Assoc. Dir, Clin. Operations - Site Budgets & Payments Operational Excellence Regional Lead

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced professional to join a global clinical operations organization and support the implementation of the Site Budgets & Payments Operational Excellence strategy and roadmap within the assigned region.

This role serves as a key regional connection point for the end-to-end processes and systems supporting site budgets and site payments, helping translate global strategies into effective regional and country-level execution.

The position brings regional and country requirements, operational experience, risks, dependencies, and improvement opportunities into global process and system governance. It supports consistent, scalable, compliant, and sustainable ways of working across budgeting, payment setup, payment execution, systems, and downstream processes, while identifying regional or local needs requiring evaluation or approved adaptations.

The role partners closely with global and regional Clinical Operations teams, Site Budgets, Site Payment Operations, country delivery teams, Technology, Business Enablement, Finance, Tax, Compliance, external vendors, and other functional stakeholders to support integrated solution design, implementation, adoption, and continuous improvement.

Primary Responsibilities:

- Support the implementation of the global Site Budgets & Payments Operational Excellence strategy and roadmap within the assigned region.
- Serve as the primary regional connection point for Site Budgets & Payments process and system matters, bringing country requirements, user experience, risks, dependencies, and improvement opportunities into global governance and prioritization.
- Promote globally consistent end-to-end processes, documentation, controls, and ways of working, while identifying regional or local variations that require evaluation, approval, or incorporation into the operating model.
- Coordinate regional assessment of complex or recurring budget and payment process or system issues, partnering with the appropriate teams to address immediate operational needs and escalate systemic issues for cross-functional root-cause analysis and permanent remediation.
- Partner with Site Budgets and Site Payment Operations teams to clarify business needs, rules, functional requirements, controls, and acceptance criteria, supporting integrated solution design, testing, implementation, adoption, and validation.
- Gather, document, and translate regional business requirements and operational insights into enhancements across site budget and payment platforms, supporting applications, reporting tools, automation, and relevant upstream and downstream integrations.
- Participate in user acceptance testing, operational readiness assessments, controlled pilots, release evaluations, and post-implementation monitoring to confirm that approved solutions work effectively within regional and country contexts.
- Use operational data, trend analysis, quality findings, stakeholder feedback, and user experience insights to identify recurring issues, capability gaps, and improvement priorities, as well as to measure adoption and benefits.
- Lead or support regional enablement through training, communications, onboarding, knowledge management, office hours, job aids, and self-service resources, reinforcing approved support and escalation pathways.
- Identify and help scale practical automation, analytics, and artificial intelligence-enabled solutions, ensuring appropriate business, technology, compliance, and governance review before broader deployment.
- Represent the region in governance forums, working groups, vendor discussions, and cross-functional initiatives, communicating decisions, risks, dependencies, and actions to relevant stakeholders.
- Foster accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, organizational learning, and responsible digital and data-driven ways of working.

Education:

- Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in a scientific, business, finance, technology, or related discipline.
- Advanced degree is considered an advantage.

Required Experience and Skills:

- Minimum of seven (7) years of clinical research experience within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, including meaningful experience in site budgets, site payments, clinical financial operations, process improvement, implementation, or related operational excellence activities.
- Strong working knowledge of site budget and payment processes , systems, controls, data flows, fair market value principles, and regional or country operating requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to gather and document business requirements, analyze operational data and recurring issues, support testing and validation activities, coordinate cross-functional resolution, and translate global process or system changes into practical regional execution.
- Strong collaboration, influencing, stakeholder management, communication, presentation, change leadership, and prioritization skills within a global matrixed environment.
- Knowledge of applicable clinical research guidelines, regulatory standards, and compliance requirements.
- Strong technical aptitude, including advanced spreadsheet capabilities, analytics and business intelligence tools, automation solutions, and responsible use of artificial intelligence-enabled technologies.
- Travel: 10/20%
- Hybrid / Remote work: T his opportunity will be hybrid or remote, but the remote position is only applicable for those that are not within commutable distance to the locations noted in posting (Munro - Argentina, Col, Perú).  If commutable, the position will be hybrid.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

Required Skills:
Adaptability, Adaptability, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Bank Reconciliations, Clinical Data Management, Clinical Research, Clinical Site Management, Clinical Trial Management, Decision Making, Detail-Oriented, Finance, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Intelligent Automation (IA), Interpersonal Communication, Onboarding, Operating Models, Operational Activities, Prioritization, Problem Solving, Project Management, Quality Management, Regulatory Submissions, Responsible AI, Risk Based Monitoring {+ 9 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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:
No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:
No

Travel Requirements:
No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable

Shift:
Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
N/A

Job Posting End Date:
11/6/2026
*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.