Executive Director, Vaccine Drug Product Development

Job Description

Shape the Future of Vaccines

We are seeking an exceptional leader to serve as Executive Director, Vaccine Drug Product Development, a highly visible role responsible for providing strategic, scientific, and organizational leadership across our vaccine portfolio. This individual will define and drive drug product strategy from early development through commercialization, helping bring innovative vaccines to patients worldwide.

As a key leader, you will influence portfolio direction, guide critical investment and launch-readiness decisions, and build the organizational capabilities needed to meet both current and future business priorities. This is a unique opportunity to lead at the intersection of science, strategy, and people development while shaping the future of vaccine innovation.

The successful candidate is a visionary leader with deep expertise in vaccine and sterile drug product development, a passion for developing talent, and a proven ability to drive results through collaboration, influence, and transformational leadership.

What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Impact

• Define and execute the strategic vision, priorities, and operating model for Vaccine Drug Product, ensuring alignment with portfolio, launch, and business objectives.

• Shape vaccine drug product strategies that inform investment decisions, business cases, and commercialization plans.

• Provide clear, data-driven recommendations to senior leadership by integrating scientific, technical, regulatory, operational, and business perspectives.

• Anticipate future needs and build capabilities that position the organization for long-term success.

End-to-End Vaccine Drug Product Development

• Lead vaccine drug product development from early strategy through commercial launch, including formulation, process development, sterile manufacturing, fill-finish, technology transfer, and lifecycle management.

• Integrate critical vaccine development considerations into CMC strategies, including stability, potency, sterility assurance, presentation, cold-chain requirements, and regulatory expectations.

• Partner across functions to ensure development programs are scientifically robust, operationally feasible, and commercially successful.

Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, develop, and inspire high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and inclusive leadership.

• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Lead multiple teams while balancing portfolio demands, capability development, operational excellence, and sustainable delivery.

• Champion organizational transformation by identifying capability gaps and driving improvements in processes, structures, and ways of working.

Collaboration & Influence

• Establish trusted partnerships across Development, Manufacturing, Regulatory, Quality, Commercial, and external stakeholder communities.

• Communicate with clarity and influence across all levels of the organization, including senior leaders and governance forums.

• Build strong networks across industry, academia, and government organizations to advance strategic objectives and strengthen organizational capabilities.

What Makes You Successful

You are a strategic thinker and enterprise leader who combines deep scientific expertise with strong business acumen. You thrive in complex environments, lead through influence, and bring people together around a shared vision. Most importantly, you are passionate about developing talent and creating a culture where individuals and teams can do their best work.

Key Leadership Capabilities

• Deep expertise in vaccine and sterile drug product development, including formulation, process development, manufacturing, CMC strategy, regulatory submissions, and commercialization.

• Demonstrated success leading scientific and technical organizations through growth, transformation, and change.

• Strong commitment to talent development, coaching, succession planning, and fostering an inclusive culture where diverse perspectives are valued.

• Strategic business mindset with the ability to connect clinical development, CMC, and commercialization to achieve successful product launches and reliable supply.

• Proven ability to build alignment, influence stakeholders, and drive cross-functional collaboration in complex matrix organizations.

• Data-driven decision maker with strong analytical, risk management, and problem-solving capabilities.

• Track record of translating strategy into execution and delivering measurable outcomes.

• High emotional intelligence with exceptional communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.

• Passion for innovation and continuous improvement, enabling teams to explore new ideas and create novel solutions.

• Enterprise mindset focused on balancing patient impact, business priorities, and long-term organizational success.

Qualifications

Education

• Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Immunology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.

Required Experience

• 12+ years of experience in vaccine, biologics, or sterile drug product development.

• Significant experience leading vaccine or sterile drug product strategy across development, CMC, regulatory, technology transfer, and launch-readiness activities.

• Demonstrated success leading organizations, influencing across functions, and contributing to portfolio, resource, and investment decisions.

• Strong understanding of vaccine development, sterile manufacturing, and commercialization within a regulated environment.

Location

This hybrid role is preferably based in West Point, PA, with Rahway, NJ also considered. Travel of up to 25% is expected to support collaboration across Pharmaceutical Sciences and Device Development (PSDD) and R&D locations.

Why Candidates Will Be Drawn to This Role

This position offers the opportunity to shape vaccine strategy at an enterprise level, influence critical portfolio decisions, lead world-class scientific teams, and drive innovation that can impact millions of patients globally. It is an ideal role for a proven leader who wants to leave a lasting mark on the future of vaccine development and commercialization.

Required Skills:

Business Decisions, Drug Development, Innovation, Leadership Management, Logical Thinking, Medical Product Development, People Leadership, Product Development, Stakeholder Management, Sterile Products, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Objectives, Strategic Thinking, Vaccine Research, Visionary Thinking

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.

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The salary range for this role is

$255,800.00 - $402,700.00

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:

Domestic/International

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

09/17/2026

*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.