Director, Relationship Management - Clinical Operations, Hybrid

Job Description

Responsible for managing external vendor(s)/partner(s) who provide resources and services that are critical to the success of Global Clinical Trial Operations (GCTO) and Global Clinical Development (GCD) objectives and deliverables. The incumbent is expected to have strong business acumen, excellent change management and leadership skills.

Responsible for the management and oversight of Interactive Response Technology (IRT) and Randomization and Trial Supply Management (RTSM) suppliers to support clinical trial execution.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Supplier Portfolio Management:

• Provides portfolio oversight of vendor partner(s) and serves as the primary point of contact with the supplier and internal stakeholders.

• Manages supplier portfolio and serves as the primary point-of-contact to manage issue escalations and resolution with internal and external stakeholders.

• Plans, coordinates and executes Operational and Executive Meetings for strategic partnerships. Ensures timely follow up from those meetings.

• Established supplier KPIs and SLAs and to enable effective portfolio management

• Proactively monitors and manages key performance metrics across the assigned portfolio of partners to continuously evaluate performance. Ensures issues are identified and managed through to resolution in a timely manner and deliverables are met as required.

Sourcing Strategy:

• Anticipates future internal stakeholder needs and actively collaborates with and provides guidance to vendor(s)/partner(s) to assure new capabilities and services are developed to meet those identified needs.

• Evaluates and advises clinical teams on strategy of adding a new supplier to categories as well as vendor and market capabilities and prior performance.

• Translates business needs into the Request for Proposal (RFP) specifications

• Collaborates with Research & Development Procurement to identify external vendor/partner candidates who can deliver the required services/resources for studies across the entire Clinical Development portfolio. Active participant in the Sourcing Management Process as applicable.

Process & People Management

• Anticipates internal/external business challenges and enables process improvements to address those challenges.

• Identify and drive process improvement or other initiatives to meet business needs

• May plan and lead the transition activities related to managing an existing supplier into our Company's systems due to a joint venture or acquisition.

• Mentor junior and new team member. May have direct management responsibility

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

Required Experience and Skills:

• 10+ years of clinical trial experience.

• Proven partner/supplier management experience.

• Must demonstrate excellent collaboration and highly effective communication skills to clearly articulate needs, effectively negotiate, and facilitate issue resolution across organizational levels.

• Must demonstrate excellent interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.

• Demonstrated strong ability to work independently, critical thinking and demonstrate sound and timely decision making

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Bachelors or equivalent from an accredited university in Business, Technical, or Life Sciences.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Proven leadership skills with ability to create and lead high performance teams and/or matrix organization

• Proven management experience or equivalent

clinicaltrialjobs

Required Skills:

Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Development, Clinical Technology, Clinical Trial Management, Clinical Trials, Conflict Resolution, Innovative Solutions, International Cultural Awareness, Issue Management, Life Science, Portfolio Management, Project Management, Resource Management, Supplier Relationship Management

Preferred Skills:

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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The salary range for this role is

$173,200.00 - $272,600.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s 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 https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (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:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

07/29/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.