Sr. Specialist, Operational Readiness Lead

Job Description

TheOperational Readiness Leadis a critical technical support and enablement role dedicated to ensuring workforce readiness operational reliability environmental compliance and rapidcontingencyrecovery across all site facilities operations. Serving a high-capacity pharmaceutical manufacturing facility this position does not have direct day-to-day operational or compliance ownership. Instead it serves as a vital support partner to the operations team focusing on building technical competency standardizing knowledge transfer and fortifyingoperational readiness and response capability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Stability & Knowledge Management

• Formalize Technical Curriculum:Design build and implement a structured formalcurriculumfor operators and first-line managers replacing legacy person-to-person informal onboarding.
• SOP & Skills-Refresh Administration:Partner with operations to systematically review and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Coordinate and deliver the mandatorySOP curriculum alignmentto ensure all operational staff are rapidly updated on revised or newly issued SOPs.
• Workforce & Process Stabilization:Safeguard operational stability and mitigate process variability by establishing clear technical competency matrices standardizing shift-to-shift execution and implementing structured coaching initiatives to secure critical institutional knowledge.

2. Contingency Preparedness & Operational Readiness

• Fortify Operational Readiness:Develop update and maintain comprehensivecontingency planningprocedures that operations teams can execute to minimize utility downtime and prevent environmental compliance excursions.
• Facilitate Simulation Drills:Design schedule and execute regularcontingency responseand disaster recovery salaried and union personnel on swift and safe responses to critical utility system failures.
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Support:Assist operations and compliance teams in investigating utility interruptions or compliance near-misses including After Action Review (AAR) to evaluate response effectiveness identify lessons learned assign corrective actions and drive continuous improvement.

3. Utility Systems & Asset Lifecycle Support

• Onboarding New Equipment:Support the operational integration of incoming new equipment by developing technicalcurriculummaterials runninginstructionalsessions and drafting initial standard procedures for the operations team.
• End-of-Life Asset Reliability Support:Collaboratively develop operator troubleshooting guides and reliabilitycoachingto help the team safely and effectively manage aging end-of-life (EOL) facilities operations assets.

4. Compliance Enablement

• Compliance Integration:Align all technicalcurriculawith current state and federal air wastewater and water permit requirements to ensure operator behavior naturally supports regulatory compliance.
• Audit Readiness:Drive a clear understanding of compliance requirements by ensuring continuous expectation alignment across the operations team. Coach team to fully understand how their daily actions routine housekeeping and operational decisions directly contribute to the facilitys overall regulatory compliance and audit readiness.

5. Team Mentorship & Labor Relations

• Collaborative Support:Work effectively across a diverse department consisting of salaried professionals and unionized operations personnel serving as a trusted technical advisor coach and support partner.
• Talent Development:Act as a high-performing mentor with a strong desire to coach grow and elevate the technical capabilities of first-line managers and operators.

Position Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Education:
  • High School Diploma/GED and 8 years of direct hands-on experience in industrial utilities/infrastructure operations.
  • ORAssociate degree in engineering or related scientific field and 6 years of direct hands-on experience in industrial utilities/infrastructure operations.
  • ORBachelor degree in engineering or related scientific field and 4 years of direct hands-on experience in industrial utilities/infrastructure operations.
• Labor Relations:Demonstrated successful track record of working collaboratively with both salaried employees and unionized operating staff and contract execution.
• Curriculum Development:Proven experience designing writing and executing formal technicalcurriculumsor operator qualification programs.
• Contingency Management:Experience designing planning and coordinating operationalreadinessdrills and business continuitypreparation.
• Leadership Profile:High-performing individual with a visible track record of developing others fostering teamwork and supporting culture change.
• Certifications:Current state-issued licenses and certifications (wastewater potable water and ASOPE) compensatory to the facility classification or demonstrated progression with ability to achieve facility classification level within 1 year of hire.
• Equipment Familiarity:Deep technical understanding of boiler operations chillers cooling towers HVAC compressed air wastewater treatment unit operations and use of digital control systems to facilitate high-quality technicalinstruction.

#MSJR

Required Skills:

Adaptability Adaptability Analytical Analysis Competency Management Contingency Plan Corrective Action Management Deviation Investigations Facility Engineering Facility Management Failure Mode and Effects Analysis FMEA Government Regulation HVAC Systems Identifying Customer Needs Interpersonal Relationships Lean Six Sigma Tools Maintenance Scheduling Manufacturing Quality Control Operational Compliance Operations Management Plant Operations Procedure Reviews Regulations Regulatory Compliance Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Root Cause Identification 6 more

Preferred Skills:

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The salary range for this role is

$117000.00 - $184200.00

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 employees 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 can apply for this role through (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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

NA

Job Posting End Date:

09/24/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.