Job Abstract

Job Description

The HR Business Partner for our Manufacturing Division site lead, Elkton is responsible for strategic HR support to the leadership team in Elkton, Virginia.  The HR partner will be responsible for shaping and executing on the people strategies to support the overall business objectives.    This includes consultative engagement and coaching to the leaders and his/her leadership teams, providing expertise in the development of the organizational talent and diversity strategy, talent management, workforce planning, organizational design, restructuring, business development, change management, leader effectiveness, performance management, compensation and rewards, and labor relations.  The HR partner serves as a member of the Elkton Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Key HR Responsibilities: 

• Provide strategic HR and executive coaching support to senior leaders

• Lead the site HR team

• Create and/or drive the talent and diversity strategy for the assigned organization in partnership with respective COE leaders

• Support all talent management, organizational design and organizational alignment activities within client group(s). Lead client restructuring activities when necessary. Contribute to organizational change management activities when necessary.

• Coach senior leadership teams to successfully manage all cyclical people management processes (talent management, succession planning, performance management, compensation planning, etc.)

• Partner with the learning & development organization on learning strategies and solutions to support and enable talent strategy

• Partner with talent acquisition organization on activities in support of the organization’s workforce plan and talent strategy

• Provide leadership and project management to critical HR initiatives across the client organization as needed

• Proactively collaborate across the HR network and with other stakeholders across the organization to resolve escalated issues and generate solutions to enable client’s business strategy

• Drive a culture of inclusion, performance, results and positive employee relations

Key Labor Relations (LR) Activities:

• Facilitate development of site LR strategy in partnership with site leadership and LR CoE and regularly evolve same consistent with site, our Manufacturing Division and other business needs

• Manage day-to-day LR activities for ~600 union employees within the Elkton, VA site including the facilitation of issue resolution, proactive contract administration and guidance to site leaders on a wide variety of LR issues

• Create and maintain a high performing, inclusive work environment at the Elkton, VA site in collaboration with site leaders, Union Officials and both site and above-site HR colleagues

• Serve on key HR and/or LR initiatives supporting strategic business goals across Elkton and/or our Manufacturing Division

• Lead strategic LR initiatives and provide guidance to HR peers and clients that enables them to meet business strategies and/or address issues consistently across the site and within contract requirements

• Drive a culture of positive union/management relationship

Education: 

• Minimum Required of a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business or related discipline

Experience:

• Minimum 12 years’ experience (10 with Masters’ degree) as an HR Business Partner, an HR Center of Excellence (COE); or relevant applicable experience

Skills/Competencies: 

• Demonstrated HR functional competence in one or more HR disciplines

• 5 years' experience with labor relations and an ability to lead all aspects of contract negotiations and administration

• Strong knowledge of employment legal practices and policies including union laws and practices

• Demonstrated ability to effectively influence, consult with and coach senior leaders and managers

• Demonstrated capability leveraging data analytics and HR systems to provide relevant insights and consultation to the business leadership team

• Ability to strategically prioritize time and problem solve against most impactful activities and initiatives

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Proven ability to demonstrate and foster collaboration among peers and extended HR organization

• Change Management or Organization Transformation experience

Preferred Competencies 

• Demonstrated experience in organization development such as organization design, change management, workforce planning

• Experience in supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply

• Knowledge of employment legal practices and policies

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders).  Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

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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, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or 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”.

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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. 

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