Assoc Dir, IP Technology Management & Operations

Job Description

Position Description:

The Office of General Counsel is seeking an Associate Director, IP Technology Management & Operations to provide application administration and technology management support to the Intellectual Property (IP) organization. Primary responsibilities are to oversee and manage the cloud-based IP management system and cloud-based IP document management system; enhance IP’s tools and technology portfolio and information governance programs; and design and lead technology-related solutions to further the strategic goals of the department. This position has a flexible hybrid office schedule based in Rahway, NJ.

A successful candidate should possess prior application administration experience, strong project management skills and a curiosity for applying emerging technology. This is a people manager role and is responsible for managing two legal support professionals.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

IP Application Administration

• Product owner and application administrator of the cloud-based IP management system (TIPMS) and cloud-based IP document management system (First-to-File)

• Responsible for the configuration, administration, and continuous enhancement of above systems

• Evaluate, test and provide training for database version releases and new features, manage data migration and improvement projects

• Apply country law updates to the IP management system and create custom rules and codes

• Design and deliver new process workflows or data-related projects and other process improvements

• Design and manage custom forms, emails and automated reporting

• Prepare and generate statistical and ad hoc reports and design and manage custom dashboards

• Prepare and generate audit and data integrity reports to identify, investigate and resolve anomalies

• Ensure compliance with all corporate and departmental IT risk management policies and practices

Technology Management

• Design and implement a long-term technology roadmap that furthers the strategic goals of the IP department

• Assess existing and emerging technology capabilities (e.g. Microsoft 365 applications, generative AI, machine learning, predictive coding, etc.) to improve technology utilization and operational efficiency

• Evaluate new vendors, suppliers, and solutions to make determinations on where to build, where to buy and where to wait

• Evaluate, test, deploy, and support technology initiatives, ensuring efficient implementation and ongoing functionality; develops standard processes, procedures, and reports for such projects

• Create, sustain, and strengthen vendor relationships to understand and influence their product roadmaps

• Maintain strong working relationships with the IT organization, while taking a customer point of view when examining implications of systems, process, or workflow changes

Operational Excellence

• Actively engage with members of the IP department to develop a deep understanding of the department’s needs and align technology initiatives with organizational priorities

• Continuously assess and identify opportunities to improve operational effectiveness through process reengineering, standardized reporting, and automation

• Automate manual processes, digitize physical tasks, and improve speed and quality through effective change management and the strategic deployment of technology solutions

• Leverage cross-functional relationships to influence the development and adoption of new processes/technologies to make a significant impact across the broader legal organization

• Participate in industry/corporate legal operations roundtables, user conferences, industry benchmarking studies to provide best practices and recommendations to IP Senior Leadership

Information Governance

• Enhance and support the company’s records management strategy and framework, including e-discovery, legal hold, and information review and preservation activities

• Ensure appropriate security for official records and information and oversee access to all sensitive, confidential, and restricted information

• Support and enhance the IP department’s internal and company-facing SharePoint collaboration tools and sites

• Enable efficiencies by ensuring seamless access to departmental institutional knowledge through the organization and centralization of key templates, policies, processes, memos, and other learnings

Position Qualifications:

Commute/Location:

This role is based at our Headquarters site in Rahway (NJ), with a Hybrid setup (combination of 3 days in-office & 2 days off-site/remote). This position cannot be 100% remote.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree required

Required Experience and Skills:

• Five (5) years of relevant legal technology experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or other legal services provider environment

• Familiarity with different IP practice areas, including terminology, roles, work product, and technology preferred

• Strong technical skills; advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with legal technologies (e.g., deal management, rights management, e-billing, contract and document management, e-signature, knowledge management)

• Experience maintaining a legal database, testing software patches and updates, configuring new features, managing user access, onboarding and offboarding, and training users on new features

• Experience in legal technology assessments, requirements gathering, system design, configuration, implementation, testing and deployment

• Experience negotiating and reviewing vendor contracts, renewals, and statements of work

• Proven track record of dissecting complex processes, identifying critical pain points, and implementing solutions that meet stakeholder’s expectations

• Excellent project management skills with experience improving operational efficiencies through automation and technology solutions

• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills (both oral and written) with experience presenting and concisely communicating complex information to all levels of an organization

• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, ability to foster and maintain good working relationships with stakeholders, different functional areas, and external partners

• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and utilize new software programs and tools

• Flexible to evolving in line with advancing legal technology landscape

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience as a patent paralegal and/or IP database administrator

• Experience as a Microsoft SharePoint site Owner

• Experience creating computer macros in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic

• Experience utilizing low-code development tools, specifically Microsoft Power Platform

• Experience utilizing business intelligence software, specifically Crystal Reports and Sisense

Required Skills:

Business Intelligence (BI), Business Intelligence (BI), Business Intelligence Software, Contract Administration, Data Migrations, Deal Management, Detail-Oriented, Generative AI, Information Systems Management, Information Technology (IT) Risk Management, Intellectual Property Management, Intellectual Property Protection, IP Technology, IT Performance Management, IT Project Lifecycle, Law Office Administration, Leadership, Legal Compliance, Legal Documents Preparation, Legal Operations, Legal Research, Legal Technology, Management Process, Microsoft Office Macros, Patent Databases {+ 4 more}

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

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

$126,500.00 - $199,100.00

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 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:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

10/13/2025

*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.