BACKGROUND:
Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. known as Merck in the United States and Canada, is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. Today, we are building a new kind of healthcare company - one that is ready to help create a healthier future for all of us.

Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of an individual like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork. As part of our global team, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Scientific Information Management (SIM) is a global, multidisciplinary team of innovative information scientists with a passion for data. Our mission is to advance Merck's ability to use scientific data as a strategic asset that can unleash the potential of analytics and predictive modeling to transform R&D productivity and improve patient outcomes. The SIM organization is responsible for an integrated scientific data management strategy that results in a robust scientific data environment across the enterprise that increases the value of our scientific data and speed to insight. We provide expertise in scientific data management capabilities, including data modeling, standards and reference data, discovery and search, harmonization and transformation, stewardship and governance, partnering across Merck Research Labs and the IT organization to embed and apply these capabilities to advance Merck's mission.

The Associate Director, Scientific Data Development and Strategy will be a key member of the Data Development Strategy team and the SIM organization, responsible to help execute on a data strategy roadmap that improves the utility (e.g. visibility, accessibility, understandability, interoperability, integrity) of Merck's scientific information, aligned to business strategic priorities. This role will be responsible for ensuring a strong data perspective is integrated into activities across the IT organization and is expected to develop a deep understanding of current data ecosystem within the translational research domain. The Data Development lead will work with our Business and IT partners to understand and define problem area, use cases and business requirements. This role will be responsible for understanding the business priorities of our key business partners and for helping to define the data strategy roadmap for the data types and entities that drive our Translational Strategic Imperatives. The Associate Director will be expected to communicate the business priorities and requirements to SIM capability leads and our Engineering partners and to manage the demand and portfolio of projects within their development area. This position will be accountable for delivering on both tactical `near-term' solutions and strategic data maturity solutions and will be expected to be able to identify and use available internal/external data, information, and knowledge in order to help execute the data development solutions. They will serve as key members of SIM Platform Execution teams, representing business requirements/priorities and expert domain knowledge.

REQUIREMENTS:
Education:

• PhD in a relevant scientific or technical discipline (such as informatics, genomics, biology, statistics/biostatistics), or Master's Degree plus additional 3 years of professional experience

Required:

• A minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience in pharmaceutical or life sciences environment, biological informatics, life sciences consulting or equivalent pharmaceutical discipline
• A minimum of three (3) years proven experience leading multidisciplinary project teams
• Understanding of pharmaceutical drug and development workflows, translational research, and the information types and technology systems that enable them
• Ability to make sound judgments, develop innovative solutions, and apply comprehensive cross-functional and industry understanding to individual projects and programs
• A dedication to solving complex and challenging problems, tackling a diversity of subject matter with a creative mind and imaginative strategies
• Ability to listen to and understand business' needs, IT partner priorities and balance with SIM capabilities vision
• Experience in leading-edge practices, techniques, and technologies in medical and clinical informatics or related disciplines
• Capability to quickly grasp new technological concepts and convey their value to clients and collaborators
• A track record of transitioning informatics research into practical applications
• Outstanding written and verbal communication and presentation skills, including the ability to effectively communicate at the senior executive level
• Results oriented project management, facilitation and consultative skills to influence decision-making.
• Established ability to effectively execute in complex environment and match business challenges to solutions
• Problem solver and good team player who is comfortable playing a variety of roles including hands-on work, solving problems as needed across organizational boundaries

PREFERENCES:

• Working knowledge of big data tools, ontologies or semantic technology
• Leader in application of informatics and data sciences to translational research
• Strong mathematical, statistical, or analytical skills
• Experience in data modeling, knowledge representation and data integration or machine learning
• Math or statistical background); the ability to infer the quality and reliability of findings from a given a pool of data
• Solid track record of managing, coaching and developing talent

COMPENSATION:
Our employees are the key to our company's success. We demonstrate our commitment to our employees by offering a competitive and valuable rewards program. Our Company's benefits are designed to support the wide range of goals, needs and lifestyles of our employees, and many of the people that matter the most in their lives. If you need an accommodation for the application process please email us at staffingaadar[at]merck.com.

LOCALE:
Boston, MA

HOW TO APPLY:
Please visit https://merck.taleo.net/careersection/ext_merckunitedstates_en/jobdetail.ftl?job=INF004658

To be considered for this position, please visit our career site at merck.com/careers, search jobs, create a profile and submit your resume for requisition # INF004658

POLICY:
Merck is an equal opportunity employer, Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran - proudly embracing diversity in all of its manifestations.

For more information about personal rights under Equal Employment Opportunity, visit:
http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf
http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_gina_supplement.pdf