Technology Compliance Portfolio Operations Lead

Job Description

We are looking for a hands-on Technology Compliance Portfolio Operations Lead to establish and run the operational framework for the Change, Release Management and Compliance team across S/4 Ascent, team-led initiatives and other supported projects.

The role will own the structure and integrity of the team’s integrated Jira plan, establishing one consistent way of working and helping team members create clear, actionable and properly structured items. Team members will remain accountable for maintaining and delivering their assigned work.

Using Jira data, the role will provide insights into progress, workload, dependencies, resource constraints and bottlenecks. These insights will drive structured, data-driven team meetings focused on decisions, risks and actions rather than manual status updates.

The role will also lead Confluence adoption and ensure critical governance meetings are effectively prepared, structured and facilitated, enabling leadership to focus on discussion, alignment and decision-making.

Responsibilities

- Own and maintain the integrated Jira plan across all team commitments
- Establish consistent work breakdown, ticket-quality and planning standards
- Help team members create clear Jira items with defined scope, ownership, outcomes, dependencies and target dates
- Monitor planning quality and challenge incomplete, outdated or inconsistent information
- Develop portfolio insights covering delivery progress, workload, capacity, risks and bottlenecks
- Use Jira data to prepare and facilitate structured, data-driven team meetings
- Coordinate resource planning for new and changing project demand
- Establish Confluence as the team’s standard platform for governance materials, decisions, meeting outcomes and reusable knowledge
- Ensure Jira and Confluence operate as a connected delivery and knowledge-management environment
- Prepare and facilitate steering committees, Global Process Owner meetings and other critical governance forums
- Ensure decisions and actions are documented, assigned and followed through
- Standardize governance packs, presentations, status reporting and team communications
- Continuously improve the team’s operational discipline and ways of working

Required Skills & Experience

- Minimum 3 years of active, hands-on experience with both Jira and Confluence, including work structures, plans, boards, dashboards, reporting and knowledge-management practices
- Experience establishing and managing portfolio, resource or operational planning processes
- Ability to translate complex activities into clear work breakdown structures and actionable plans
- Experience using delivery data to identify dependencies, capacity constraints, risks and bottlenecks
- Strong meeting and governance facilitation skills
- Experience preparing agendas, decision materials, actions and management reporting
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
- Ability to coach colleagues and drive adoption of consistent ways of working
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- A practical mindset and willingness to work directly with tools, data and planning structures
- Fluent in English

Preferred Skills

- Experience supporting Change Management, Release Management, Computer System Validation or Technology Compliance teams
- Experience working in SAP S/4HANA or other large-scale transformation programs
- Understanding of regulated environments and frameworks such as GxP or SOX
- Experience with capacity forecasting, effort estimation or cost-impact analysis
- Advanced PowerPoint and Excel skills
- Experience working in a global, matrixed organization
- Experience in the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry

What Success Looks Like

- One reliable Jira plan provides visibility across all team commitments
- Team members follow a consistent planning approach and maintain their assigned work
- Team meetings are driven by current data and focus on risks, bottlenecks, decisions and actions
- Resource conflicts, dependencies and delivery risks are identified early
- Jira and Confluence operate as a connected delivery and knowledge-management environment
- Governance meetings are professionally prepared, structured and followed through
- Decisions and actions are reflected in the delivery plan and tracked to completion
- Presentations, governance materials and communications follow consistent standards
- Daily operations are transparent and well managed, allowing leadership discussions to focus on strategic priorities, decisions and escalations

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

Required Skills:
Atlassian Confluence, Atlassian JIRA, Communication, Detail-Oriented, Facilitation Techniques, Portfolio Management, Stakeholder Management

Preferred Skills:
Change Management, Compliance SOX, Computer System Validation (CSV), Forecasting, GxP Validation, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Pharmaceutical Industry, Release Management, SAP S/4HANA, Technology Compliance

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:
Yes

Travel Requirements:
10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable

Shift:
Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
N/A

Job Posting End Date:
11/9/2026
*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.