Associate Director, Continuous Improvement (Onsite)
Rahway, NJ - USA
Job Summary
Job Description
Position Summary
Our Pharmaceutical Operations and Clinical Supply (POCS) team leads our drug product development for our pipeline. Innovating new medicine to save and improve lives around the world.
The Associate Director Continuous Improvement Engineer serves as the MPS Lead FLEx Sterile and is the senior Production System (MPS) leader responsible for setting direction governing deployment and ensuring sustained business impact of MPS across our Clinical Pipeline FLEx NonSterile FLEx Sterile and Sterile Liquid Processing (SLP) operations. This role operates as a strategic thought partner accountable for embedding MPS as the standard operating model and developing durable leadership capability across the organization.
At the P4 level this role leads through others shapes deployment strategy prioritizes the CI portfolio and ensures consistency and scalability of MPS while delivering measurable improvements in safety quality delivery cost and people engagement.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise MPS Strategy & Governance
Facilitate development and execution of MPS deployment strategy for POCS aligned with business priorities and operating models across FLEx and SLP.
Establish and govern MPS standards deployment sequencing and sustainment expectations across FLEx Sterile.
Ensure MPS is fully integrated into governance operating rhythms and leadership routines.
Portfolio & Business Impact Ownership
Own and prioritize the continuous improvement portfolio across FLEx Sterile.
Ensure CI efforts deliver measurable sustained business outcomes not just tool adoption.
Monitor progress escalate risks and coursecorrect as needed.
LeaderofLeaders Capability Development
Coach and develop senior leaders MPS Leads and teams to operate and sustain the management system independently.
Build organizational capability by developing others.
Serve as a mentor and escalation point for complex system performance and cultural challenges.
Change Leadership & Cultural Transformation
Lead enterpriselevel change management for MPS adoption across diverse operating environments.
Address systemic and behavioral barriers to execution.
Reinforce MPS mindsets behaviors and accountability at all leadership levels.
MPS Thought Leadership & Integration
Act as the primary MPS thought leader for the department connecting sitelevel execution with enterprise MPS standards.
Partner with functional technical and operational leaders to integrate MPS into strategy capital planning and futurestate designs.
Represent the group in MPS forums governance bodies and crosssite alignment discussions as required.
Required Qualifications
Education
Bachelors degree in Engineering Science Operations or related field (required).
Advanced degree preferred.
Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt preferred.
Experience
5 years of experience in manufacturing operations operational excellence or MPS/Lean leadership roles.
Demonstrated experience leading enterprisescale MPS or Lean deployments across multiple areas or organizations.
Proven success influencing senior leaders and driving sustained change without direct authority.
Skills & Capabilities
Deep expertise in Lean Management Systems structured problem solving and people development.
Strong business acumen with demonstrated ability to translate strategy into execution.
Advanced coaching facilitation and change leadership skills.
Ability to operate effectively from the gemba to the executive level.
Strong governance prioritization and decisionmaking capability.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing experience preferred
Leadership Expectations
Role model for Safety First Quality Always.
Demonstrates enterprise mindset systems thinking and longterm orientation.
Builds trust accountability and ownership.
Focused on sustainability capability building and leadership developmentnot dependency.
#eligibleforERP
#PSCS
FLEx2026
Required Skills:
Adaptability Adaptability Business Acumen Business Case Development Capital Planning Change Management Data Analysis Tools Financial Management Leadership Training and Development Lean Management Lean Manufacturing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Mentorship Operational Excellence Operations Management People Development Pharmaceutical Industry Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Process Improvements Product Development Project Management Results-Oriented Six Sigma Strategic Planning Strategic Thinking 2 morePreferred Skills:
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The salary range for this role is
$129000.00 - $203100.00This 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
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:
RegularRelocation:
DomesticVISA Sponsorship:
YesTravel Requirements:
10%Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not ApplicableShift:
1st - DayValid Driving License:
NoHazardous Material(s):
n/aJob Posting End Date:
06/6/2026*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:
Director
About Company
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