{"id":2890927,"url":"https://alion.io/job/merck-co-associate-director-study-data-services","title":"Associate Director, Study Data Services","company":{"id":3768,"name":"Merck & Co.","domain":"msd.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/msd","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":100,"open_postings":268,"ghost_share":0.015,"stale_share":0.06,"repost_share":0.082,"time_to_fill_p50_days":12,"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"}},"role":"Leadership","role_family":"Leadership","seniority":"head","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San José, Costa Rica"],"countries":["CR"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":70000,"max_usd":158000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":3940},"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"GCP","optional":false},{"name":"Good Clinical Practice","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"SAS","optional":false},{"name":"SQL","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-19T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-19","last_verified_at":"2026-10-22T01:32:15Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":3,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":3},"description":"Job Description\nThe Associate Director, Study Data Services (M-track) leads and develops a programming and reporting team - set goals, assign work, coach performance, and manage recruiting/onboarding - while communicating status and risks to leadership and partners. Provide hands-on technical review, solutioning support, enforce SOPs/standards, manage workload and prioritization, track quality and timelines, and drive best practices (code review, reusable components, test automation) and continuous improvement.\nResponsibilities\nProgramming and reporting\nLead design and deployment of clinical technology system solutions (e.g., for EDC [Electronic Data Capture], RTSM [Randomization and Trial Supply Management], and eCOA/ePRO [electronic Clinical Outcomes Assessment/ electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes]) using programming frameworks and automation tools.\nProvide technical oversight for clinical programming, reporting, and data integration across portfolios.\nRecommend and implement tools to streamline design, build, and validation processes.\nApply data literacy to design transformation strategies for actionable insights.\nDevelop advanced reporting solutions (dashboards, listings, visual analytics) with reusable components and role-based access.\nData Engineering\nDefine and govern integration architecture, including data sources and transformation workflows.\nEnsure consistent implementation of enterprise standards and reusable assets.\nMonitor and troubleshoot data ingestion and consumption for reliability.\nAutomate and strengthen data engineering processes to reduce risk and improve efficiency.\nDevelop robust data models, semantic layers, and curated datasets; enforce quality checks.\nProcess\nDrive process optimization by identifying gaps and implementing improvements.\nTranslate strategy into clear priorities, roadmaps, and ways of working for assigned domains.\nLead testing strategies for solutions; automate validation and ensure traceability.\nContribute to resource planning and workload distribution across global teams.\nSet documentation and audit standards; ensure compliance through rigorous change management.\nLead cross-functional collaboration, meetings, and enterprise-level improvement programs.\nInfluence adoption of data standards, tools, and automation for better delivery and decision-making.\nProvide leadership, coaching, and mentoring to build capabilities and foster a culture of quality and collaboration.\nSupport release management across environments; align stakeholders, lead UAT (User Acceptance Training), and improve reporting standards.\nPartner across teams to turn data and technical findings into clear, actionable recommendations\nAct as a reliable partner to GDMS and other cross-functional teams, actively seeking input, aligning on priorities, and closing feedback loops to drive high-quality, coordinated delivery.\nPeople management\nAlign teams around a clear direction; set clear objectives aligned to organizational goals; assign work and set priorities accounting for work-life balance sustainability.\nConduct regular check-ins and annual reviews; coach for performance; provide recognition.\nDevelop career plans; create growth opportunities and promotion cases; ensure appropriate training and mentoring.\nLead recruiting and hiring and oversee performance management activities, including management of sensitive employee-relations matters in partnership with HR.\nCoordinate on-shore/off-shore and contingent resources; ensure role clarity and effective handoffs.\nManage an operating budget and optimize spend against priorities.\nInspires and ensures that team leaders are effectively supporting and empowering their individual leaders.\nQualifications, Skills & Experience\nTechnical skills\n· Expert-level proficiency in different technology languages (e.g., SQL, Python, SAS, and R) for implementing clinical data collectors, integrations, transformations, visualizations\n· Evidence of experience in architecting and interoperability of EDC platforms, data integration environments, clinical operations systems, and cloud computing platforms\n· Proficiency with key data-management and/or clinical operations tools and platforms (e.g., systems for data capture, review, visualization, reconciliation, and reporting), with the ability to help select, configure, or optimize solutions.\n· Broad understanding of the data-management technology ecosystem (e.g., data capture, review, reconciliation, reporting, analytics, and enabling tools) and how components fit together across the end-to-end process.\n· Experience leveraging automation, scripting, or digital solutions to streamline data-management activities and reduce manual effort.\n· Ability to interpret operational and quality metrics, use analytical/forecasting tools for capacity and scenario planning, and translate insights into clear decisions and actions.\n· Strong understanding of common clinical and regulatory data standards, clinical operational data models, metadata management, and controlled terminologies (e.g., MedDRA, WHODrug) to ensure consistency and submission readiness.\n· Strong understanding of validation, system lifecycle, data-privacy, and System Development Lifecycle Management activities\n· Strong understanding of drug discovery process, FDA regulations, GxP / ICH guidelines\n· Ability to connect business outcomes to technical deliverables\nNon-technical skills\n· Strong ability to lead teams in a matrixed, global organization while ensuring delivery excellence through effective problem-solving techniques\n· Demonstrated success in coaching, developing, and performance-managing high-performing individuals\n· Builds strong partnerships across technical, business, and quality functions to enhance collaboration and deliver integrated outcomes\n· Balances business needs, resource capacity, and compliance requirements to make sound operational decisions\n· Capable of leading teams through process and organizational transformation with empathy and clarity\nEnterprise Leadership Skills\n· Execution Excellence | Is results-focused per compliance standards; sets ambitious expectations for accomplishment and ensures others contribute to org strategies by focusing them on the most critical priorities; translates departmental goals into clear expectations\n· Coaching and Development | Manages individual contributors and/or supervisors, provides technical guidance, and develops others through coaching, feedback, and guidance\n· Entrepreneurship | Embraces patient customer focus, ensuring that internal or external customer perspective is the driving force behind strategic priorities, business decisions, org processes, and individual activities; crafts and implements service practices that meet customers' and own organization needs\n\nQualifications & experience\nNon-Degree or Associate's Degree with a minimum of 10 years' experience working in clinical data programming, data engineering, or related data-management/clinical operations function, and:\n- 2 years of people management experience.\n- Demonstrated deep subject matter expertise in clinical development.\nOR\nBachelor's Degree with a minimum of 8 years' experience working in clinical data programming, data engineering, or related data-management/clinical operations function, and:\n- 2 years of people management experience.\n- Demonstrated deep subject matter expertise in clinical development.\nOR\nAdvanced Degree (Masters or Doctorate) with a minimum of 4 years' experience working in clinical data programming, data engineering, or related data-management/clinical operations functions, and:\n- 2 years of people management experience.\nDemonstrated deep subject matter expertise in clinical development.\nAdditional location(s) Compensation Information:\nRequired Skills:\nAdaptability, Clinical Data Management, Clinical Trials, Data Analysis, Data Extraction, Data Integration, Data Validation, Decision Making, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Interpersonal Relationships, People Leadership, Pharmacovigilance, PL/SQL (Programming Language), Regulatory Compliance, Strategic ThinkingPreferred Skills:\nCurrent Employees apply HERE\nCurrent Contingent Workers apply HERE\nSearch Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully\nMerck & 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.\nEmployee Status:\nRegularRelocation:\nNo relocationVISA Sponsorship:\nNoTravel Requirements:\nNo Travel RequiredFlexible Work Arrangements:\nHybridShift:\nNot IndicatedValid Driving License:\nNoHazardous Material(s):\nN/AJob Posting End Date:\n10/31/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. 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