Associate Director, Product Manager, Disease Biology & PharmTox

MSD

Product Manager for R&D IT at pharmaceutical company, delivering digital solutions for preclinical research and driving product strategy in drug discovery. Based in various US locations.

Posted 7/10/2026full-timeMassachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $142,400 - $224,100 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Open SourceSDLC

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Partner closely with R&D scientists and Business Technology Partners to own, set, and communicate the product vision, strategy, and outcome roadmap, aligned with strategic priorities
Deeply understand user needs (scientists, data scientists, lab operations) through interviews, shadowing, and usage analytics
Map processes and information architecture to identify pain points and automation opportunities
Define clear problem statements, requirements, and success metrics and utilize these artifacts to author Product Requirements Document
Drive solution discovery and rapid prototyping with cross-functional teams to evaluate value, usability, feasibility, and business viability
Prioritize features and trade-offs using impact, effort, and risk frameworks; manage backlog and release planning
Manage scientific applications and lead squads to build user-friendly scientific data and technology products; handle risk assessment and vendor engagement as needed
Evaluate internal and external tools; Manage vendor relationships to influence roadmaps and integrate with internal systems and the data lake
Partner with Product Tech leads/Engineering leads to ensure seamless integration across the ecosystem and upstream/downstream systems
Apply industry standards and ontologies to develop FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) applications, advancing in silico models and AI/ML approaches for drug discovery
Create and maintain documentation including SDLC deliverables (GxP and non-GxP), guidelines, SOPs, training materials, and user communications
Support regulatory audits and inspections by collaborating with stakeholders and Quality to provide documentation and respond to inquiries
Coach teams to adopt a customer-centered product mindset; proactively remove roadblocks and escalate issues to maintain momentum
Drive adoption using metrics and user feedback; analyze engagement, create reports/visualizations, and run user groups to inform continuous improvement
Promote available capabilities to stakeholders, fostering collaboration and integration across teams to avoid silos
Develop a cohesive strategy to manage an orthogonal suite of products and applications, maximizing impact while reducing costs and redundancy
Diligently manage total cost of ownership
Monitor the competitive landscape, standards, and emerging technologies in scientific software and data platforms
Use data-driven insights (synthesized from research, observations, and usage) to inform decisions and refine strategy.

Requirements

What you’ll need

5+ years of experience in scientific software development, pharmaceutical sciences, target discovery, or scientific data management
Strong understanding of preclinical development domain and processes
Proven experience leading multidisciplinary squads to launch and manage software products; translate business needs into user stories and product requirements
Experience with scientific workflows (COTS, in-house, open source); ability to assess, integrate, and scale them
Solid grasp of SDLC and Agile practices; comfortable operating in GxP-regulated environments
Exceptional communicator who bridges science, engineering, and business; customer-centric and effective in a matrixed organization
Proficient with product and UX tooling (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Mural, Figma, Balsamiq); capable of producing clear documentation and visuals
Working knowledge of data models, ontologies, and information architecture in drug discovery
Proven ability to work independently and asynchronously across time zones, with excellent cross-cultural and organizational communication skills
Highly organized, with strong project and stakeholder management capabilities
Demonstrated ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels, balancing long-term product vision with near-term delivery.

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

Scientific Data ManagementProduct Requirements DocumentationData ModelsInformation ArchitectureRisk AssessmentAutomation OpportunitiesUser Feedback AnalysisMetrics and ReportingIntegration with Internal SystemsFAIR Applications

Soft Skills

Exceptional CommunicationCustomer-Centric MindsetOrganizational SkillsCross-Cultural CommunicationProactive Problem Solving