Job Abstract

Job Description

Our Sourcing team partner with the business to ensure efficient acquisition of goods and services that enables the commercialization of our medicines, vaccines and Animal Health products. We collaborate internationally and are grouped into center-led categories and regional operating teams.

Associate Director, Supplier Development & Performance Management (SD&PM) Responsible for:

• Implementing supplier management strategies and plans to improve supplier Quality, delivery, and reliability performance.

• Serves as a Subject Matter Expert and Category Leader within the Secondary Packaging Materials Category.

• Manages a global team of Supplier Development & Performance Management (SD&PM) Field Specialists/Associate Director responsible for developing and managing supplier improvement plans.

• Leads the Field Specialist/Associate Director team for root cause investigations of supplier Quality and technical issues and irreversible corrective actions / preventative actions and elimination of repeat issues as well as Open Order Reporting using Reliance and the CaM App for supply constraints.

• Serves as the People Manager for a team of Field Specialists/Associate Director and is responsible for employee hiring, performance and development.

• Ensures suppliers operate within Quality and Compliance policies, procedures and guidelines, global regulatory requirements and expectations, and current Good Manufacturing Practices.

• Provides oversight of the Reliance System and CaM App for Human Health and/or Animal Health direct materials.

• Ensures suppliers are operating in compliance with approved Quality Agreements and Supplier Improvement Plans.

• Coordinates and manages routine Supplier Review Meetings with supplier and our Company senior leaders.

Primary Roles include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as a primary point of contact with suppliers and our Company sites within the Secondary Packaging Category.

• Responsible for coordination, oversight, and communication relating to the Quality, Compliance, cGMPs, Delivery and On-Time and In-Full with suppliers.

• Knowledgeable of global regulations governing supplier's operations and products.

• Acts as a liaison between suppliers and our Company site and functional stakeholders within the direct material category.

• Operates as a Subject Matter Expert and Category Leader within the direct material category.

• Tracks supplier operational, quality, delivery, and OTIF performance metrics.

• Escalates supplier issues to SD&PM management during Tier process reviews.

• Serves as the people manager and oversees activities associated with the SD&PM Field Specialists/Associate Director in multiple time zones and regions.

• Travels to supplier and our Company sites approximately 10%-25% to provide direct interaction with suppliers and site leadership teams.

• Serves as a member of the SD&PM Performance Management Leadership Team.

• Provides inputs to the Field Specialist/Associate Director teams.

• Assures that the SD&PM organization operates within approved policies, procedures, and guidelines and governmental regulations.

• Works directly with the senior management and working teams at the supplier and with Field Specialists/Associate Director and our Company site and functional staff to lead complex problem-solving root cause investigations with irreversible CAPAs. Ensures that root cause investigations are completed as rapidly as possible, within cGMP expectations with our Company site stakeholders.

• Works to develop and upskill suppliers through the development and execution of Supplier Improvement Plans.

• Participates in Task Force and Technical Capability Assessments at supplier site locations.

• Leads Tier 2 meetings for the direct material category. Participates in Tier 3, Tier 5, and Tier 6 preparation meetings.

• Ensures that Field Specialists/Associate Director report on investigation findings during tier meetings.

• Manages the Reliance and CaM App systems, ensuring that all supplier investigations are assigned to SD&PM Field Specialists/Associate Director for Critical, Constant and Central care Suppliers and to the sites for Standard Care suppliers within 24 hours.

• Leads Field Specialists/Associate Director to close-out supplier deviation cases within 30 days.

• Assists in the execution of global supplier Quality Agreements, holding suppliers accountable for meeting agreed-up Quality requirements.

• Ensures that CAPAs are executed by the suppliers in the direct material category for all deviations.

• Coordinates and manages Supplier Review Meetings (SRMs) to monitor efforts to improve the supplier’s Quality, delivery performance (i.e. interruption avoidances), OTIF and reliability through ongoing oversight, upskilling, and formal communications.

• May serve as a regulatory compliance liaison on our Company's behalf to interface with sites for regulatory inspections relating to suppliers.

• Provides support and develops presentations for site Quality Councils, Supplier Review Meetings, and SD&PM Leadership Team meetings.

• Provides oversight for presentation content / issuance of minutes.

• Leads and/or supports coordination of significant investigations including Fact-Finding and regulatory communications.

• Participates in external benchmarking and internal voice of customer analyses for best practices management.

• Authors technical documents such as investigations and Standard Business Practices (SBPs).

• Assists in the development and delivery of supplier metrics and scorecards.

Position Qualifications:

Education Minimum Requirement:

• BS/BA degree in Engineering, Sciences, or Business

• Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Business, Quality, Technical, or Manufacturing functions.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Knowledge of cGMPs, technical writing skills, data management, collection and analysis.

• Demonstrated leadership, interpersonal skills, and relationship building skills.

• Knowledgeable of networking and negotiations processes.

• Ability to work independently with all levels of the organization.

• Consistently applies our Company Leadership Behaviors, Inclusive Behaviors and Ways of Working.

• Experience working with suppliers and our Company sites.

• Experience with solving complex problems.

• Green Belt and/or Black Belt sigma certification are desired and an expectation to achieve certification, if not accomplished at the time of hire into the position.

• Flexibility to travel within the region, country, and internationally 10%-25%.

• Possesses excellent interpersonal, inclusion, and communication skills.

• Appreciates and respects diversity, cultures, and norms.

• Facilitates business negotiations in a professional manner.

• Works independently with all levels of the organization, and has demonstrated the following skills:

• Rapid / Disciplined decisions

• Acts with courage and candor

• Drives results

• Escalation of issues / concerns to management, as appropriate

• Ability to Prioritize, Align and Simplify

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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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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Relocation:

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Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

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