Executive Director, HR Business Partnership & IT Solutions Lead

Empathy Coaching Advising AI Agents Leadership Management Automation Governance Innovation Resilience ServiceNow Compassion Scalability Investments Reliability Digital Data Digitization Communication Life Sciences HR Operations HR Consulting Accountability Cyber Security Prioritization Service Models Responsible AI Pharmaceuticals Labor Relations Product Strategy Telephone Skills Talent Management Business Analysis Data Architecture Value Realization Influencing Skills Strategic Planning Advanced Analytics Program Management Product Management Workday (Software) Business Valuation Talent Recruitment Workforce Planning Product Leadership Leadership Studies Business Ownership Workflow Management Information Systems Product Engineering Succession Planning Workflow Automation Strategic Alignment HR Service Delivery Benefits Management Contingent Workforce Strategic Management Predictive Analytics Investment Decisions Digital Capabilities Generative AI Agents Global HR Leadership Regulatory Compliance Technology Ecosystems Strategic Partnership Digital Transformation Capability Development Intelligent Automation Continuous Development Artificial Intelligence Relationship Management Human Resource Strategy Functional Dependencies Strategic Prioritization Human Resource Management Organizational Leadership Organizational Development Business Process Improvement Competency-Based Development Organizational Change Management Artificial Intelligence Strategy Generative Artificial Intelligence Operational Performance Management Product Software Implementation Method Industrial And Organizational Psychology, The Executive Director, HR Business Partnership & Solutions Lead is the senior Enterprise IT (EIT) leader accountable for partnering with Human Resources (HR) leadership to shape and execute the enterprise HR digital, data, technology and AI strategy. The role connects HR strategy, workforce priorities, employee experience, operating-model transformation, enterprise platforms, data, AI, products and delivery into an integrated transformation agenda.

A defining mandate is to lead AI-enabled transformation of HR: reimagining work, services, decisions and experiences through responsible use of generative AI, agents, analytics, intelligent workflow and automation. The Executive Director establishes the integrated portfolio, translates strategy into multi-year roadmaps and investment choices, and ensures adoption and measurable business value.

Role design emphasis: HR business expertise and transformation leadership are primary. The leader must have the credibility to co-shape HR strategy and operating-model change, then mobilize technology, data and AI to deliver those outcomes.

What You Will Do

HR Strategy, Transformation and Executive Partnership

• Serve as the strategic EIT partner to senior HR leaders, helping shape HR strategy, transformation priorities, workforce capabilities, employee experience and the future HR operating model.

• Establish an integrated multi-year HR digital, data, technology and AI strategy aligned with enterprise priorities.

• Translate strategic priorities into a sequenced roadmap of process, experience, data, platform, product and AI investments, with clear business cases and outcomes.

• Bring external insight on HR, workforce and technology trends to identify opportunities to reinvent work rather than digitize existing processes.

Portfolio, Decision Rights and Governance

• Own the integrated HR technology and solutions portfolio and establish clear accountability across business ownership, product leadership, platforms, data, delivery, adoption and value realization.

• Establish portfolio priorities, product investment recommendations, platform direction, delivery sequencing and lifecycle decisions within the HR portfolio.

• Serve as the senior EIT escalation point for material HR technology decisions, cross-functional dependencies, investment trade-offs and delivery risks.

• Drive reuse of enterprise platforms, data products, AI capabilities and common technology patterns while determining where differentiated HR capabilities are justified.

AI Transformation and Process Reimagination

• Establish and govern an integrated HR AI transformation portfolio spanning employee and manager support, HR services, talent, recruiting, learning, workforce planning, insights, knowledge and HR operations.

• Lead end-to-end reimagination of HR journeys and processes using generative AI, responsible agents, predictive analytics, intelligent workflow and automation.

• Partner with HR leaders to redesign work, service models, decision points and human-machine interactions as AI changes how HR expertise and services are delivered.

• Determine whether AI capabilities should be delivered through enterprise platforms, embedded HR products, reusable enterprise capabilities, HR-specific solutions or strategic partners.

• Reduce fragmented experimentation through common priorities, reusable patterns, data requirements, governance and value measures.

• Sponsor responsible agentic solutions with appropriate human accountability for consequential workforce, talent, employee and manager decisions.

HR Platforms, Products, Data and Experience

• Lead an integrated solutions ecosystem spanning HR services, talent, learning, recruiting, workforce insights, and employee and manager experiences; align DigitalU with the broader HR strategy and talent agenda.

• Translate priorities into outcome-based product strategies, roadmaps, experience designs and adoption plans, while enabling technical teams to determine implementation approaches.

• Establish the data, content, knowledge, access and governance foundations required for trusted digital, analytics and AI-enabled experiences.

• Orchestrate delivery across HR, product, engineering, data, architecture, cybersecurity, privacy, Legal, Compliance, vendors and enterprise platform teams.

• Ensure solutions are intuitive, inclusive, accessible, globally scalable and responsive to applicable local requirements.

Value, Risk and Operational Accountability

• Establish transparent governance for prioritization, funding, capacity, delivery, risk, adoption and value realization.

• Define outcome commitments for major investments, including employee and manager experience, service quality, process performance, productivity, decision quality, adoption, control effectiveness and business value.

• Evaluate investments against strategic alignment, adoption, delivery confidence, risk and realized value to inform future portfolio decisions.

• Ensure HR products, platforms, data, AI capabilities and services meet privacy, security, compliance, architecture, resilience, accessibility and lifecycle expectations.

• Be accountable for the reliability, continuity and operational performance of business-critical HR technology services, with clear service expectations, incident leadership and operational-health measures.

• Ensure the portfolio remains modern, supportable, scalable and economically sustainable.

People, Capability and Ecosystem Leadership

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization spanning HR business partnership, product and solution leadership, digital capabilities and related technology disciplines.

• Build the capabilities needed for a product-, data- and AI-enabled HR organization, including process reimagination, experience, change and value realization.

• Develop leaders and talent through coaching, succession planning, capability development, purposeful mobility and continuous learning.

• Shape strong partnerships across HR Centers of Excellence, HR operations, DigitalU, EIT, enterprise data and AI, architecture, cybersecurity, privacy, Legal and Compliance, and strategic vendors.

• Create a culture combining deep business understanding, empathy, disciplined delivery, responsible experimentation and accountability for outcomes.

Key Partnerships

Senior HR leadership; HR Centers of Excellence; HR operations and services; DigitalU; EIT leadership; enterprise data and AI; architecture; cybersecurity; privacy; Legal and Compliance; communications and change; enterprise platform teams; and strategic technology partners.

What Success Looks Like

• HR and EIT operate from one business-led digital, data, technology and AI strategy with clear priorities, sequencing, ownership and outcomes.

• Technology and AI measurably simplify work and improve experiences for employees, managers and HR professionals.

• HR processes and service models are redesigned around digital, data, automation and AI, not simply automated in their current form.

• AI experimentation becomes a coherent portfolio with reusable capabilities, responsible governance, adoption and measurable value.

• HR data, content and knowledge provide trusted foundations for analytics, digital experiences and AI.

• The HR technology landscape becomes simpler, modern, secure, resilient, scalable and economically sustainable.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Psychology, Industrial/Labor Relations, Information Systems or a related field.

• 15+ years of progressive experience spanning HR, HR transformation, employee experience, HR operations, digital transformation, technology or product leadership, including significant leadership in a complex global organization.

• Deep understanding of HR operating models, employee and manager journeys, and multiple HR domains such as talent acquisition, learning, talent management, workforce planning, core HR, rewards or HR service delivery.

• Demonstrated success advising senior HR executives, shaping strategy, leading transformation, and translating priorities into roadmaps, investment decisions, operating-model change and measurable outcomes.

• Demonstrated experience leading AI-enabled transformation, process reimagination, intelligent automation, advanced analytics or responsible agentic capabilities.

• Strong technology fluency across enterprise HR platforms, digital products, data, integrations, workflow, automation and AI-enabled capabilities.

• Proven ability to lead through influence across global, cross-functional organizations and mobilize business, product, technology, data, risk and delivery teams around shared outcomes.

• Strong business and investment acumen, executive communication, transformation leadership, organizational change, commercial judgment and strategic partner-management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in HR, business, organizational development, technology or a related field.

• Experience with Workday, ServiceNow HR, learning ecosystems, HR data and analytics, or comparable enterprise HR platforms.

• Experience in pharmaceuticals, life sciences or another highly regulated global industry.

• Experience scaling responsible AI, generative AI, intelligent automation or agentic solutions within HR or another enterprise function.

Required Skills: Accountability, Accountability, Benefits Management, Business Analysis, Business Process Improvements, Coaching, Competency Development, Global HR Leadership, Governance Management, HR Strategic Management, Human Resource Management, Human Resources (HR) Technology, Human Resources (HR) Transformation, Human Resources Consulting, Human Resources Operations, Implementation Methodologies, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Intelligent Agents, Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Pharmaceutics, Product Management Strategy, Program Management, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning {+ 3 more}

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 primary location for this posting is: USA - New Jersey - Rahway

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is: $231,900.00 - $365,000.00

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.