar stakeholder-facing positions.
Demonstrated experience working with digital technologies; exposure to AI or advanced automation is preferred.
Proven experience speaking with and presenting to senior stakeholders and facilitating group sessions or workshops.
Skills & Competencies
Essential
Strong stakeholder management skills; comfortable working with senior leaders (up to VP level).
Excellent communication and storytelling abilities including the ability to explain complex concepts in simple engaging ways.
Confident facilitator in group settings; able to design and run workshops and sessions that encourage participation and new ideas.
Ability to influence without formal authority building alignment and momentum across teams and functions.
High learning agility and curiosity about emerging technologies especially AI and related digital capabilities.
Structured and organized in managing multiple relationships opportunities and activities in parallel.
Proactive energetic and self-starting; able to create your own momentum and identify where to focus without waiting for direction.
Preferred
Advanced degrees (e.g. MBA or other relevant graduate degrees) are a plus but not required.
Experience in consulting internal consulting or roles with a strong engagement and stakeholder-facing component.
Familiarity with AI Process Mining Software-Engineering or User Experience Design or demonstrated interest and ability to upskill quickly in these areas.
Experience presenting to and engaging with cross-functional global audiences.
Location:Rahway NJ (Hybrid; 3 days/week in office per company guidelines)
Required Skills:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Business Case Development Client Counseling Communication Community Events Customer Experience Management Customer Service Customer Success Digital Technology Digital Transformation Emerging Technologies Engagement Management Human Resources Consulting Knowledge Sharing Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT) Product Management Requirements Management Solution Architecture Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder Relationship Management Technical Advice Transparent Communication User Experience (UX) Design Waterfall ModelPreferred Skills:
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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 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
$117000.00 - $184200.00This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employees 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 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
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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.
Employee Status:
RegularRelocation:
DomesticVISA Sponsorship:
NoTravel Requirements:
10%Flexible Work Arrangements:
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02/11/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
Required Experience:
Senior IC
Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA is known as “Merck” in the United States, Canada & Puerto Rico. We are known as “MSD” in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America & Asia Pacific. We are a global biopharmaceutical leader with a diverse portfolio of prescription medicine ... View more