Job Description

At our Company, we are committed to fostering an inspiring workplace that empowers our employees to innovate and excel. Our Global Workplace and Enterprise Services (GWES) team provides essential solutions that ensure a safe and productive environment, while prioritizing the well-being of our colleagues, communities and the environment, making a positive impact beyond our organization.

 

The Associate Director, Compliance is a leadership role responsible for driving Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) compliance and governance across the GWES operating areas in the SE Pennsylvania region. This role ensures reliable, compliant, and cost-effective operations by integrating regulatory requirements into GWES processes, enabling proactive safety culture, and advancing solutions that simplify compliance for operating teams.

 

The incumbent will lead cross-functional compliance initiatives and serve as a liaison among GWES, GSE/GSE-WP, site councils, IFM partners, and operating areas, aligning regulatory permits, standards, site procedures, audits, inspections, and CAPA management with operational objectives. The Associate Director will influence site compliance strategy and administer key compliance programs, ensuring commitments arising from permits, standards, audits, incident investigations, and process safety reviews are met. The role will also champion EHS capability building in chemical management, process safety management, loss prevention, and project management.

Primary Activities

The primary activities include and are not limited to the following:

 

• Leadership and Oversight: Leads the GWES EHS Compliance governance model across site/region councils and IFM partners, serving as the compliance point-of-contact and driving two-way communication and “run-the-business” EHS routines (tiers, inspections, Axonify, audit/CAPA) for aligned, floor-level accountability.

• Program Management and Accountability: Oversees and manages the site Chemical Inventory Management and GWES Process Safety Management programs. Ensures GWES alignment and effectiveness of Loss Prevention programs. Establishes performance measurements, monitoring tools, and analytics to drive accountability and consistent execution.

• Strategy, Standards, and Permits Integration: Shapes compliance strategy, ensures sustainment of permits and programs (e.g., Title V, RCRA, etc.) while maintaining EHS/engineering standards, site procedures (including High Risk Work), Loss Prevention Carrier recommendations, and industrial hygiene plans.

• Digital Strategy and Process Simplification: Leads and executes the EHS digital strategy to optimize compliant operations by implementing agile processes; leveraging EHS systems (e.g., Enablon), related platforms, and KPI dashboards to integrate requirements and ensure data integrity; streamlining inspections, Management of Change (MOC), corrective and preventative actions (CAPA), and sewer approvals; and championing innovative EHS technologies and practices to enhance processes and drive continuous improvement across GWES operations.

• Operational and Project Support: Integrates compliance across MOC and project lifecycles—supporting permitting and EHS impact assessments—while conducting inspections and closing commitments from incidents, audits, PHAs, and initiatives to reduce risk. Supports Fire & Life Safety standards and corrective actions to reduce risk (e.g., storage racks, local exhaust ventilation, life safety systems).

• EHS Culture and Capability Development: Builds capabilities through training and SME support, strengthening proactive hazard identification, High Risk Work, contractor management, fall protection, legionella, life safety, good-catch, and visual management behaviors.

• Regulatory and External Interfaces: Liaises with GSE, GSE‑WP, and regulators to ensure inspection readiness, coordinate remediations, and lead dialogues that influence rulemaking aligned with our Company and regulatory goals across air, waste, water, and energy.

• Environmental Sustainability: Drives site environmental sustainability performance by embedding waste, water, and energy reduction objectives into compliance operations, capital/project delivery, and routine workflows, enabling measurable progress toward corporate sustainability commitments.

Education Minimum Requirement:  

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Environmental, Safety, or related discipline

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum seven (7) years of experience in EHS compliance, facilities/utility operations, engineering, or related technical management in an industrial, research, or biopharmaceutical environment.

• Minimum three (3) years of line experience with people management responsibility.

• Demonstrated leadership in EHS governance, regulatory compliance, permits administration, standards sustainment, audits/inspections readiness, CAPA management, and incident investigation.

• Strong knowledge of relevant regulations and standards: air, waste, water, OSHA; familiarity with site permit types (Title V, RCRA, consent decree), High Risk Work programs, and MOC processes.

• Proven ability to collaborate across teams and third-party partners with an enterprise mindset; excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including work in union and non-union environments.

• Experience executing digital compliance strategies and using EHS systems (e.g., Enablon, SMIS) for inspections, CAPA tracking, MOC, and data analytics; ability to establish KPIs and drive continuous improvement.

• Technical problem-solving ability and program management skills with attention to detail; capacity to prioritize multiple assignments and adapt to changing business priorities.

• Experience supporting compliant capital investments and integrating EHS requirements through project lifecycles; familiarity with engineering and site procedures.

• Commitment to building proactive EHS culture and capabilities in biosafety, industrial hygiene, and process safety management.

 

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Advanced degree in engineering, EHS, or related field.

• Experience engaging regulatory agencies and participating in industry/regulatory rulemaking discussions.

• Experience with Integrated Facilities Management models and collaboration with external professionals and service providers.

• Understanding of our Company's budget, projects and facilities.

• Capacity to swiftly address issues and develop solutions that minimize compliance risks, enhance efficiencies, and optimize business resources.

• Working knowledge of fire and life safety programs, pressure vessel compliance, refrigerant programs, and legionella compliance.

• Certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHMM, or Lean/Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.

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Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Adaptability, Biopharmaceuticals, Business Compliance, Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), Corporate Sustainability, Digital Strategy, Digital Transformation, Driving Continuous Improvement, GMP Compliance, Health and Safety, HVAC Systems, Industrial Hygiene, Innovation, Leadership, Maintenance Management, People Leadership, Preventative Maintenance Programs, Process Control Systems, Program Management, Project Management, Regulatory Compliance, Reliability Engineering, Safety Leadership {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The salary range for this role is

$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

02/18/2026

*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.