Sr. Specialist, Quality Control

Job Description

Position Overview - Basic Functions & Responsibility

Essential function(s) includes, but is not limited to:

Responsibility for daily operation of cells including coordination of testing and data review to meet due dates, and coordination of Quality Notifications. Drives continuous improvements, lean activities, kaizens and KATA methodology. Performs Quality sampling, testing, and release for bulk raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, water, microbiological limits, primary packaging components and finished pharmaceutical products.

Primary Activities

Primary activities include, but are not limited to:

• Drives continuous improvement and supports sustainability of implemented changes identified through such lean tools as Kaizens and / or champions new actions as a result of data obtained through lean six sigma tools such as KATA methodology.
• Drives Deviation Reduction through trending and proactive identification of improvement initiatives. Mentors others to ensure right first time performance.
• Leads Tier I Activities and actively participates in Tier II and Tier III when needed.
• Demonstrated Subject Matter Expert for knowledge transfer of laboratory SOPs, product performance and method expertise.
• Provides an environment conducive with the 12 Inclusive Behaviors, actively promotes inclusion and leads by example.
• Leads the management of the investigation program, ensuring on time completion of investigations and ensures robust root cause and corrective actions are identified. Evaluates trends in performance and identifies and implements changes to drive reduction and prevention of deviation occurrences.
• Leads the completion of responses and remediation for monthly walk thru audits. Drives proactive actions to ensure compliance of laboratory operation.
• With expert knowledge of laboratory instrumentation and methodology, provides direction and training to laboratory resources. Monitors equipment availability and ensures minimization of laboratory equipment downtime. Works cross functionally for prioritization of laboratory equipment and offsite resources, when needed.
• Maintains compliance by following corporate policies/guidelines and local SOP's. Serves as mentor/trainer to others to ensure understanding and adherence to regulatory expectations.
• Ensures optimal daily operation of the laboratory, including such activities as level loading of testing workload and the identification of activities to remediate unplanned deviations which impact testing regimes.
• Tests and interprets results for raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, water, microbial limit testing, finished pharmaceutical products, and stability samples.
• Manages profit plan/budget activities to ensure efficient operation of the laboratory and drive improvement opportunities.
• Interprets compendial and internal monographs, NDAs and our company's Quality Standards.
• Provides technical and analytical support for cleaning validations, laboratory support requests, equipment validations, method transfers, and API Stability Packaging Description (ASPD).
• Has deep understanding of cGMP, CFR and other agency regulations in order to assure laboratory compliance. Able to evaluate laboratory SOPs and recommend improvement opportunities to maintain compliance with corporate and regulatory guidelines. Develops or revises laboratory SOPs as required.
• Leads promotion of safety, 5S and other local and corporate initiatives.

Skills

Requires expertise in the Quality Control Laboratory discipline and applies knowledge of internal/external business challenges to improve products and processes. Works independently with minimal guidance. Acts as a resource for colleagues with less experience within own discipline. Solves complex problems and takes a new perspective using existing solutions. Builds knowledge of the company, processes, and customers. May act as a team or project lead and leads work of others as required. Promotes teamwork and open discussion of issues while coaching and guiding others. Carefully weighs priorities, costs, and benefits when determining risks. Drives the use of team effectiveness skills, listening and integrating perspectives from across the work group while contributing and adding value to the achievement of team goals. Demonstrates a deep understanding of customer needs, requirements, and expectations and is sought out by peers as the expert. Consistently takes the customer point of view when examining implications of systems, process or workflow changes. Challenges the status quo and pushes others forward constructively. Responds to challenges non-defensively, effectively balancing one's point of view with new information new information. Does not hesitate to deal with difficult conflict among peers and/or team members.

Relentlessly pursues new opportunities to learn new skills and abilities and acquire new knowledge. Pays close attention to the work of others and proactively steps in to help as needed. Assists other team members, including helping with developmental activities. Demonstrates routine use of analytical tools to solve issues and simplify processes.

Demonstrates capability as a visionary for on-going continuous improvement. Acts in consultative role and mentors others and is sought after as such. Good organizational and time management skills. Assists in direction of plant wide or department objectives.

Applies knowledge of information / external business challenges to provide input into recommendations for improvement to processes and products. Functions as a subject matter expert on cGMPs and regulatory requirements, as well as plant and divisional processes. Ability to interpret company Quality Policies and Guidelines for daily application. Understands and applies regulatory / compliance requirements, including GMP, NDA, and related regulations, and has the ability to interpret those regulations for implementation in the workplace. Possesses an advanced knowledge of theories, practices, and procedures in the Quality Control Laboratory discipline, including the knowledge and understanding of pharmaceutical operations systems. Possesses advanced technical writing capabilities and is able to compile complex investigations, procedures, justifications, qualifications/validation protocols, agency responses, etc. Possesses an advanced knowledge and ability to operate information systems required to complete job responsibilities with the ability to generate data and reports from these systems in standard and non-standard requests. Solves complex problems and takes a new perspective on existing solutions. Ability to independently respond to advanced requests for data and trending of data from multiple systems and sources and proactively utilizes trending of data to improve the operation or drive change. Explains difficult issues and works to build alignment around a complex situation. Develops presentations which includes those needed to influence the actions and decisions of others and presents to own work team or large groups with limited or no assistance of others. Makes decisions within guidelines and policies that impact a range of standard and non-standard customer or project activities. Ability to apply statistical methods used in defect resolution and data analysis. Accountable for technical contribution to work or project team and may lead or manage a medium scale project with minimal resource requirements, risk, and/or complexity. Has the ability to effectively manage multiple and changing priorities/projects and ensure timely completion. Requires little to no supervision.

Required Education and Experience:

• BS/MS/P.H.D. in science, preferably in Chemistry or Biology, with 4 or more years of pharmaceutical laboratory experience.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Analytical Instrumentation, Analytical Method Development, Budget Management, Decision Making, Detail-Oriented, Forensic Chemistry, GMP Compliance, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Information Systems Management, Knowledge Transfer, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Techniques, Lean Six Sigma (LSS), Mentorship, Pharmaceutical Systems, Prioritization, Quality Standards, Regulatory Compliance, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Six Sigma, Statistical Analysis, Team Problem Solving {+ 1 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.

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The salary range for this role is

$106,200.00 - $167,200.00

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:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

NA

Job Posting End Date:

08/6/2026

• 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.