Associate Director, Lean Transformation / Continuous Improvement (Business Consulting)

Job Description

Our Company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. Today, we are building a new kind of healthcare company-one that is ready to help create a healthier future for all of us.

Our Manufacturing Division is committed to innovating to bring life-saving and affordable medicines and vaccines to patients around the world. With 43 sites around the world, our Manufacturing Division manufactures and distributes critical vaccines, sterile products, biologics, and animal health products to more than 140-countries. Our facilities, along with our external contractors, suppliers, and partners, comprise an interdependent global manufacturing network that's dedicated to delivering a compliant, reliable supply to customers and patients on time, every time, across the globe.

Today, we continue to be at the forefront of innovation in how we make and deliver life-saving medicines and vaccines to better meet the changing needs of patients. Across our Manufacturing Division, we are investing in cutting-edge technology, processes, and facilities to create capacity to meet growing demand on a scale that has never been seen before.

Our Company's Production Systems (MPS) is an integrated production system for how we design, manage, and continuously improve operations and related business processes, enabled through the development of our people. The Global MPS Team (GMPS) is responsible for driving MPS throughout the organization to improve business performance by enabling change in the operating systems, management systems, and mindsets, behaviors and capabilities of our people to produce our product with the highest quality, lowest cost, and in the shortest lead time.

Under the guidance of the MPS Director, and in collaboration with [Site/Regional/Functional] business leaders, the candidate will assess, diagnose, plan, and execute strategies to solve current business challenges using standardized processes and ways of working. Approximately 50% of their time will be spent at the Gemba/on the floor, or at the process, providing direct, hands-on support, and about 25% will be dedicated to coaching leaders and developing talent within the business. Given the nature of the role and the variety of work locations, travel is expected to be up to 50%, with occasional peaks up to 75%.

- Our Manufacturing Division MPS Associate Director Key Activities:

• Partner with and consult business unit leaders and their leadership teams to develop plans and execute performance improvement activities in line with organizational priorities
• Develop Lean management and people development plans and processes
• Utilize various Lean tools, techniques and apply GMPS standards to diagnose, analyze and improve business processes
• Provide teaching and coaching to effectively transfer Lean skills into the organization for the development of Lean Leaders
• Self-manage projects and teams, mitigate risks, allocate resources, and drive on time completion of initiatives and deliver intended results.
• Develop visual controls and effective management systems to make problems visible, respond with urgency, effectively break down complex problems, lead root cause analysis, and develop effective countermeasures. 8 Step Problem Solving is the working standard in our Manufacturing Division.
• Build trust and develop new relationships with internal and external clients and effectively coach senior leaders and E2E/IP Managers to collaborate and achieve successful outcomes at site/regional/global levels.
• Leverage digital and data capabilities to properly measure, visualize and analyze information to support operations improvement.

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in related field (engineering, business, supply chain, sciences) with eight (8) years of required experience; Master of Science (MS) with six (6) years of required experience; PhD with three (3) years of required experience.

-

Required Skills and Experience:

• Experience analyzing complex processes or end-to-end supply chains and driving timely process improvement
• Hands-on application of Lean tools and techniques not limited to standardized work, scientific problem solving, value stream mapping, mistake proofing, production leveling, SMED, 5S-Visual Factory
• Experience in applying consultative skills: ability to influence decision making, ability to interact with all levels of the business (senior leaders to shop floor working teams)
• Project management skills (demonstrated experience in managing large project teams)
• Coaching / Teaching: Proven experience in coaching and equipping others to apply lean methods and tools. Changing mindsets and behaviors to achieve a continuous improvement philosophy
• Our Manufacturing Division Ways of Working include: 1) Win as One Team, 2) Focus on What Matters, 3) Act with Urgency, 4) Experiment Learn & Adapt, 5) Embrace Diversity & Inclusion, 6) Speak Up & Be Open Minded

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Solid business acumen, proven team building skills, exceptionally good listening skills, results oriented, strong analytical skills, and prior process improvement experience
• Experience in operations management, manufacturing, or related disciplines.
• Experience in a Vaccines or Sterile pharmaceutical environment.
• Secondary degree in supply chain or business administration
• Extensive Lean application experience or deep understanding and successful application of the Toyota Production System (TPS).
• Excellent skills using IT applications to organize and analyze data (MS-Access, MS-Excel, Minitab, Power BI).

Critical Enterprise Leadership Skills:

Strategic Planning - Guiding team success using appropriate methods and a flexible interpersonal style to build, motivate and guide to complete shared goals

Networking and Partnerships - Building partnerships, developing and leveraging relationships within and across work groups to achieve results

Execution Excellence - Being Execution and results focused, per compliance standards, setting ambitious expectations for accomplishment and ensuring others contribute to organization strategies by focusing them on the most critical priorities, measuring progress and ensuring accountability against those metrics

Influence - Using effective involvement and persuasion strategies to gain acceptance of ideas and commitment to actions that support specific work outcomes

Change Catalyst - Facilitating change, encouraging others to implement better approaches to address problems and opportunities. Leading the implementation and acceptance of change within the workplace

Required Skills:
Adaptability, Adaptability, Animal Vaccination, Business Case Development, Business Management, Business Processes, Change Management, Data Analysis Tools, Financial Management, Global Health, Leadership, Lean Design, Lean Management, Lean Manufacturing, Management Control Systems, Management Process, Open-Mindedness, Operations Management, Pharmaceutical Industry, Process Improvement Plans, Process Improvements, Project Management, Results-Oriented, Six Sigma, Strategic Planning {+ 6 more}

Preferred Skills:

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 .

You can apply for this role through (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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:
01/20/2026
*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.

Requisition ID: R378458