Associate Director, Data Strategy Innovation Lead

Job Description

The Opportunity

• Based in Hyderabad, join a global healthcare biopharma company and be part of a 130-year legacy of success backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.

• Be part of an organisation driven by digital technology and data-backed approaches that support a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products.

• Drive innovation and execution excellence. Join a team that is passionate about using data, analytics, and insights to drive decision-making and create custom software, allowing us to tackle some of the world's greatest health threats.

Our Technology Centres focus on creating a space where teams can come together to deliver business solutions that save and improve lives. An integral part of our company's IT operating model, Tech Centres are globally distributed locations where each IT division has employees to enable our digital transformation journey and drive business outcomes. These locations, in addition to the other sites, are essential to supporting our business and strategy.

A focused group of leaders in each Tech Center helps ensure we can manage and improve each location, from investing in the growth, success, and well-being of our people to making sure colleagues from each IT division feel a sense of belonging, to managing critical emergencies. Together, we must leverage the strength of our team to collaborate globally to optimize connections and share best practices across the Tech Centres.

Role Overview

Lead a team of three professionals responsible for advancing data strategy through innovation across data governance, data enablement, and data stewardship activities. This role is expected to add value by conceptualizing, delivering, and driving adoption of innovative automation and AI solutions that improve efficiency, strengthen controls, and enhance business outcomes. The role is also accountable for gathering and shaping business use cases and requirements, managing the team backlog, prioritizing work, and directing day-to-day team activities to ensure timely, high-quality delivery. The Data Strategy Innovation Lead will partner with stakeholders across functions and regions, requiring strong communication, coordination, and leadership skills in a global operating environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Gather, document, and refine business use cases, requirements, and priorities in partnership with business, data, and technology stakeholders.
• Own and manage the team backlog, including intake, prioritization, sequencing, and readiness of work items.
• Direct and coordinate the day-to-day activities of a team of three, providing clarity on objectives, deliverables, timelines, and dependencies.
• Drive execution of data governance and delivery activities, ensuring work aligns to enterprise standards, policies, and expected business outcomes.
• Facilitate stakeholder discussions, resolve issues and blockers, and escalate risks or decisions as needed.
• Partner effectively with global team members and stakeholders across time zones, fostering strong collaboration and consistent communication.
• Track progress, report status, and communicate priorities, tradeoffs, and outcomes to leadership and cross-functional partners.

Required Qualifications

• Strong experience in data governance, data management, or related delivery leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading work intake, backlog management, prioritization, and execution across multiple initiatives.
• Proven ability to gather requirements, translate needs into actionable work, and drive delivery with cross-functional teams.
• Experience conceptualizing, designing, and delivering AI-driven or automation solutions that support data governance, data enablement, or data stewardship activities.
• Experience designing solutions using approved architecture patterns and guiding delivery from concept through implementation and adoption.
• Strong understanding of AI solution design considerations, including orchestration, tool integration, governance controls, and scalable delivery approaches.
• Ability to move from ambiguous problem statements to practical, implemented solutions that deliver measurable value.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with global stakeholders and present clearly to leadership.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and team leadership capabilities.

Key Competencies

• Requirements & Use Case Leadership
• Backlog Management & Prioritization
• Data Governance & Delivery Execution
• Workflow/Process Automation and AI Agent Delivery
• Global Stakeholder Communication
• Team Coordination & Direction

Primary Skills

• AI & Software Engineering Excellence

• Agentic Workflow & Systems Design

• Production‑Grade Development & Operations

• Data Governance & Policy‑Aware Engineering

• Iterative Delivery & Quick‑Win Execution

• Cross‑Functional Collaboration

Who we are:

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

What we look for:

Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.

#HYDIT2025

Required Skills:

Business Analysis, Data Science, Demand Management, Innovation, Requirements Management, Sourcing and Procurement, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

06/27/2026

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