Assoc Director Discovery & Translational Portfolio Management (Hybrid)
Merck
8 hours ago
Remote friendly (Rahway, NJ)
United States
Clinical Research and Development
Position Description/Summary
The Associate Director, Discovery & Translational Portfolio Management is a core functional area member of Project and Leadership teams in Discovery and Early Development. The role partners with Therapeutic Area and functional leadership to plan and execute discovery, preclinical, translational pharmacology, development, and in-line portfolio efforts for early-stage assets.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead portfolio management for early-stage R&D programs (discovery through IND/Ph1), owning the integrated TA portfolio view (timing, milestones, risks, dependencies).
- Translate portfolio strategy into actionable plans; synthesize and articulate strategy for execution.
- Prepare regular reports and presentations for senior management and governance committees with clear, data-driven insights.
- Capture and communicate portfolio metrics (resources, site distribution, development phases) and translate into actionable insights.
- Provide organizational/process expertise to support navigation of discovery, development, and governance requirements.
- Collaborate with functional areas/support functions/alliance partners to facilitate project/portfolio delivery.
- Manage or administer strategic cross-functional/cross-divisional governance/alliance committees.
- Surface key risks, trade-offs, and opportunities; drive stakeholder alignment.
- Mentor/coaching/oversight to Specialist/Senior Specialist portfolio managers.
- Complete ongoing training and personal development in project management and pharmaceutical discovery/development.
- Partner with Finance for resource/budget planning and management; collaborate with IT/PMO to maintain portfolio tools/dashboards.
- Identify and implement portfolio management/governance best practices and process improvements.
Education, Experience, and Skill Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required (scientific/applied concentration strongly preferred).
- 5+ years of project/portfolio management (or related role).
- Leadership and ethics; ability to hold others accountable.
- Ability to lead/influence in highly matrixed environments without direct authority.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity, create clarity, and drive complex stakeholder alignment.
- Team leadership experience (building/leading teams, committees, task forces).
- Strong collaboration/problem-solving; conflict resolution and feedback.
- Strong oral/written communication; raise issues appropriately.
- Connect strategy, data, and execution to generate actionable portfolio-level insights.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree (MS, PhD, MBA).
- Pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry experience (discovery, preclinical, and/or early development).
- PMP/PfMP and/or formal training in project/portfolio management.
Travel
- 5–10%.
Application
- Apply via https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or Workday Jobs Hub for current employees). Application deadline listed on the posting.
The Associate Director, Discovery & Translational Portfolio Management is a core functional area member of Project and Leadership teams in Discovery and Early Development. The role partners with Therapeutic Area and functional leadership to plan and execute discovery, preclinical, translational pharmacology, development, and in-line portfolio efforts for early-stage assets.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead portfolio management for early-stage R&D programs (discovery through IND/Ph1), owning the integrated TA portfolio view (timing, milestones, risks, dependencies).
- Translate portfolio strategy into actionable plans; synthesize and articulate strategy for execution.
- Prepare regular reports and presentations for senior management and governance committees with clear, data-driven insights.
- Capture and communicate portfolio metrics (resources, site distribution, development phases) and translate into actionable insights.
- Provide organizational/process expertise to support navigation of discovery, development, and governance requirements.
- Collaborate with functional areas/support functions/alliance partners to facilitate project/portfolio delivery.
- Manage or administer strategic cross-functional/cross-divisional governance/alliance committees.
- Surface key risks, trade-offs, and opportunities; drive stakeholder alignment.
- Mentor/coaching/oversight to Specialist/Senior Specialist portfolio managers.
- Complete ongoing training and personal development in project management and pharmaceutical discovery/development.
- Partner with Finance for resource/budget planning and management; collaborate with IT/PMO to maintain portfolio tools/dashboards.
- Identify and implement portfolio management/governance best practices and process improvements.
Education, Experience, and Skill Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required (scientific/applied concentration strongly preferred).
- 5+ years of project/portfolio management (or related role).
- Leadership and ethics; ability to hold others accountable.
- Ability to lead/influence in highly matrixed environments without direct authority.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity, create clarity, and drive complex stakeholder alignment.
- Team leadership experience (building/leading teams, committees, task forces).
- Strong collaboration/problem-solving; conflict resolution and feedback.
- Strong oral/written communication; raise issues appropriately.
- Connect strategy, data, and execution to generate actionable portfolio-level insights.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree (MS, PhD, MBA).
- Pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry experience (discovery, preclinical, and/or early development).
- PMP/PfMP and/or formal training in project/portfolio management.
Travel
- 5–10%.
Application
- Apply via https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or Workday Jobs Hub for current employees). Application deadline listed on the posting.