Job Description

The Opportunity

Right now, over 70,000 of our employees are working to cure the world’s most complex diseases. We know that our people are the key to our success, which is why our Human Resources team works to attract, develop, retain and inspire our people so that they can learn, grow and make a true impact on the world. Together we collaborate to create a culturally rich, diverse organization ensuring we remain innovative, agile and flexible.

Based in Hyderabad, this role sits within HR Operations, operating at the intersection of HR, technology, and digital enablement. As part of our growing Regional Capability Center, you will help build and scale the HR technology capabilities that support our global workforce—spanning platforms, data, automation, and emerging AI‑enabled solutions.

Here, your work directly supports a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products—while helping shape the future of how HR delivers value through data, automation, and intelligent systems. Your ideas matter, your expertise drives impact, and your contributions help multiply our company’s ability to deliver for patients, colleagues, and communities worldwide.

Role Summary

Join our HR Solutions team as a Senior Specialist focused on Core HCM solutions. This role uses Workday Core HCM as the primary technology and will evolve to incorporate AI-enabled solutioning and automation across our HR technology stack. You will operate in a highly matrixed environment to assess business requests, design technical solutions, and drive implementation, operations, and continuous improvement of Core HR systems and integrations. The ideal candidate combines strong HR functional knowledge with technical proficiency, is proactive, collaborative, and detail-oriented, and can work independently while partnering across global teams.

What You Will Do

• System Configuration & Support: Configure and support Core HR systems (Primarily Workday Core HCM) to meet global and local HR requirements. Execute configuration changes and act as a functional subject matter expert for Core HR functionality.
• AI-Enabled Solutioning: Propose, design, and pilot AI-driven enhancements (e.g., intelligent automation, data-driven recommendations, process optimization) to improve HR processes and user experience
• Demand & Change Management: Triage, assess, and manage new business requests; recommend alternative technical solutions and roadmaps that align with global standards and local requirements. Lead impact analysis for system changes and bi-annual upgrades.
• Integration & Technical Collaboration: Support integrations between Core HR systems, payroll and other third-party systems. Partner with IT, vendors, and integration teams to ensure reliable data flows and secure interfaces.
• Testing & Release: Define test strategies and plans, lead or coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT), validate release artifacts, and support deployment activities for enhancements and upgrades.
• Data Privacy & Compliance: Prepare and update data privacy and governance documentation; collaborate with Data Privacy Office and data stewards to obtain necessary local and global approvals and works council signoffs as required. Ensure solutions comply with GDPR and applicable local privacy laws.
• Operational Excellence & Support: Serve as a Tier 3 escalation point for complex Core HR incidents and problem resolution. Create and update functional design documents, and the process/training materials used by HR Support Centers to process cases.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with HR Process and Solutions leads, Global Centers of Excellence, HR operations, and business stakeholders to translate business needs into technical requirements and to present system capabilities and trade-offs.
• Projects & M&A Support: Participate in projects, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, ensuring Core HR impacts are identified and addressed.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience/Education: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 4 years’ relevant experience in HRIS, HR Operations, or IT supporting HR systems, OR minimum 6 years’ relevant experience with a high school diploma.
• Core HR Platform Knowledge: 2+ years of hands-on experience with Workday Core HCM configuration and operational support, and experience using a ticketing/service management tool (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Management) to manage incidents, requests, and changes.
• AI & Automation Aptitude: Demonstrated interest or exposure to AI-enabled HR solutions or intelligent automation tools; ability to identify opportunities for AI to improve HR processes and to partner with technical teams to pilot solutions.
• Requirements Engineering: Proven ability to translate end-user business requirements into technical specifications and configuration changes.
• Testing & Release Management: Minimum 2 years’ experience leading or executing user acceptance testing and end-to-end system testing for HR technology changes.
• Integrations & Data: Experience working with integrations (API, middleware) and an understanding of HR data flows and mapping.
• Data Privacy & Compliance: Solid understanding of GDPR and core data privacy concepts; experience coordinating privacy approvals.
• Project & Stakeholder Skills: Experience managing multiple priorities and projects in deadline-driven environments; strong relationship management, facilitation, and influencing skills.
• Communication & Analysis: Strong written and verbal English communication skills; proven ability to present technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and to use analytical skills to resolve complex business problems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Report Writing Experience: 1+ years of experience with calculated fields, Workday DOCS and report writing.
• Cross-Module Experience: Familiarity with related modules (Compensation, Time & Absence, Benefits, Talent) or other HR systems.
• Integrations & Payroll: Experience supporting payroll integrations or global payroll providers.
• Process Improvement: Experience in HR business process analysis and leading process improvement initiatives.
• Regional Privacy: Knowledge of regional privacy regulations beyond GDPR (e.g., PIPL) is a plus.

Required Skills:

Change Management, Core HR, Data Privacy, HR Process Design, HR Process Improvement, Incident Management, Process Improvement Initiatives, Process Improvements, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Technical Solution Development, Technical Solutions, Waterfall Model, Workday HCM

Preferred Skills:

HR Data Management, Human Resources (HR) Technology, JIRA Tool, ServiceNow Platform

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Secondary Language(s) Job Description:

#MSDHYDIT

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & 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. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

08/5/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.