Associate Director, Non-Clinical Outsourcing

MSD

Associate Director of Nonclinical Outsourcing at Merck, leading sourcing for nonclinical studies. Collaborating with CROs and internal teams for project success in drug safety research.

Posted 6/9/2026full-timeMassachusetts, Pennsylvania • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $129,000 - $203,100 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the sourcing of nonclinical safety studies (GLP and non-GLP) for inclusion in regulatory submissions that support clinical development and/or marketing authorization.
Interact directly with external client service representatives, management and other key personnel (e.g., Study Directors) at multiple CROs for study coordination, planning of initial protocol development, coordinating study report review, and defining project study timelines.
Partner with Study Monitors and internal functional group experts to facilitate the planning, development, tracking, and reporting timelines of nonclinical outsourced studies.
Participate in selection of CROs, including qualification/scientific assessments and the tracking of vendor performance.
Monitor CRO performance and drive consistency in processes, quality, and communication.
Partner with internal stakeholders, our Research & Manufacturing division, Finance, and NDS leadership to develop, track, and forecast our sourcing budget, ensuring alignment with NDS priorities, accurate financial planning, and proactive identification of risks and variances.
Oversee operational readiness for study initiation, including contracts, materials, and documentation.
Maintain timely, accurate tracking of studies and provide clear status updates to internal stakeholders on externally outsourced work.
Identify and implement process improvements to enhance sourcing efficiency and quality.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in biology, toxicology, animal sciences, pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry or contract research organization.
Knowledge of global regulatory guidelines (e.g., ICH, GLP, SEND).
Strong attention to detail, with the ability to critically evaluate study-related documentation and correspondence.
Outstanding communicator responsible for conveying key messages to internal stakeholders and external vendors.
Knowledge of nonclinical safety study designs.
Demonstrated organizational and multi-tasking skills and effective time/program management.
Ability to navigate and be successful in a fast-paced, highly-matrixed and program team-driven environment with frequent course corrections and changing deliverables and timelines.

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
retirement benefits, including 401(k)
paid holidays
vacation
compassionate and sick days

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

nonclinical safety studiesGLPprotocol developmentstudy report reviewCRO selectionvendor performance trackingsourcing budget developmentfinancial planningprocess improvementsstudy design evaluation

Soft Skills

attention to detailcommunicationorganizational skillsmulti-taskingtime managementproblem-solvingcollaborationadaptabilitycritical evaluationstakeholder engagement