Job Description

The Associate Director, Compensation and Equity Operations is a highly visible role, responsible for leading our ongoing cyclical activities and global initiatives which help evolve our underlying compensation platforms in response to global market conditions. This individual maintains a strong focus on implementation and operational excellence, with ample opportunity to lead (role has three direct reports) and partner with a cross-functional HR network.

The ideal candidate is a highly effective consensus builder, strong in the fundamentals of compensation and equity administration and open to new challenges and forward-looking initiatives. This individual plays a critical role in delivering on our company's compensation strategy and executing compensation programs that enable our competitive advantage globally.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide leadership around the development of compensation-related processes and the integration of compensation structure changes aligned to our CoE’s strategy

• Provide ongoing relevant reporting for all cyclical processes

• Run INSPIRE employee recognition program including supplier management and oversight

• Oversight of Equity Administration globally, including participant experience and supplier management.

• Support process-related escalations with our global service delivery teams and provide training to effectively support compensation processes

• Review & approve technical and process-oriented aspects of compensation communications, focusing on change impacts to the organization and our service delivery model

• Drive the execution and continuous improvement of compensation processes.

• Maintain and assess the effectiveness of tools available to our stakeholders including our HRBP and global talent acquisition teams to support compensation decision making

• Provide insight and analytics into user behavior during compensation processes

• Present material to senior level executives and provide training to global stakeholders on utilization of compensation planning tools; conduct training sessions for end-users

Cyclical Activity

• Oversee end-to-end delivery of all aspects of the annual compensation process with a cross-functional year-end network, including the implementation of compensation strategy changes within Workday’s Advanced Compensation environment

• Lead progression promotion activities and processes across the organization

• Oversee and coordinate our global pay equity activity with a cross-functional network

• Establish local and global eligibility requirements related to annual salary increase, bonus, performance ratings and equity awards

• Facilitate year-round data audits focused on global compensation data integrity

• Continuously improve compensation processes, with a focus around governance models and solutions that advance the efficiency and effectiveness of self-service

• Participate in and support M&A projects as needed

• Manage equity programs including audits, approval of monthly reporting, quarterly vesting and grant activities

Qualifications

• Strong Microsoft Office skills (including advanced Excel and PowerPoint experience)

• Strong knowledge of global compensation programs

• Ability to collaborate in a globally matrixed organization

• Capable of making sound decisions and adapting communications styles to various stakeholder groups with a high degree of conviction

• Strong functional leadership and problem-solving skills

• Confident and comfortable in creating and delivering presentations to various levels of the organization

• Skilled in reporting elements of Workday

• Advanced analytics capabilities

Required Education & Experience

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree, or currently in pursuit of degree completion, or equivalent relevant work experience.

• A minimum of 10 years of overall experience in HR or related discipline with 7 years of progressive work experience with broad-based and/or executive compensation programs, and 5 years of experience with Workday Compensation Planning module preferred. (With master's degree, minimum experience is 8 years.)

• Workday HCM / Workday Advanced Comp knowledge and deployment experience

• Broad total rewards experience in areas of equity, US benefits and retirement administration is a plus

• Experience as a project manager is a plus

• CEP designation a plus

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”.

The salary range for this role is

$126,500.00 - $199,100.00

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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Required Skills:

Analytical Thinking, Change Management, Compensation Programs, Compensation Strategies, Employee Recognition, Executive Compensation, Functional Leadership, Global Compensation, HR Organizational Design, Payroll Systems, Process Improvements, Service Delivery Models, Social Collaboration, Stakeholder Satisfaction, Vendor Management

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

09/16/2025

*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.