Operations Planning Specialist

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Specialist, Operations Planning role is a P2 individual contributor role focused on reliable execution of assigned activities, support for larger programs or workstreams, clear communication of status and issues, and timely escalation with appropriate guidance. 

The role works independently on standard assignments and seeks guidance from the manager or senior colleagues for non-routine issues, conflicting priorities, or decisions outside assigned responsibility. 

Key Responsibilities:

Assigned scope delivery and priority execution:

• Deliver assigned planning tasks and portions of larger programs, projects, or workstreams in line with agreed priorities, timelines, and procedures. 

• Apply standard planning processes, tools, systems, and SOP/GMP expectations to complete routine to moderately complex assignments. 

• Organize own activities, follow agreed priorities, and keep manager or senior colleagues informed on progress, constraints, and support needs. 

• Escalate conflicts, decisions, or trade-offs early when guidance or alignment is required. 

Planning execution and business continuity support:

• Support planning execution for assigned portions of programs, processes, or workstreams. 

• Track required inputs, dependencies, constraints, and open items related to own tasks. 

• Communicate progress, missing information, workload concerns, or potential continuity risks early. 

Performance, risk, and escalation management:

• Monitor assigned tasks for schedule, quality, compliance, capacity, or data-related issues. 

• Flag conflicts, deviations from agreed plans, missing inputs, or blockers and provide relevant facts to support resolution. 

• Escalate risks or decisions outside own responsibility promptly and follow guidance on next actions. 

Stakeholder engagement and communication:

• Communicate status, open items, constraints, and support needs within assigned scope. 

• Collect and clarify required inputs from business and functional partners. 

• Provide accurate updates and contribute factual input to meetings or discussions when requested. 

Knowledge sharing and team contribution:

• Share practical learnings, process updates, and useful information with colleagues. 

• Support documentation, knowledge transfer, or onboarding activities when requested and within own experience. 

• Apply team expectations, collaborate constructively, seek feedback, and escalate questions early. 

Continuous improvement and transformation:

• Identify practical improvement ideas in own tasks, processes, documentation, or tools and share them with manager or senior colleagues. 

• Complete assigned actions that support approved standardization, digitalization, or transformation activities. 

• Apply new ways of working within own responsibilities and provide feedback on implementation challenges. 

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
• Candidates with HS Diploma or Associate's degree with direct clinical supply chain experience greater than 8 years may be considered. 

• Proven English proficiency is required, with the ability to communicate clearly in written and spoken English. 

• Initial relevant professional experience in supply chain, operations planning, clinical supply, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, or a related business environment. 

• Experience working with planning processes, business systems, data tracking, documentation, or cross-functional coordination is preferred. 

• Basic understanding of GMP, SOP, quality, or regulated business requirements is an advantage. 

• Experience using SAP or other ERP systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams. 

• Ability to manage assigned deliverables, track priorities, and maintain accurate records and documentation. 

• Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional and international team environment. 

• Strong attention to detail, reliability, and ability to follow defined processes and procedures. 

• Interest in continuous improvement, standardization, digitalization, or process optimization activities. 

• Familiarity with clinical supply chain operations, packaging activities, labeling processes, or related regulated operations is an advantage. 

MSJR

Required Skills:

Business Continuity Planning (BCP), Clinical Supplies Management, Data Analysis, Escalation Management, Inventory Control Management, Issue Management, Microsoft Applications, Microsoft Office, MRP Systems, Production Planning, Project Management, Six Sigma, Stakeholder Engagement, Supply Chain, Vendor Selection

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

The primary location for this posting is:

USA - Pennsylvania - West Point

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is:

$87,300.00 - $137,400.00

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 relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

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:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

11/12/2026

*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.