Associate Director, Change Management

Job description

Job Description Job Description Digital is the multiplier that enables Development Sciences and Clinical Supply (DSCS) to drive faster experimentation, more efficient processes, and higher-confidence decisions across the portfolio. DSCS Digital Technologies (DDT) is responsible for pioneering and deploying digital and data capabilities that enhance speed, capacity, and robustness across DSCS. The Associate Director, Change Management will lead the people and adoption strategy for DDT’s digital transformation portfolio, ensuring successful implementation and sustained use of digital capabilities, governance processes, and new ways of working. This role partners with DDT leadership, program teams, and functional stakeholders to drive engagement, readiness, adoption, and value realization, embedding change management within program delivery and governance structures. The Associate Director, Change Management will: Lead development and execution of integrated change management strategies across DDT programs and use cases Partner with DDT Leadership Team, workstream leads, and use case owners to align change strategy with program objectives and value realization Drive stakeholder engagement, including impact assessments, readiness planning, and sponsor alignment Establish and lead a change agent / champion network to support adoption across DSCS Define and execute communications and training strategies to support awareness, understanding, and behavior change Track adoption metrics, risks, and resistance, implementing mitigation actions to ensure sustained adoption Support post-go-live activities including reinforcement strategies, hypercare, and continuous improvement Provide coaching and guidance to program teams and sponsors on change management best practices Drive alignment between change strategy, communications, training, and delivery teams to ensure integrated execution Knowledge, Duties & Responsibilities Include: Develop and maintain change impact assessments across people, process, and technology dimensions building out the necessary details within the project schedule. Establish stakeholder engagement strategies, including sponsor spine and governance alignment Design and implement communication and engagement plans tailored to multiple audiences (executive, functional, end-user) Partner with Learning & Development to define training strategy and enable capability building across teams Ensure consistent application of change management frameworks, tools, and templates across DDT initiatives Monitor adoption, engagement, and behavior change using defined KPIs and feedback loops Identify risks to adoption and implement mitigation strategies to reduce resistance and accelerate uptake Develop executive-ready materials, including presentations, talking points, and change updates Facilitate workshops and alignment sessions across cross-functional teams Contribute to continuous improvement of DDT change management practices and playbooks Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s Degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent) preferred in business or pharma related field Required Experience and Skills: 5-10+ years of experience in change management, digital transformation, or organizational effectiveness within Pharma/Biotech. Proven experience leading large-scale, cross-functional change initiatives Strong stakeholder engagement and influence skills across senior leadership and global teams Demonstrated ability to develop and execute adoption, communication, and training strategies Experience working in program delivery environments with integrated governance and stage-gate processes Strong business acumen and ability to align change efforts to measurable business outcomes Excellent communication skills, including executive storytelling and presentation development Demonstrated ability to coach leaders and teams on change management practices Experience working in complex, matrixed organizations Preferred Skills: Experience in process development Familiarity with digital and data platforms (analytics, automation, data foundation) Experience supporting hub-and-spoke operating models Knowledge of change methodologies (e.g., Prosci, CEM, SRF) Experience building and scaling change networks Required Skills: Change Management, Digital Transformation, Stakeholder Engagement, Communications Strategy, Training & Capability Building, Adoption Strategy, Governance Integration, Change Impact Assessment, Cross-Functional Leadership, Program Support, Executive Communication, Organizational Change, Continuous Improvement, Data-Driven Decision Making Preferred Skills: Change Frameworks (Prosci, CEM, SRF), Pharmaceutical R&D, Data & Digital Platforms, Automation & Workflow, Portfolio Management, Value Realization Required Skills: Adaptability, Adaptability, Automation, Biopharmaceutical Industry, Chemical Engineering, Customer-Focused, Data-Driven Decision Making, Digital Platforms, Digital Transformation, Drug Product Development, Estimation and Planning, Executive Communications, Financial Management, Manufacturing Quality Control, Mitigation, Organizational Effectiveness, Pharmaceutical Process Development, Portfolio Management, Portfolio Risk Management, Process Control Automation, Process Optimization, Product Formulation, Safety Compliance, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management {+ 2 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 The salary range for this role is $142,400.00 - $224,100.00 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