Lead Administrative Associate, Administrative Services

Job Description

The Lead Associate, Administrative Services is an integral member of the Market Intelligence & Business Strategy (MIBS) and a trusted partner to the AVP of the MIBS team.     

The role blends top-tier administrative support with proactive operational leadership to drive effectiveness and streamline processes, enabling the AVP and the team to focus on high-impact priorities.  The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, highly organized, comfortable with ambiguity, and skilled at anticipating needs, coordinating complex initiatives, and ensuring seamless execution across stakeholders and vendors. 

This is a great opportunity for someone eager to gain experience in operations and deepen their understanding of corporate strategy while gaining hands-on exposure to a wide range of market insights, competitive intelligence, and strategic planning practices.

Key Responsibilities:

EXECUTIVE SUPPORT:

• Manage the AVP’s calendar, prioritizing requests and optimizing time against priorities

• Plan and facilitate leadership/team meetings (agenda, materials, notes, actions).

• Coordinate domestic/international travel and itineraries

• Manage executive expenses and reimbursements in a timely, compliant manner

• Coordinate guest registration and site access

TEAM OPERATIONS:

• Oversee team budget: track spend vs. plan and provide variance analysis.

• Partner with Finance/Procurement on forecasting, accruals, and vendor invoices.

• Lead vendor management and procurement processes end-to-end (SOWs, POs, renewals, compliance checks).

• Maintain and improve standard operating procedures and team process documentation.

• Manage onboarding and offboarding processes for employees and contractors (systems access, orientation, equipment, documentation).

• Identify and implement opportunities for workflow automation, simplification, and standardization

MARKET INTELLIGENCE & BUSINESS STRATEGY ACTIVITIES:

• Program basic internal market research surveys utilizing our enterprise survey tool.  Provide high-level analysis of results in PowerPoint format

• Act as Pharmacovigilance liaison, ensuring Market Research activity alignment with PV requirements and processes.

• Manage the enterprise knowledge base (uploading, taxonomy, permissions, version control).

• Administer enterprise survey licenses: delegate licenses, program surveys as needed and ensure data governance and compliance.

• Coordinate with Legal, Compliance, IT, HR, and other functions to streamline approvals and mitigate operational risks.

Qualifications:

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• High school diploma and seven (7)+ years of experience in roles that may have included any combination of the following: executive administration, communications, project coordination, operations, or chief-of-staff–style roles

• Experience supporting senior leaders

• Bachelor's degree preferred

• Demonstrated experience managing complex calendars, travel, budgets, vendor relationships, and procurement workflows

SKILLS & CAPABILITIES:

• Comfort with data handling, document management, permissions, and basic survey programming.

• Operates autonomously and drives tasks to completion  

• Navigates ambiguity; finds pragmatic solutions and removes obstacles.

• Handles sensitive information with integrity.

• Builds strong relationships across functions

The salary range for this role is

$98,400 - $155,000

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.

#MSJR

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Communication Systems, Database Management, Data Entry, Document Management, Event Planning, Facility Management, Interpersonal Relationships, Process Improvements, Processing Expense Reports, Purchase Order Management, Reporting and Analysis, Scheduling, Travel Expertise, Vendor Management

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

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.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

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:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

01/6/2026

*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.