Associate Director, Logistics Strategy

Job Description

Company Overview

Our company in the United States and Canada, is a global healthcare leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products. For over a century, our success has been propelled by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare. Our Manufacturing Division is a team of dedicated, energetic individuals committed to being the most trusted supplier of pharmaceuticals and health products worldwide. Our facilities, along with our external contractors, suppliers, and partners, form an interdependent global manufacturing network that ensures a compliant, reliable supply to customers and patients on time, every time, across the globe.

Position Overview

As part of our company's Supply Chain organization at the Vaccine Manufacturing facility in Durham NC, the Supply Chain Logistics Strategy Leader will be responsible for the development, management, and growth of our warehousing and logistics operations, both on the main campus as well as off-site (3rd party) storage facilities.  The successful candidate will be responsible for managing or supporting strategic projects designed to improve overall warehouse operations and efficiency.  Additional responsibilities will include qualification support of off-site warehouse facilities for ambient and -70 storage capacity needs, flammable storage facility construction, and associated standard operating procedure (SOP) updates to align to SAP and business processes.  This position will also be responsible for working directly with Logistics and Operations managers and personnel as a subject matter expert (SME) in support of training and implementation of any new projects.  This includes SME support during routine internal and external GMP and Financial audits, QSAT actions, to ensure compliance.  This is a fast-paced and multi-faceted role that provides leadership and input to every department on site across a wide range of business activities.    

        

Reporting directly to the Director, Supply Chain Management, the successful candidate’s primary responsibilities will include varying aspects of the following:

Leadership and SME Support

• Working directly with Logistics managers and personnel as a subject matter expert (SME) in support of training and implementation of any new projects. 

• Provide mentorship and coaching to ensure team success.

• SME support during routine internal and external GMP and Financial audits, input to QSAT actions, to ensure compliance.

• Support the Master Data team with general Material Handling Steward tasks

• Drive safety, quality and process enhancements throughout the supply chain  

Project Management

• Lead and sponsor all Supply Chain Logistics initiatives surrounding qualification support of off-site warehouse facilities for ambient and -70 storage capacity needs and flammable storage facility construction

• Creation and updating of all associated standard operating procedure (SOP) to align to SAP and business processes related to any new project implementations.

• Site supply chain lead and coordinator for the successful implementation of SAP S4/HANA targeted for 2026.   

• Organize and manage multiple projects across different timelines, ensuring successful execution and delivery.

• Work closely with Finance and Supply Chain Management to ensure budgeted funds are aligned with project spend actuals.

• Lead project feasibility for implementation of Team Viewer

• Lead project to reorganize Warehouse with storage sections

• Lead project to align pallet quantity / unit of measure (UOM)

• Lead project to upgrade overall discard process

Primary Responsibilities, Continuous Improvement and Stakeholder Collaboration

• Lead cross-functional teams to execute logistics / supply chain activities and projects designed to improve process efficiencies and drive enhancements in storage capabilities.

• Work closely with master data center of excellence (COE) and site integrated process teams (IPT) to ensure inventory accuracy and transactional discipline throughout the supply chain.

• Manage and work within departmental budget spending for all assigned projects related to expense and/or project capital

Secondary Duties

• Manage/Monitor enterprise resource planning (SAP) data accuracy and transactional discipline

• Support Director in continual evaluation of the SCM organization (assess needs of the business, existing infrastructure and expertise, identify gaps and develop plans for building the organization to meet business needs).

• Ensure uninterrupted ability to meet the needs of the business related to ambient, refrigerated and frozen storage needs/capacity.

• Collaborate with EHS team to ensure all departmental safety and training requirements are met, related to any new project implementations.

Educational requirements:

Required:

• B.S./B.A. Degree in Science / Engineering / Business or Supply Chain Management 

Required experience and skills:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry.  Emphasis in manufacturing site logistics and cold chain shipments.

• Strong knowledge of good distribution processes (GDP) as related to vaccine storage and transport.

• Strong transactional experience using SAP

• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

• Excellent planning, organizational, documentation, presentation and communication skills

• Ability to work in cross-functional teams and to manage complex projects and tasks

• Produces/completes various assignments and projects requiring analytical ability, independent judgment, creativity and problem-solving skills.

• Strong ability to develop, articulate, and build support around a long-term vision aligned with our company's strategic business vision, and implement incremental milestones in support of that vision.

• High communication, organization, and multi-tasking abilities.

• Self-motivated individual with ability to work with a high degree of accuracy

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.  Strong risk-based decision-making skills.

• A positive, collaborative, consensus building approach to management and interpersonal relationships that focuses on guiding, training and developing personnel to their fullest potential.

Preferred experience and skills:

• Master’s degree in science / engineering / business or supply chain management 

• Experience in developing and updating Standard Operating Procedures

• Budget planning, capital planning, and project management

• Experience using Rapid Response (RR) as a network planning tool

• APICS / CPIM and Green Belt Certification

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

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

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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Required Skills:

Business, Business Processes, Capital Planning, Clinical Supply Chain Management, Communication, Customer-Focused, Data Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Inventory Accuracy, Inventory Control Management, Logistics Management, Logistics Planning, Management Process, Material Flow Management, Multi-Management, Negotiation, Project Management, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Strategic Analysis, Supply Chain Design, Supply Chain Processes, Supply Change Management, Vendor Selection, Warehouse Management

 Preferred Skills:

Leadership, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Logistics

Job Posting End Date:

08/8/2025

*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.