Associate Director, Technical Operations - Small Molecule Drug Substance
MerckElkton, VA · full time · Senior
$142,400 – $224,100
Listed on Merck’s own careers site. You apply with them directly — we never stand between you and the employer.
What this role is
Lead technical operations for small molecule drug manufacturing at a newly built U.S. site, overseeing process scale-up, technology transfer, and commercial production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Suited to experienced pharmaceutical process engineers seeking to drive operational excellence and build manufacturing capability from startup through commercialization.
Our summary, not Merck’s wording. The full posting is on their site.
Skills this role names
- Chemical Engineering
- Data Integrity
- Knowledge Transfer
- Lean Manufacturing
- Process Optimization
- Process Validation
- Regulatory Compliance
- Root Cause Analysis
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What they ask for
Required
- Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline
- 10+ years in API process development and/or manufacturing
- Strong background in process chemistry and scale-up
- Strong background in process, equipment, and cleaning validation
- Working knowledge of cGMP manufacturing operations
- Working knowledge of regulatory expectations and inspection readiness
- Experience with deviation management and investigations
- Experience with electronic batch records and process systems
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work across cross-functional teams
Nice to have
- Exposure to capital projects, CQV, and facility startup
- Leadership experience with technical teams