Assoc. Dir, Product Manager, Disease Biology & PharmTox

Merck is seeking an Assoc. Director, Product Manager to lead digital solutions for Disease Biology & PharmTox within the RaDS Product organization. This onsite Boston role focuses on preclinical research data management across in vitro, bioassay, and in vivo data streams, blending scientific insight with product leadership. The position offers a salary range of $142,400 to $224,100 per year.

Responsibilities

• 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 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

• 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
• Education: M.A./M.S. with 3+ years, or B.A./B.S. with 5+ years of experience in a scientific or technical discipline
• Travel: 25%

Technologies

• Jira
• Confluence
• Mural
• Figma
• Balsamiq
• PowerBI
• R
• Python

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee and family)
• 401(k) retirement benefits
• Paid holidays
• Vacation
• Compassionate and sick days