Director, Head of Excipients Research & Development | Director, Head of Excipients R&D
Merck KGaA
Job Summary
This global leadership role seeks a strategic and inspiring R&D leader to head the worldwide research and development efforts for excipients within the Upstream & Process Materials R&D organization. The Director will manage a large, globally distributed team across locations including Darmstadt, Mumbai, and Shanghai, focusing on developing new excipients, expanding existing product lines, and building customer-facing digital tools. Key responsibilities include defining and executing R&D strategies, ensuring a robust innovation pipeline aligned with business goals and regulatory standards, and managing budgets and resources for complex projects. The ideal candidate must possess a strong background in pharmaceutical sciences, proven R&D leadership experience, and the ability to operate effectively within a global matrix organization while engaging with senior stakeholders and external partners.
Required Skills
Education
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or related field (preferred) or B.Sc. / MS in a related field
Experience
- 7+ years of relevant experience with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or related field
- 10+ years of relevant experience with a B.Sc. / MS degree
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in excipients R&D or related area within the pharmaceutical industry
- Proven leadership skills with experience managing R&D teams
- Initial experience in steering innovation pipelines in close tandem to business priorities, market dynamics, and financial analyses
Languages
Additional
- Ability to travel up to 15%
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