Job Description

The Associate Director of Animal Welfare Quality Assurance will lead all administrative and operational functions of our company's Research Laboratory Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in South San Francisco and participate in the continued development, implementation and oversight of the post-approval monitoring program. The individual will support quality improvement activities to promote research integrity across all research sites and ensure that the research carried meets both statutory, regulatory, and company ethical obligations.

Provide day to day management and oversight of the animal use protocol review process using a web-based protocol tracking system for submission, and interfacing with IACUC members and investigators.
Serve as the primary contact for the principal investigators for questions related to the protocol review process.
Act as a resource for investigators on issues relating to the regulatory requirements for the use of animals in research
Plan and coordinate IACUC meetings.
Prepare the IACUC Meeting Agenda and accurately record IACUC Meeting actions.
Prepare semi-annual program reviews by the IACUC.
Conduct initial administrative and compliance review of all submitted protocols and amendments and use professional knowledge to assess completeness.
Assist investigators in preparation of animal procedure statements and/or responses to requests or revisions made the IACUC.
Maintain all protocol records, IACUC minutes, semi-annual program reviews, AAALAC program descriptions and correspondence.
Report results and findings of the facility inspections to the IACUC and prepare the semi-annual report for the Institutional Official.
Ensure that IACUC appointment letters are current for all required positions.
Discuss with laboratory and research staff to ensure that protocols and approved procedures are being followed and that research personnel performing the procedures have been appropriately trained and are approved by the IACUC to participate in research projects.
Review in-life procedures, records and other forms of documentation to further ensure that protocols and procedures are being conducted as approved in the IACUC protocols. This may include, but is not limited to: animal health records, procedure records, anesthesia records, post-operative monitoring records, drug inventories and/or daily husbandry logs.
Report findings as well as recurrent, program-wide issues to the IACUC.
Support routine and/or ad hoc requests for data trending & metrics and analysis.
Plan, initiate, conduct and lead vendor assessments & audits.
Promptly report significant compliance issues to the Animal Welfare team and to the IACUC.
Ensure tracking and completion of audit findings and reports.
Support our company's Research Laboratory Quality Assurance Animal Welfare business operational activities as needed.

Education Requirements:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in scientific related field required. Master's Degree preferred.
CPIA – Certified Professional in IACUC Administration preferred.

Experience:

A minimum of 5 years of experience in the laboratory animal field.
Experience of Institutional Animal Care and Use issues and animal welfare.
Research compliance monitoring experience an asset.
Knowledge of Federal Laws, regulations, and procedures pertaining to the care and use of research animals, and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
Ability to collaborate with colleagues and engage stakeholders.

EligibleforERP

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Administration Management, Administrative Leadership, Animal Ethics, Animal Welfare, Audit Management, Business Management, Compliance Investigations, Compliance Reviews, Corporate Ethics, Deviation Management, Global Program Development, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), IACUC Protocols, IS Audit, Laboratory Animal Medicine, Leadership, Leadership Training and Development, Project Leadership, Project Risk Assessments, Protocol Review, Quality Assurance Systems, Quality Oversight, Quality Risk Management {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

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

$129,000.00 - $203,100.00

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:

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Yes

Job Posting End Date:

03/7/2026

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:R386025

Merck

Latest Jobs

Associate Director, Animal Welfare - Hybrid