Job Description

Location: Japan

Reports to: Assoc. Director, R&D-IT Japan

About the Role

At our company, we have been inventing for life for more than a century, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Information technology is a critical differentiating capability for our research organization and a pillar of our Company’s strategy, with a focus on driving efficient, reusable, and easy-to-consume technology.

The R&D-IT Japan Team collaborates with the global R&D-IT Team to support the business strategies of Japan Development (including Drug Development & Regulatory Affairs and Safety Information Management) and the Medical Division in Japan. A key objective of the R&D-IT team is to ensure that technology effectively addresses critical challenges in business processes.

As a member of R&D-IT team, you will work closely with stakeholders across R&D functions and geographies, as well as with IT teams from other divisions.

This role aims to identify business challenges—particularly opportunities for automation—and select the most appropriate solutions from internal and external ecosystems, taking into account investment efficiency and operational costs. You will work in partnership with business owners to implement these solutions in a sustainable manner.

This position is ideal for candidates who are enthusiastic about automating manual processes, possess strong analytical skills, demonstrate high levels of collaboration, and are capable of not only solving assigned problems but also identifying potential issues and proposing better solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate and define system scope and objectives based on user needs and industry standards.

• Conduct business process analysis, needs assessments, and preliminary cost/benefit evaluations.

• Create or modify procedures to solve complex problems, considering system capabilities, operational constraints, and desired outcomes.

• Support the business-led operation of Power Platform applications, provide technical follow-up and troubleshooting in case of errors or unexpected behavior

• Collaborate with business users to improve automation logic and ensure reliability.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Life Sciences, Business, Information Systems, or related field.

• At least 5 years of experience in automation and task integration, with a minimum of 3 years in pharmaceutical R&D or other regulated domains.

• Experience with Microsoft Power Platform (including Power Automate and Power Apps) and Python for business process automation, data integration, and workflow optimization

• Familiarity with SDLC processes and documentation standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements in pharmaceutical IT systems.

• Interest in contributing to AI-driven transformation initiatives.

• Ability to comprehend English in emails and documents, and communicate effectively in writing with international stakeholders.

• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau, Power BI, or similar).

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):

Required Skills:

Asset Management, Benefits Management, Business Administration, Business Process Analysis, Business Process Automation, Business Processes, Business Process Modeling, Business Requirements Analysis, Business Strategies, Customer Experience Management, Drug Development, Management System Development, Microsoft Power Apps, Operations Automation, Product Management, Product Strategies, Requirements Management, Software Product Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, System Designs, Systems Troubleshooting

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

09/26/2025

*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.