Sr. Spclst , User Research
MSD
Job Description
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 User Research Team is a newly established group within the Business Strategy and Partnership organization of the CDDS Value Team, R&D IT. This team focuses on business problems and pain points that cut across multiple business functions or represent entirely new challenges to the organization. In an end-to-end process context, the team analyzes business processes and data, evaluates impacts, investigates root causes, and delivers clear, validated, and measurable problem definitions and define potential solution approaches. The outcome of this team’s work is ensuring that technology addresses the right and most impactful problems.
As a User Research Analyst, you will work closely with R&D stakeholders across functions and geographies, as well as other IT teams within and across divisions, especially the Business Architecture and Information Architecture teams in the Business Strategy and Partnership group. This role provides a unique opportunity to shape how R&D IT identifies and prioritizes business challenges, ensuring investments deliver maximum value. It is ideal for candidates who are naturally curious, analytical, collaborative, and brave enough to ask why — with the ability to frame problems in a way that is both high value and feasible to solve.
Key Responsibilities
Partner with R&D stakeholders to investigate business requests, pain points, and emerging ideas.
Conduct end-to-end process analysis across domains and functions, identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and interdependencies.
Derive insights by analyzing business processes and data to uncover root causes.
Produce clear, validated, and measurable problem definitions, ensuring alignment with both business and IT stakeholders.
Collaborate with the Business Architecture and Information Architecture teams to validate analysis and problem framing.
Facilitate workshops, interviews, and cross-regional discussions to capture diverse perspectives.
Develop process maps, gap analyses, and related materials to communicate findings effectively.
Translate complex findings into compelling narratives and visuals that resonate with leadership and cross-functional teams.
Follow up on problem definitions through the solutioning phase as required, ensuring the original problem remains the focus.
Communicate findings to business and IT leadership, build organizational buy-in, and support business case development where required.
Requirements
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Life Sciences, Business, Information Systems, or related field.
At least 5 years of experience in business process improvement, with a minimum of 3 years in pharmaceutical R&D or related domains.
Proven experience mapping processes using standard tools/notations and applying structured methods/frameworks for root cause analysis.
Experience applying Design Thinking or other human-centered design methods.
Strong critical thinking skills and the ability to tell a clear, compelling story from complex analysis.
Understanding of drug development processes in one or more of the following areas: clinical, regulatory, safety, medical, clinical data management, biostatistics.
Excellent communication skills - able to clearly explain complex concepts verbally and in writing.
Skilled at facilitating workshops and engaging stakeholders across cultures and functions.
Ability to work effectively with global teams across time zones.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with pharma R&D systems (e.g., EDC, CTMS, eTMF, Regulatory Information Management, Safety Databases, Veeva Vault).
Experience with large-scale cross-functional transformation projects in a global organization.
Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau, Power BI, or similar).
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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.
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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
$114,700.00 - $180,500.00This 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:
RegularRelocation:
DomesticVISA Sponsorship:
NoTravel Requirements:
10%Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not ApplicableShift:
Not IndicatedValid Driving License:
NoHazardous Material(s):
n/aRequired Skills:
Business Analysis, Client Counseling, Customer Experience Design, Knowledge Management, Methods and Tools, Product Design, Researching, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, Teaching, Usability Testing, User Experience Analysis, User Experience Evaluation, User Research, Waterfall ModelPreferred Skills:
Job Posting End Date:
10/9/2025*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.
Requisition ID:R363927