Director, Contract Testing Laboratories Quality Oversight

About the role

The Director, Contract Testing Laboratories (CTL) Quality Oversight is a critical leadership role within our external Quality organization. The incumbent is accountable for implementing Divisional and Company policies, procedures, and guidelines, and for Quality Assurance responsibilities for our company's contracted testing services globally. This role ensures that all product modalities (drug substance, drug product, finished product) tested at CTLs are analyzed and that cell banking manufacture and storage is in accordance with Company standards and all applicable regulatory requirements, meeting both internal and external customer demands and protecting patient safety.

Responsibilities

• Leads the strategy, organisational design, budget oversight and performance management of the contract testing laboratories and cell bank quality oversight organisation.
• Establishes and maintains a risk-based quality oversight model for our company's contract testing laboratories.
• Establishes and maintains a risk-based quality oversight model for cell banking.
• Provides operational leadership to the contract testing laboratories accountable for drug substance, drug product and finished product testing.
• Provides Quality oversight of the contract testing laboratories to ensure products are tested, stored and retained in accordance with regulatory expectations, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and our company's requirements.
• Provides Quality oversight to resolve quality issues, out-of-specification (OOS) investigations, and deviations that could impact launch or supply continuity representing all using sites and functions.
• Provides Quality oversight for analytical technology transfer.
• Defines clear performance expectations, metrics and governance routines to monitor and improve quality and operational performance.
• Leads Quality assessments for prospective contract test laboratories or new method citing and ensures gaps are remediated appropriately.
• Establishes and maintains Quality agreements to protect our company's quality and compliance requirements.
• Directs, mentors, and develops a high-performing team of quality assurance professionals dedicated to external testing laboratory oversight.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, collaboration, operational excellence, and proactive problem-solving across the internal organisation and external testing network.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline required.

Required Experience and Skills

• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in Quality Systems, Quality Assurance, and/or Quality Control within pharmaceutical manufacturing operations under global GMP and health authority requirements.
• Proven track record managing complex quality investigations, assessing risk, and making timely, data-driven decisions.
• Strong compliance background with experience supporting regulatory inspections and health authority interactions.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing teams.
• Ability to travel approximately 30% of the time, including occasional short-notice travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant scientific or technical field.
• Experience leading external partners across biologics or vaccines.
• Prior leadership of a multinational organization with direct accountability for partner performance, compliance, and supply support.
• Strong knowledge of quality governance models, supplier oversight, and risk-based quality management systems.
• Experience partnering with leadership at external partners to influence performance, strengthen quality systems, and accelerate remediation.
• Broader exposure to operations, engineering, supply chain, and commercial functions.
• Experience leading transformation, standardization, or continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

• Change Management
• Coaching
• Data Integrity
• Decision Making
• Good Lab Practices
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Legal Compliance
• Manufacturing Quality Control
• Operational Efficiency
• Operational Quality
• Organizational Leadership
• People Leadership
• Performance Improvements
• Performance Metrics
• Performance Plans
• Product Testing
• Quality Assurance Processes
• Quality Assurance Systems
• Quality Auditing
• Quality Control Management
• Quality Control Systems
• Quality Management
• Quality Management Standards
• Quality Measurements

Pay

The salary range for the primary location (USA - Pennsylvania - West Point) is $173,200.00 - $272,600.00. This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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. Different compensation guidelines may apply for additional locations.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision healthcare insurance (for employee and family)
• Other insurance benefits
• Retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• Paid holidays
• Vacation
• Compassionate and sick days

More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

Schedule & Work Arrangements

• Flexible Work Arrangements: Remote
• Shift: 1st - Day
• Travel Requirements: 10% (note: role description indicates approximately 30% travel)
• Relocation: No
• VISA Sponsorship: No

Location

Primary location: USA - Pennsylvania - West Point. Additional location(s) available; compensation may vary by location.

Requisition ID: R423350. Job posting effective until 10/29/2026 (11:59:59 PM the day before the listed end date of 10/30/2026). Employee Status: Regular.