Operations Manager
Merck
Summary
This requisition is for both day shift and night shift positions. This position is for a manufacturing leadership role as Operations Manager supporting the commercial-scale manufacture of vaccines and therapeutics at the Durham, NC site. The individual in this role must provide direction, coaching, and technical expertise to operations personnel responsible for the manufacturing processes.
Job description
Employee Development / People Management
- Develop, motivate, and manage a team to ensure reliable manufacturing process execution
- Assign yearly performance objectives for the team in alignment with department and site goals
- Provide regular feedback and coaching to employees on work performance
- Provide leadership to the team as needed based on the team's capabilities and maturity
- Ensure on time approval of payroll activities using site approved software like ADP
Process Execution / Continuous Improvement
- Provide a leadership presence on the manufacturing floor
- Champion standard work to drive consistent use of best practices across teams
- Regularly help the team troubleshoot issues to minimize downtime and maintain product quality
- Identify opportunities to improve the process (e.g. cycle times, ease of execution, reliability)
- Support work as needed to implement improvements (e.g. scheduling, staffing, protocol execution)
- Coach team members in executing smaller improvement projects in their operational area
- Represent Operations on project teams as needed
Communication
- Lead and support daily (Tier) meetings to facilitate flow of information up/down through the organization
- Hold regular team meetings to cascade information and collect team feedback
- Provide clear consistent communication from shift to shift
- Escalate issues as needed to ensure the right support/awareness is given to issues as they arise
- Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) during tours to provide area/process overview information to visitors/auditors upon request
Quality & Safety Compliance
- Foster strong safety culture on the team through actions, coaching, and prioritization
- Coach individuals when reporting safety issues and completing corrective/preventative actions
- Drive culture of compliance through actions, consistent quality-driven decision making, and coaching of the team (e.g. documentation, housekeeping, area 5S, etc.)
- Participate in safety/regulatory audits (i.e. tours, topic discussion)
Financial
- Coach the team to ensure SAP transaction completion is timely and accurate
- Manage team staffing and overtime to support customer demand while meeting budget targets
- Recognize opportunities for cost savings and communicates them for potential project chartering
Requirements
- High School Diploma/GED required
- Minimum six (6) years of experience in a manufacturing, technical, support, or Military role OR at least four (4) years of experience in a manufacturing, technical, support, or Military role with a Bachelor's degree in Life Science or Engineering
- Must be willing to work a rotating shift schedule including 2-3-3 rotation x 12.5 hr shifts, 4 day x 10.5 hr shifts, or 5 day x 8.5 hr shifts, including alternating weekends and holidays
- Ability to qualify and maintain gowning requirements to enter classified areas in the manufacturing area to provide shopfloor support
- Demonstrated ability to lead a team (directly as a supervisor/coach or indirectly as part of a project or through routine process execution)
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and coordinate people/resources to meet a production schedule
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Previous supervisory experience
- Experience in a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-regulated manufacturing environment
- Experience using electronic manufacturing systems (e.g. PAS-X, SAP, Delta-V, etc.)
- Experience interacting with regulatory auditors as part of area tours and/or topic discussion
- Lean Six Sigma certification
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- 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.