Director, Technology Compliance

Job Description

Our company's Information Technology division is a dynamic, high-energy team that partners with business colleagues worldwide to serve our patients and customers. We are dedicated to leveraging technology to drive efficiency, productivity, and innovation in advancing our company's contribution to global health.

The IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance (IT GRC) organization is a critical part of the IT enterprise. We are seeking a visionary leader for the position of Director, Technology Compliance. This leader will be responsible for managing a global team of experts who provide essential compliance services that enable our company's IT organization to operate efficiently while meeting its regulatory and internal policy obligations.

This role requires a strategic leader who can navigate a complex, regulated environment, drive process efficiency, and build strong relationships with stakeholders across the company, including Quality, Corporate Audit, and divisional IT organizations. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of IT controls, compliance frameworks, and risk management in the life sciences industry. This position reports to the Executive Director, IT GRC.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Strategic Team Leadership: Provide strategic direction and leadership for the Technology Compliance team, which acts as the SDLC and IT Controls subject matter experts.  Hold full accountability for the service line’s resource management and talent development.  This is a 30+ person team operating in all regions

Below are the service offerings for the team

• Compliance Guidance & Advisory: Oversee IT GRC’s SDLC advisory service to enable IT customer success by making SDLC and IT Controls compliance simple to execute.

• Emerging Technology Governance: Provide thought leadership and direction on the application of SDLC and IT Controls for emerging technologies and large company initiatives with technology components. 

• Execution & Delivery: Direct core operational compliance functions, including the Compliance Validation Service, IT Controls implementation, Compliance Issue management, and Infrastructure Oversight.

• Audit Coordination & Readiness: Oversee the IT audit support function that serves as the primary liaison and facilitator for internal and external audits.  Drive continuous audit readiness through robust controls assessments and preparation for internal audits and external inspections.

• Compliance Monitoring & Automation: Partner with risk and compliance technology teams to improve adoption of those tools and to provide valuable user feedback for continuous improvement. 

• Training & Awareness: Drive policy and controls training and awareness programs across the IT enterprise to build a proactive culture of compliance.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across IT, Quality, Finance, and the business to ensure alignment on compliance objectives and risk posture.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.

• 10-12 years of experience in IT, with a significant focus on IT risk management, audit, and compliance.

• Demonstrated experience in the Life Sciences industry and a deep understanding of the associated regulatory environment (e.g., GxP, SOX).

• Proven experience leading and managing , global teams, including cross-functional project teams.

• Deep understanding of IT controls, compliance frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ITIL), Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), and risk management concepts.

• Strong business acumen with proven influencing and negotiation skills.

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity and drive innovative solutions.

• Executive presence with outstanding communication skills; ability to articulate complex compliance topics clearly and concisely to senior management and broad audiences.

• Proven track record of managing stakeholder relationships and driving alignment between IT, audit, and business functions.

Required Skills:

Asset Management, Audit Management, Benefits Management, Business Acumen, Compliance Frameworks, Compliance Software, Computer Science, Global Health, Information Technology (IT) Risk Management, IT Governance, IT Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC), Management System Development, Product Management, Requirements Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Planning, System Designs

 Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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.

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:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

07/28/2026

*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.

Requisition ID:R408750