Associate Director Digital Compliance
Merck
Summary
Our Global Privacy and Digital Trust Program is grounded in organizational accountability, responsible data stewardship, consistent global practices and standards, and ongoing oversight to ensure we adapt to evolving regulatory expectations as technology and the business continue to transform. The Associate Director, Digital Compliance, will help enable the compliant and responsible adoption of emerging technologies and digital solutions across our organization. This role will help shape the future of our company AI governance program, acting as a trusted advisor to business units, and fostering a culture of responsible technology use across the organization.
Job description
Primary Responsibilities
- Facilitate the expansion, implementation, and maturity of our company AI governance framework, including contributing to use-case specific guidance, standard operating procedures, leading the development of enterprise-wide and role-based training materials, supporting incident reporting and analysis, and developing monitoring plans.
- Assist with the execution and completion of AI compliance assessments for new and existing AI initiatives, including counseling the business on timely and appropriate implementation of controls.
- Support business stakeholders in the identification, evaluation, and enablement of AI use cases.
- Ensure that digital innovation accelerates business goals while strictly aligning with our privacy commitments and digital trust standards.
- Partner closely with privacy colleagues to ensure that key AI initiatives involving the ingestion of personal information align with global privacy laws.
- Foster a corporate culture of digital compliance, transparency, and ethical accountability regarding technology use.
- Support continuous training, engagement, and expansion of the RAI Steward network.
- Empower the stewards to proactively champion responsible AI practices and digital compliance within their respective departments.
Required Qualifications
- B.A./B.S. required; advanced degree in law, privacy, digital technologies, or public policy preferred.
- 7+ years of experience in compliance, privacy, legal, regulatory affairs, digital governance, or related functions, preferably in a pharmaceutical, life sciences, healthcare, or highly regulated environment.
- Demonstrated experience implementing and supporting complex, cross-functional governance programs.
- Strong understanding of data protection frameworks, data governance, emerging AI regulations and governance, and risk management principles.
- CIPP/E/US/CIPM or AIGP preferred.
Required Skills
- Strong interpersonal and oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex privacy and AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders, and experience interacting in and presenting to large groups.
- Strong technical aptitude and demonstrated experience with AI and ML technologies.
- Established and effective business counseling skills, rooted in subject matter expertise in the relevant guidance, policies, codes, and regulations, as well as their application to business objectives, initiatives, and processes.
- Proven ability to deliver training, awareness, and change management activities related to AI governance, digital governance and emerging risks.
- Demonstrates a practical, analytical, and collaborative approach to problem-solving.
- Ability to develop strong working relationships with key stakeholders across the organization.
- True team player with the ability to integrate seamlessly into a cohesive global team.
- Sound judgement founded on strong ethical values and compliance principles, demonstrated through timely and disciplined decision making.
Required Skills
AI Systems, Compliance Program Development, Digital Governance, EU AI Act, Governance Framework, Information Technology Compliance, Legal Regulatory Compliance, Policy Implementation, Privacy Laws, Responsible AI
Requirements
- B.A./B.S. required
- 7+ years of experience in compliance, privacy, legal, regulatory affairs, digital governance, or related functions
- Demonstrated experience implementing and supporting complex, cross-functional governance programs
- Strong understanding of data protection frameworks, data governance, emerging AI regulations and governance, and risk management principles
- Strong interpersonal and oral and written communication skills
- Strong technical aptitude and demonstrated experience with AI and ML technologies
- Established and effective business counseling skills
- Proven ability to deliver training, awareness, and change management activities
- Practical, analytical, and collaborative approach to problem-solving
- Ability to develop strong working relationships with key stakeholders
- Team player with ability to integrate into a cohesive global team
- Sound judgement founded on strong ethical values and compliance principles
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Retirement Benefits
- 401(k)
- Paid Holidays
- Vacation
- Compassionate & Sick Days
- Annual Bonus
- Long-Term Incentive
Company overview
Merck & Co., Inc., known as Merck in the United States and Canada and MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) internationally, is a premier American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. Founded in 1891 as the U.S. subsidiary of the German Merck Group, the company became independent following World War I and has since grown into one of the world's largest biomedical companies, ranking fourth globally by revenue. Merck operates across three core business segments: pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and animal health products. The company is renowned for its groundbreaking research and development, having brought numerous life-saving medicines to market including Keytruda (pembrolizumab), a leading immunotherapy for cancer treatment that generated $29.5 billion in 2024 revenue, and Gardasil, a revolutionary HPV vaccine. With approximately 75,000 employees worldwide, Merck maintains a robust pipeline of innovative therapies focused on oncology, vaccines, hospital acute care, cardiology, neuroscience, virology, immunology, and diabetes. The company invests heavily in R&D, spending $17.9 billion in 2024 alone, demonstrating its commitment to advancing scientific discovery. Merck's legacy spans over 130 years of bringing hope to humanity through important medicines and vaccines, operating with a purpose to use leading-edge science to save and improve lives globally while fostering an inclusive workforce and responsible business practices.