strategic Associate Director of IT Finance

We are seeking a strategic Associate Director of IT Finance to serve as a key team player to our technology leadership team. In this role, you will bridge the gap between financial discipline and technology strategy, driving high-value investment decisions, governing our multi-million-dollar technology portfolio, and optimizing our financial processes.

Responsibilities include:

Leadership & Partnership:

• Serve as a trusted business partner to Value Team Leads and Investment Managers, supporting coordinated planning and execution of client priorities.

• Provide the VP of our Research & Development division IT with financial transparency, risk management, and decision support.

• Partner with business stakeholders to maintain an effective control environment.

Financial Planning & Analysis:

• Develop expense budgets, quarterly forecasts, and long-range plans that support business and organizational goals.

• Navigate complex IT accounting treatments, overseeing the governance of CAPEX/OPEX rules, and depreciation schedules for major tech milestones.

• Drive IT investment value by co-developing robust business cases with Divisional Finance (ROI/NPV) and facilitating trade-offs to allocate resources to high-impact programs.

• Govern corporate IT compliance deliverables, taking ownership of Quarterly tally processes and IT Center of Excellence (COE) requirements to ensure seamless corporate alignment.

• Direct the monthly and quarterly close process, ensuring high-accuracy variance analysis, trend reporting, and proactive corrective actions.

• Drive continuous improvement across IT financial processes, deploying modern tools and ad-hoc analysis to support organizational change initiatives.

• Deliver actionable, data-driven recommendations to senior leadership that optimize IT spend, benchmark technology costs, and improve overall organizational value.

Planning Research Budgeting Leadership Management Governance Innovation Accounting Compassion Investments Forecasting Adaptability Depreciation Communication Data Analysis Cash Management Detail Oriented Business Acumen Risk Management Ad Hoc Analysis Telephone Skills Financial Acumen Medical Research Business Planning Variance Analysis Financial Analysis Influencing Skills Financial Planning Financial Modeling Strategic Thinking Data Visualization Business Operations Capital Expenditure Strategic Alignment Financial Statements Contingent Workforce Financial Management Investment Decisions Cost Benefit Analysis Technology Strategies Investment Management Information Technology Stakeholder Management Pre-Clinical Development Decision Support Systems Organizational Leadership Continuous Improvement Process Milestones (Project Management) Organizational Change Management, * 5+ years of experience in finance, business operations, strategy, investment management, or a related field.

• Ability to lead large-scale transformations in ambiguous, fast-paced environments with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Ability to apply FE&A frameworks to define ROI and align on value capture and realization.
• Ability to assess budgets, cost optimization opportunities, and cost drivers to support business cases and investment decisions.
• Ability to guide interdisciplinary teams on financial concepts and their impact on value management.
• Ability to communicate financial and performance information across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to act as a strategic thought partner and trusted business advisor.

Preferred Skills:

• Ability to work across matrixed, global teams to drive alignment.
• Strong communication and influencing skills to secure leadership and business buy-in.
• Experience in financial evaluation or value management.
• Ability to flex between strategic thinking and tactical execution.
• Ability to bring fresh perspectives to improve ways of working.
• Skilled in data analysis platforms, including Power BI.

Education Requirements:

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in finance, business, information technology, or a related discipline.
• Preferred: MBA.

Required Skills: Adaptability, Adaptability, Business Acumen, Business Agility, Business Planning, Cash Management, Collaborative Leadership, Complex Analysis, Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), Cross-Cultural Awareness, Data Visualization, Detail-Oriented, Enterprise Leadership, Financial Acumen, Financial Analysis, Financial Management, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning, Headcount Planning, Influencing Skills, Planning Budgeting And Forecasting (PBF), Preparation of Financial Reports, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Alignment {+ 7 more}, Dayton, NJ*On-Site

Dosing Biology Asepsis Research Visionary Scheduling Mentorship Innovation Microscopy Toxicology Mycoplasma Morphology Cell Growth Disassembler Cell Biology Life Sciences Cell Cultures Animal Models Data Recording Detail Oriented Time Management Medical Devices Experimental Data Laboratory Safety Molecular Biology Chemical Kinetics Population Health Biochemical Assays Sample Preparation Bacterial Cultures Suspension (Vehicle) Laboratory Equipment Management Of Cancer Organizational Skills Laboratory Procedures Laboratory Techniques Polymerase Chain Reaction Engineering Design Process Standard Operating Procedure Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) +0 Production Scientist Actalent

Warren, NJ*On-Site

Biology Reagent Pipettes Visionary Management Automation Innovation Cleanliness Housekeeping Multitasking Biochemistry Communication Detail Oriented Inventory Management Organizational Skills Packaging And Labeling Engineering Design Process Good Manufacturing Practices

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 $129,000.00 - $203,100.00

IT Finance is a full-service Financial Planning & Analysis function that guides our Technology organization in investing in value - creating capabilities to help our Company’s save and improve lives.

This role supports the VP of our Research & Development division IT and their leadership team. Our Research & Development division IT is a global organization that partners with our Research & Development division business division by leveraging technology and data to reimagine how breakthrough biomedical research is translated into meaningful new therapies and vaccines that save and improve lives worldwide. Our Research & Development division IT is focused on:

• Clinical Development and Digital Solutions, 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.