Associate Director, Governance Risk and Compliance for Data, Data Products and Digital Solutions

Job Description
We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. At our company, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. Join us in our mission to promote transparency, accountability, and ethical use of data and AI.
The Associate Director, Governance Risk and Compliance for Data, Data Products and Digital Solutions will lead the development and implementation of governance, compliance, privacy, and responsible AI practices across data, data products, and digital solutions. This role partners with cross-functional teams to embed practical controls and standards throughout the data and AI lifecycle, ensuring solutions are developed and used in alignment with company policies, enterprise standards, and applicable regulations. The position supports the operationalization of data governance frameworks, AI stewardship, privacy-by-design principles, and risk management processes that promote transparency, accountability, and ethical use of data and AI.
The ideal candidate brings strong experience in data governance, compliance, privacy, and/or AI governance within a complex or regulated environment. This individual will help develop policies, standards, guidance, and training while collaborating with technical and business stakeholders to drive adoption and continuous improvement. The role requires strong communication, influence, and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to translate governance requirements into practical, scalable solutions that support innovation while managing risk.
Responsibilities
Lead governance and compliance practices for data, data products, and digital solutions across the lifecycle, from design through deployment and retirement.
Develop and maintain policies, standards, guidance, and controls that support consistent, ethical, and compliant use of data and AI-enabled solutions.
Partner with business, technical, privacy, legal, and compliance stakeholders to embed governance requirements into delivery processes and decision-making.
Support responsible AI practices by ensuring transparency, accountability, documentation, and appropriate oversight of AI use cases and outputs.
Assess governance, privacy, and compliance risks; track issues and remediation actions; and support continuous improvement of controls and processes.
Provide guidance, training, and enablement to teams to promote awareness of governance expectations and strengthen adoption.
Support data quality, stewardship, access, metadata, and documentation practices to improve trust, usability, and control of data assets.
Contribute to governance reporting, audit readiness, and enterprise risk management efforts related to data, products, solutions, and AI.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s degree
Six or more (6) years of experience in data governance, compliance, privacy, risk management, AI governance, or related roles
Strong communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences
Experience with data governance, data products, digital solutions, and Agentic AI-enabled programs
Ability to develop policies, standards, SOPs, and governance processes
Working knowledge of data management practices, including data quality, metadata, security/privacy, and master data management
Ability to identify and manage governance, compliance, privacy, and risk issues
Strong collaboration and influencing skills across cross-functional teams
Ability to drive change, continuous improvement, and adoption of governance practices
Strong writing, organization, and problem-solving skills
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous, and evolving environment
Understanding of healthcare compliance laws, regulations, and guidelines
Experience developing and delivering training and guidance to a broad audience
Ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Preferred
Master’s degree, MBA, or equivalent
Experience supporting IT, data, analytics, or AI solutions in a complex or regulated environment
Experience with privacy and data protection practices
Experience supporting compliance training, reporting, and remediation activities
Experience in healthcare or life sciences
Experience with quality management systems
Pharmacovigilance compliance experience
Required Skills:
AI Governance, AI Governance, Analytical Thinking, Business Compliance, Clinical Judgment, Commercial Risk Management, Compliance Monitoring, Compliance Program Development, Cultural Awareness, Data Analysis, Data Governance, Data Governance Framework, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Financial Acumen, Global Privacy, Healthcare Technology, Information Governance, Legal Regulatory Compliance, Personal Data Protection, Policy Development, Policy Implementation, Privacy Protection, Professional Integrity, Quality Management, Quality Management System Improvement {+ 7 more}
Preferred Skills:
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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 primary location for this posting is:
USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$129,000.00 - $203,100.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you