Associate Director, Lean Transformation​/Continuous Improvement; Business Consulting

Position: Associate Director, Lean Transformation / Continuous Improvement (Business Consulting)
Location: West Point

Job Description

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. We are building a new kind of healthcare company that is ready to help create a healthier future for all of us.

Manufacturing Division Overview

The Manufacturing Division is committed to innovating and delivering life‑saving and affordable medicines and vaccines worldwide. With 43 sites, we manufacture and distribute critical vaccines, sterile products, biologics and animal health products to more than 140 countries. Our facilities and partners comprise an interdependent global manufacturing network designed to deliver compliant, reliable supply to customers on time, every time.

Production Systems (MPS) Associate Director – Key Activities

• Partner with business unit leaders and their leadership teams to develop plans and execute performance improvement activities in line with organizational priorities.
• Develop Lean management and people development plans and processes.
• Utilize Lean tools, techniques and GMPS standards to diagnose, analyze and improve business processes.
• Provide teaching and coaching to effectively transfer Lean skills into the organization for the development of Lean Leaders.
• Self‑manage projects and teams, mitigate risks, allocate resources and drive on‑time completion of initiatives and deliver intended results.
• Develop visual controls and effective management systems to make problems visible, respond with urgency, break down complex problems, lead root cause analysis and develop effective countermeasures (8‑Step Problem Solving is the working standard).
• Build trust and develop new relationships with internal and external clients and coach senior leaders and E2E/IP Managers to collaborate and achieve successful outcomes at site, regional and global levels.
• Leverage digital and data capabilities to properly measure, visualize and analyze information to support operations improvement.

Required

Education and Experience

• Bachelor of Science (BS) in a related field with eight (8) years of required experience.
• Master of Science (MS) with six (6) years of required experience.
• PhD with three (3) years of required experience.

Required Skills and Experience

• Experience analyzing complex processes or end‑to‑end supply chains and driving timely process improvement.
• Hands‑on application of Lean tools and techniques (standardized work, scientific problem solving, value stream mapping, mistake proofing, production leveling, SMED, 5S and Visual Factory).
• Consultative skills: influence decision making and interact with all levels of the business (senior leaders to shop floor working teams).
• Project management skills (demonstrated experience in managing large project teams).
• Coaching/Teaching: proven experience in coaching and equipping others to apply Lean methods and tools.
• Manufacturing Division Ways of Working:
  Win as One Team, Focus on What Matters, Act with Urgency, Experiment Learn & Adapt, Embrace Diversity & Inclusion, Speak Up & Be Open Minded.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Solid business acumen, team building skills, excellent listening skills, results oriented, strong analytical skills.
• Experience in operations management, manufacturing or related disciplines.
• Experience in a Vaccines or Sterile pharmaceutical environment.
• Secondary degree in supply chain or business administration.
• Extensive Lean application experience or deep understanding of the Toyota Production System (TPS).
• Excellent skills using IT applications to organize and analyze data (MS‑Access, MS‑Excel, Minitab, Power BI).

Critical Enterprise Leadership Skills

• Strategic Planning – guiding team success with flexible interpersonal style.
• Networking and Partnerships – building and leveraging relationships across work groups to achieve results.
• Execution Excellence – results focused, setting ambitious expectations and ensuring accountability against metrics.
• Influence – effective persuasion strategies to gain acceptance of ideas and commitment to actions.
• Change Catalyst – facilitating change and encouraging better approaches to problems and opportunities.

Required Skills – Broad Areas

• Adaptability…