Associate Director, Supply Chain Management

About the role

We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. We're at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. Join our team and use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world.

As the Associate Director, Supply Chain Management, you will lead global design, development, and rollout of demand and supply planning, production planning, and detailed scheduling solutions. The role requires deep planning and scheduling expertise, hands-on experience with Kinaxis Maestro and SAP ECC/S4, and success leading complex multi-site implementations. The Associate Director sets technical standards, resolves complex issues, and ensures scalable, robust solutions aligned with supply chain and digital strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end technical design of production planning and detailed scheduling solutions with the Product Owner, architects, and site leads.
• Translate business strategy, supply chain goals, and site needs into a unified scheduling roadmap and architecture.
• Set design standards, integration patterns, and data models for scalable, high-performing, maintainable global deployments.
• Lead configuration, development, data orchestration, ERP, MES, and analytics integrations for scheduling and site planning applications such as SAP and Kinaxis Maestro.
• Own global technical rollouts, including deployment, readiness, cutover, and testing. Partner with the Product Owner on backlog, priorities, and releases while aligning with enterprise, solution, and data architects.
• Partner with site and supply chain stakeholders to capture requirements, deliver business value, and communicate technical topics clearly.
• Lead data-driven, cross-functional resolution of complex planning and scheduling issues, identifying constraints and optimization opportunities.
• Improve algorithms, configurations, and processes while promoting reusable best practices to enhance service, efficiency, and solution quality.
• Use AI-driven automation to improve productivity across planning communities.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in supply chain management, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Management, or a related field.
• Ten or more (10+) years of technical solution experience in supply chain, production planning, and site planning, applying MRP, capacity planning, production scheduling, and constraint management concepts.
• Extensive hands-on experience in Kinaxis Maestro authoring and Enterprise Scheduling, with Kinaxis Maestro Author Level 2 or higher certification required.
• Extensive SAP experience across APO Demand Planning, Supply Planning, PP/DS, MRP, and master data management.
• AI/Agent-based solutions for Supply Chain Planning business needs, including design and automation experience.
• Strong experience working within Agile / product-based delivery models, including backlog management, iterative delivery, and release management.
• A strong leader who works well with different teams, solves tough problems in a clear, logical way, and communicates effectively with senior people to help everyone move in the same direction.

Required Skills

Automation, Benefits Management, Capacity Management, Computer Science, Constraints Management, Demand Forecasting, Kinaxis, Management System Development, Manufacturing Resource Planning, Product Management, Release Management, SAP SCM APO Demand Planning, Site Planning, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management (SCM), System Designs, Technical Presentations

Preferred Skills

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• 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.
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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 primary location for this posting is: USA - New Jersey - Rahway

Pay and benefits

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is

$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

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.

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.

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

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: 11/17/2026

Additional information

*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.