New · posted Oct 20
Merck · Medical Devices
Associate Director, Quality Assurance
- Remote, US
- Remote
- Full-time
- Director
Closes Oct 23, 2026 · 4 days left
The role
Position Overview - Basic Functions & Responsibility Essential function(s) includes, but is not limited to:
Reporting to the Senior Director of Device Quality and Regulatory (DQ&R), the Associate Director Quality Engineering & Quality Assurance is responsible for independent compliance support of Medical Devices including the device constituent part of Combination Products. This position will interact with cross functional teams working with all levels of employees. Activities will include developing, documenting, and maintenance of technical business solutions, reviewing and approving medical device/combination product documentation to support regulatory filings and audits of data, policies, procedures, and systems to ensure compliance with Medical Device (21CFR 820s) and Combination Product current Good Manufacturing ruling (21CFR part 4), Device Risk Management (ISO 14971) and other worldwide regulations and company requirements. This position provides Device quality engineering and quality assurance support and leadership to ensure successful quality oversight of prospective medical devices and medical device combination products.
Primary Activities Primary activities include, but are not limited to
•Actively represent DQ&R Quality function on commercial and product/core development teams supporting quality issues related to medical devices or the device constituent of a combination product.
• Review and approve Design Control and Device Risk Management documentation for regulatory filings, clinical supply, development, design transfer qualification and post marketing surveillance. Evaluate deficiencies and assess impact on compliance status.
• Contribute to developing/revising policy and procedures for DQ&R Quality and/or supported areas.
• Remain informed of industry trends as described in worldwide regulations and industry standards.
• Provide guidance to our Manufacturing Division and our Research and Development Division device functions and other personnel to ensure end-to-end Design Control principles are implemented effectively.
• Participate in design reviews, CAPA reviews, and ad-hoc technical reviews of combination products.
• Participate in all stages of combo product development including but not limited to oversight of purchasing controls and supplier quality.
• Work with external partners to develop products.
• Review and approve verification/validation test protocols and reports to ensure that the testing is sufficient to meet regulatory requirements and quality objectives.
• Provide input to design and manufacturing documentation including material specifications, drawings, inspection procedures, and manufacturing procedures, to ensure that the resulting products can be adequately manufactured and tested.
• Facilitate translation of customer needs into critical to quality and design input/output requirements, including but not limited to chemical, physical, or performance specifications.
• Lead and manage development of Design and Development File deliverables for medical devices
What you need
Required Skills
Clinical Quality Assurance, Clinical Quality Assurance, Combination Products, Computer System Validation (CSV), Design Thinking, Detail-Oriented, External Partners, GMP Compliance, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Interpersonal Relationships, Leading Project Teams, Lean Six Sigma (LSS), Manufacturing Audits, Manufacturing Compliance, Material Specifications, Medical Device Management, Medical Device Regulations, Medical Devices, Product Development, Project Management, Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control Management, Quality Improvement Programs, Quality Standards {+ 2 more}
7 years of relevant work experience.
Extensive knowledge of applicable medical device regulations (21CFR820, 21CFR Part 4, EU MDR, ISO 13485).
Experience with Design Controls / CAPA / Purchasing Controls as it related to 21CFR820.
Risk Management experience (ISO 14971/24971, ICH Q9).
Effective communication skills and working knowledge of device development and commercialization, product approval, and/or regulatory inspection experience with medical devices.
Must be able to work independently within a cross functional framework and will involve detailed technical writing and review. A high degree of creative thinking, resourcefulness, and networking will be required to coordinate projects or solve problems.
Ability to work in a matrix organization and effective written and oral communicator.
• A Bachelor’s degree in (Science or Engineering or associated fields) with a minimum of 7 years related experience OR a Master’s degree (Science or Engineering or associated fields) and 5 years related experience or a Ph.D. (Science or Engineering or associated fields) and 3 years of related experience
US based – NJ/PA or other US location
Travel – Yes, <10% of the time
Travel Requirements
10%
Preferred experience and skillsnice to have
• Remediation experience is desired.
• Knowledge of current GMPs for combination products.
• Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt or ASQ (American Society for Quality) certifications are preferred.
• Strong understanding of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Documentation Practices (QDP); and project management principles is desirable.
• Lean Six Sigma Principles and tools such as: DOEs, Root cause analysis and/or Problem-solving methods are desired.
• Experience in the use of root cause analysis and applied statistical techniques.
Pay and benefits
$142,000 – $224,000 a year
Employer providedAdditional location(s) Compensation Information
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
Medical, dental and vision insurance
401(k) retirement benefits
Paid holidays
Vacation
Sick days
Annual bonus and long-term incentive
Working conditions
1st - Day
Employee Status
Regular
Relocation
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship
No
Flexible Work Arrangements
Remote
Job Posting End Date
10/23/2026
*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.
Equal opportunity, accessibility and legal noticesMerck's statements, word for word
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:
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
The primary location for this posting is:
USA - New Jersey - Rahway
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$142,400.00 - $224,100.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
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.
Job intelligence
The context around this role
Live data · October 20, 2026
Salary intelligence
How the pay compares
This role's midpoint is 13% below the US median for Quality Assurance roles at this level.
This roleEmployer provided
Director roles in New Jersey10 roles publishing pay
Director roles in the US104 roles publishing pay
| Annual base pay | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| This role | $142,000 | — | $224,000 |
| New Jersey (middle half) | $178,500 | $206,000 | $209,875 |
| All US (middle half) | $186,000 | $209,250 | $232,625 |
This role: Merck's own published range. Comparisons: the base pay employers published on open Quality Assurance roles at the same level on Regulatory Jobs, October 20, 2026. Nothing is estimated.
Career trajectory
Where this role sits in Quality Assurance
The general path across 895 open Quality Assurance roles on Regulatory Jobs, with the titles they carry most. Not Merck's own promotion track.
Career resources on Quality Assurance
Skills DNA
What this role leans on
How many of the posting's 34 duty, requirement and summary lines touch each area. The posting's emphasis, not a proficiency score.
- GMP and compliance8
- Documentation and SOPs7
- Collaboration and leadership6
- Quality systems and risk5
- Investigations and CAPA4
- Validation and qualification3
- Lab testing and methods2
- Regulatory submissions1
- Data and digital systems1
Regulatory intelligence
The rules behind this role
Frameworks and standards this posting's work falls under, matched from its own words, each linked to the official source.
- FDA21 CFR Part 820 (QMSR)(official source, opens in a new tab)FDA quality management system regulation for medical devices
- ICHICH E6 good clinical practice(official source, opens in a new tab)The international standard for the conduct of clinical trials
- European UnionEU MDR (Regulation 2017/745)(official source, opens in a new tab)The EU Medical Device Regulation
- ISOISO 13485(official source, opens in a new tab)Quality management systems for medical devices
- ISOISO 14971(official source, opens in a new tab)Risk management for medical devices
Company hiring pulse
Merck on Regulatory Jobs
- 20
- Open roles
- 20
- Distinct roles
- 6
- Locations
By discipline
- Regulatory10 50%
- Quality9 45%
- Compliance & Safety1 5%
By level
- Director8 40%
- Senior & Principal5 25%
- Associate & Specialist5 25%
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Associate Director, Quality Assurance at Merck
Applications close October 23. $142K–$224K a year, employer provided.