Associate Director Digital Compliance

Job Description

Our Global Privacy and Digital Trust Program is grounded in organizational accountability, responsible data stewardship, consistent global practices and standards, and ongoing oversight to ensure we adapt to evolving regulatory expectations as technology and the business continue to transform.

The Associate Director, Digital Compliance, will help enable the compliant and responsible adoption of emerging technologies and digital solutions across our organization.  This role will help shape the future of our company AI governance program, acting as a trusted advisor to business units, and fostering a culture of responsible technology use across the organization.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Facilitate the expansion, implementation, and maturity of our company AI governance framework, including, but not limited to contributing to use-case specific guidance, standard operating procedures, leading the development of enterprise-wide and role-based training materials, supporting incident reporting and analysis, and developing monitoring plans.
• Assist with the execution and completion of AI compliance assessments for new and existing AI initiatives, including, where necessary, counseling the business on timely and appropriate implementation of controls.
• Support business stakeholders in the identification, evaluation, and enablement of AI use cases. Ensure that digital innovation accelerates business goals while strictly aligning with our privacy commitments and digital trust standards.
• Partner closely with privacy colleagues to ensure that key AI initiatives involving the ingestion of personal information align with global privacy laws.
• Foster a corporate culture of digital compliance, transparency, and ethical accountability regarding technology use.
• Support continuous training, engagement, and expansion of the RAI Steward network.  Empower the stewards to proactively champion responsible AI practices and digital compliance within their respective departments.

Required Qualifications:

• B.A./B.S. required; advanced degree in law, privacy, digital technologies, or public policy preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in compliance, privacy, legal, regulatory affairs, digital governance, or related functions, preferably in a pharmaceutical, life sciences, healthcare, or highly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and supporting complex, cross-functional governance programs.
• Strong understanding of data protection frameworks, data governance, emerging AI regulations and governance, and risk management principles.
• CIPP/E/US/CIPM or AIGP preferred.

Required Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex privacy and AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders, and experience interacting in and presenting to large groups.
• Strong technical aptitude and demonstrated experience with AI and ML technologies.
• Established and effective business counseling skills, rooted in subject matter expertise in the relevant guidance, policies, codes, and regulations, as well as their application to business objectives, initiatives, and processes.
• Proven ability to deliver training, awareness, and change management activities related to AI governance, digital governance and emerging risks.
• Demonstrates a practical, analytical, and collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to develop strong working relationships with key stakeholders across the organization.
• True “team player” with the ability to integrate seamlessly into a cohesive global team.
• Sound judgement founded on strong ethical values and compliance principles, demonstrated through timely and disciplined decision making.

Required Skills:

AI Systems, Compliance Program Development, Digital Governance, EU AI Act, Governance Framework, Information Technology Compliance, Legal Regulatory Compliance, Policy Implementation, Privacy Laws, Responsible AI

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:

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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 - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd)

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

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

$129,000.00 - $203,100.00

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:

Colombia
Czech Republic
Madrid
France
England
Ireland
Lithuanian
Rahway

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:

11/18/2026

*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.