Job Description
The Associate Director of Data Operations Management plays a pivotal role in driving enterprise-wide data governance, access provisioning, and metadata management initiatives. This role is responsible for ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and compliance with regulatory standards, while also enabling business users to derive actionable insights from complex data ecosystems. The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical foundation, strategic mindset, and excellent interpersonal skills to lead cross-functional collaboration and support data-driven decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Data Governance & Catalog Management:
Lead the implementation and ongoing management of enterprise data catalog solutions (e.g., Collibra, our Company's Discover).
Oversee the creation and maintenance of the PRIMA Publication Catalog, ensuring accuracy and completeness of metadata, business definitions, and source system documentation.
Collaborate with data owners, stewards, and technical teams to populate and maintain metadata repositories and lineage maps.
Data Access & Compliance:
Serve as the primary liaison between business stakeholders, data owners, and IT to facilitate data access requests.
Guide teams through the data governance approval process, ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards.
Triage and respond to real-time inquiries related to data access, availability, and governance procedures.
Technical Data Operations:
Write and optimize SQL queries to extract and analyze data from platforms such as Databricks, Athena, Redshift, and dBeaver.
Utilize Excel and PowerBI to track performance metrics, visualize data, and generate reports for leadership.
Apply AI and NLP tools to analyze regulatory data and support advanced analytics initiatives.
Execute testing and validation of new systems or system modifications (e.g., Collibra, RODM) to ensure alignment with business requirements.
Project & Process Management:
Lead and support data-related projects from planning through execution, ensuring timely delivery and stakeholder alignment.
Develop and maintain documentation including user requirement specifications, work instructions, training materials, and system connectivity diagrams (e.g., Nimbus).
Contribute to process improvement initiatives focused on data standards, operational efficiency, and harmonization.
Training & Enablement:
Provide training and onboarding support for business users on the End-to-End Data Access process (e.g., DataGo/PRIMA).
Offer hands-on assistance to data consumers in identifying data needs and navigating approval workflows.
Required Technical Skills
Proficiency with data governance tools, metadata management, data cataloging, and lineage mapping.
Strong SQL skills and experience with cloud-based data platforms (Databricks, Athena, Redshift, dBeaver).
Familiarity with AI and NLP tools for regulatory data analysis.
Knowledge of SDLC methodologies and data interoperability standards (e.g., FHIR, IDMP).
Experience with enterprise tools such as Collibra, our Company's Discover, IMMUTA, EDAC, NIMBUS, Draw.IO, Bright Ideas, and ORION.
Required Soft Skills
Excellent communication, influencing, and interpersonal skills.
Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, especially in ambiguous environments.
Ability to manage multiple priorities independently and deliver results with minimal supervision.
Comfortable providing step-by-step guidance to users and facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
Required Education
Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field.
7+ years of experience in data operations, governance, or analytics, with 3+ years in a leadership role.
Experience in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, or life sciences.
eligibleforERP
Required Skills:
Adaptability, Adaptability, Change Management, Communication, Computer Science, Critical Thinking, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Data Access, Data Governance, Data Integrity, Data Management, Employee Training Programs, FDA Regulations, Management Process, Metadata Management, Policy Implementation, Process Improvement Projects, Project Management, Regulatory Affairs Compliance, Regulatory Affairs Management, Regulatory Compliance, Regulatory Labeling, Regulatory Operations, Regulatory Submissions {+ 2 more}
Preferred Skills:
Current Employees apply HERE (https://wd5.myworkday.com/msd/d/task/1422$6687.htmld)
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE (https://wd5.myworkday.com/msd/d/task/1422$4020.htmld)
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 (https://survey.sogosurvey.com/r/aCdfqL) 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:
EEOC Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/22-088\EEOC\KnowYourRights\10\20.pdf)
EEOC GINA Supplement?
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.
Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts (https://www.msdprivacy.com/us/en/CCPA-notice/)
U.S. Hybrid Work Model
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, Monday - 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".
The salary range for this role is
$126,500.00 - $199,100.00
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:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
n/a
Job Posting End Date:
10/10/2025
*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.
Requisition ID: R367446
