Dir , Technology Partnership

This role serves as a trusted technology partner to Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS), aligning business priorities with digital, data, analytics, and AI/ML capabilities to deliver measurable value.

As a Business Technology Partner (BTP), you will report to a BTP Lead within our Research & Development division IT and own and drive a portfolio of initiatives aligned to BARDS priorities. You will act as a strategic advisor to BARDS leadership and are accountable for delivering business outcomes through technology investments.

In this highly technical environment, strong technical fluency is essential to effectively engage with data scientists, statisticians, and technical teams, and to guide discussions, inform trade-offs, and bridge business and technical perspectives.

You will partner with business stakeholders and Development IT to define needs, shape solutions, and ensure delivery aligned to enterprise strategy and standards.

Scope and Impact

• Leads alignment, adoption, and value realization of technology-enabled solutions within BARDS or related functional areas

• Acts as a strategic advisor to BARDS leadership on digital, data, and AI/ML strategy

• Owns end-to-end accountability for delivering measurable business outcomes

• Influences cross-functional stakeholders and drives alignment across business, product, and technical teams in a highly matrixed environment

• Shapes and influences technology investment priorities aligned to enterprise strategy

• Applies technical fluency to inform decision-making and bridge business needs with solution capabilities

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Business Alignment

• Translate business strategy into technology priorities and roadmaps

• Partner with BARDS stakeholders to define outcomes and success measures

• Identify opportunities to leverage enterprise data, analytics, and AI capabilities

• Ensure alignment with product line capabilities and enterprise standards

• Shape long-term digital, data, and AI strategy in partnership with BARDS leadership

• Provide strategic input into enterprise IT direction based on BARDS priorities

Portfolio & Value Management

• Lead demand intake, shaping, and prioritization aligned with governance processes

• Develop business cases, KPIs, and OKRs tied to business outcomes

• Monitor value realization and adoption, identifying opportunities to improve impact

• Align investments with funding priorities and measurable outcomes

• Partner with Product Line Leads and senior IT/business leaders to align investments to strategic priorities

Stakeholder Engagement

• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships across BARDS, IT, and partner functions

• Communicate business priorities, roadmaps, and initiative progress

• Facilitate alignment on scope and outcomes across business and IT stakeholders

• Influence decision-making at senior leadership levels

• Act as the primary IT-facing strategic partner for BARDS leadership

Solution Enablement

• Define business context, priorities, and constraints to inform solution direction

• Partner with Product Line Leads, architects, and technical teams to shape solution approaches

• Ensure alignment with enterprise data, AI, security, and governance standards

• Support adoption, change management, and business readiness

• Drive alignment with enterprise architecture and long-term platform strategy

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and enable data-driven decision-making

• Promote reuse of enterprise platforms, products, and capabilities

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field

• 10-12 years of experience in IT, digital, analytics, or business technology roles

• Experience working in cross-functional, matrixed environments

• Strong ability to translate business needs into actionable insights that guide solution development

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Strong technical fluency in data, analytics, and/or AI/ML ecosystems, with the ability to engage effectively with technical stakeholders

• Ability to understand and discuss technical architecture, data flows, and analytical workflows

• Experience working in regulated or highly controlled environments with a focus on compliance and data integrity

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting BARDS, Clinical Development, or analytics-focused organizations

• Experience working within a product model or agile/value team structure

• Exposure to portfolio management, KPIs/OKRs, and performance tracking

• Understanding of data, AI, security, and compliance governance frameworks

• Understanding of enterprise architecture, governance, and technology standards

• Experience working with architecture teams or in data, analytics, or solution architecture environments

• Familiarity with data platforms, analytics tools, and AI/ML workflows in clinical or research contexts

• Ability to evaluate solution trade-offs and communicate implications to business stakeholders, Benefits Management, Biostatistics, Business Analysis, Business Compliance, Business Process Improvements, Business Strategies, Business Technology, Clinical Development, Enterprise Architecture (EA), Enterprise Data, Governance Management, Information Technology (IT) Support, Portfolio Management, Portfolio Risk Management, Program Management, Solution Architecture, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, Trade-Off Analysis, Workforce Planning

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 salary range for this role is

$173,200.00 - $272,600.00

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.