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Associate Director, Portfolio & Resource Operations

MSD
USA - Pennsylvania - North Wales (Upper Gwynedd), United States, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 17 Jul 2026
💰 $224,100/yr($142,400/yr$224,100/yr)

About the role

Job Description

Under the direction of leadership, the Associate Director, Portfolio & Resource Operations supports operational excellence through data-driven portfolio and resource analytics. Responsible for maintaining accurate capacity, workload, and utilization data across functions, the role ensures decisions are informed by robust metrics and transparent reporting. Works collaboratively with functional partners to drive standardization and improve visibility into operational performance. 

Responsibilities:

Forecasting, Capacity, & Portfolio Management: 

  • Maintain headcount, workload, and demand models for the functional area; run allocation algorithms to help ensure the Book of Business is delivered with quality and timeliness. 
  • Support operating-model optimization within the functional area, translate outcomes into action plans and track through implementation.  
  • Manage real-time workload balancing, capacity, and compliance-driven case allocation across geographies within the functional area to ensure balanced operations, on-time delivery, and business continuity through holidays, resource availability, and demand peaks 
  • Build and maintain operational dashboards; collect, analyze, and validate portfolio data (efficiency, utilization, quality); ensure standardized reporting in partnership with cross-functional peers across GDMS (Global Data Management & Standards) and enterprise standards. 
  • Assist in developing forecasting tools, dashboards, and visualizations; contribute to continuous improvement of capacity modeling and workforce analytics. 
  • Support long-term quality management plans; participate in strategic and tactical special projects as needed. 

Operational Governance, Execution, & Metrics: 

  • Prepare inputs for Operational Reviews; ensure consistent metric definitions, sources, and timeframes per enterprise cadence and templates. 
  • Coordinate resource and financial forecasting, contracting, and invoicing; track variances and data integrity and publish reconciled views as required. 
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to maintain a unified set of metrics, training, and SOP/BP (Standard Operating Practice/ Best Practice) frameworks based on functional area needs. 
  • Monitor operational metrics post–system release to ensure realized efficiencies are captured in forecasting models and resource planning assumptions. 

Training, Communication, & Change Management: 

  • Support creation, maintenance, and delivery of role-specific curriculum; co-develop GDMS-wide training for the functional area; measure uptake. 
  • Coordinate function-specific communications and change management aligned to GDMS/GCTO (Global Clinical Trial Operations) frameworks. 
  • Embed Human-first Organization practices by designing adoption aids (FAQs, quick guides) and incorporating user feedback into process improvements. 

Technical Skills:

  • Ability to interpret operational, capacity, and financial data; comfortable with variance analysis and trends. 
  • Working knowledge of capacity planning, resourcing, and portfolio management concepts. 
  • Familiarity with functional operational systems, performance dashboards, and workforce analytics data. 
  • Understanding of data integrity, metric standardization, and basic QC (Quality Control)/reconciliation practices. 
  • Proficient with Power BI/Tableau and Excel (advanced modeling) for dashboards and what-if views. 
  • Basic grasp of forecasting, budgeting, and accruals; reads plan/forecast/actuals and ties them to operational drivers. 

Non-technical knowledge, skills, and abilities: 

  • Fluent in English; exceptional communication and influencing skills, able to engage and align stakeholders across functions, geographies, and levels. 
  • Skilled in organizing cross-team work; coordinates milestones and deliverables; escalates risks early. 
  • Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, motivating and guiding cross-

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Company

MSD

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