New · posted Oct 20
Merck · Pharmaceuticals
Sr. Principal Scientist (Sr. Director) - Regulatory Liaison
- Rahway, NJ
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- Director
Closes Oct 27, 2026 · 8 days left
The role
Our Regulatory Affairs team in General Medicine advances medical innovation to patients by establishing clear, timely, and robust strategies for registration enabled by engagement with global health authorities. We work across functions and geographies to advance development programs and maintain licensure for the General Medicine portfolio worldwide. We seek a leader with a growth mindset, demonstrated by intellectual curiosity and the ability to navigate complex regulatory challenges with rigor and professionalism.
The Senior Principal Scientist, Regulatory Affairs Liaison is responsible for the development and implementation of worldwide regulatory strategy for programs in the General Medicine therapeutic area with specific focus on development programs in cardiovascular metabolic. The individual functions with a high degree of independence and provides strategic regulatory oversight for assigned programs to optimize labeling and obtain shortest time to approval by regulatory agencies. The individual should be adaptive to change and embrace entrepreneurship.
The Senior Principal Scientist will independently manage assigned programs. As the Global Regulatory Lead (GRL), the Senior Principal Scientist functions as the regulatory single, accountable, global point of contact on the project team and interacts with the global regulatory agencies and/or subsidiaries with regard to global regulatory strategy/registration requirements for one or more company investigational and marketed drugs/biologics in early- and/or late-stage development. Programs may be complex with more than one indication, formulation or have an external business partner. In addition, the role may require periodic non-program assignments in General Medicine.
Primary activities include, but are not limited to:
- Report to Executive Director or Associate Vice President, General Medicine
- Oversee the global regulatory strategy development and execution for their assigned programs in the cardiovascular metabolic therapeutic area to optimize labeling and obtain shortest time to approval by regulatory agencies for multiple indications simultaneously
- Provide expert advice as the GRL to Early Development Teams (EDT)/Product Development Teams (PDT)and regulatory single point-of-contact for products within and external to Global Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Safety (GRACS) on regulatory issues as they arise with the developmental compounds or marketed products throughout the entire life cycle of the drug
- Provide leadership by leading the Global Regulatory Team (GRT) for assigned cardiovascular/renal/respiratory programs which coordinates global, cross-functional regulatory support for development programs and marketed products
- Review and provide final approval of local registration study protocols when needed to obtain marketing authorization in secondary markets
- Represent our company with external organizations through direct communication with the FDA, including telephone calls and e-mail; chair meetings between company and FDA; prepare our company teams for meetings with FDA at any phase of drug development
- Coordinate interactions with global regulatory agencies through Regulatory Affairs Europe, Regulatory Affairs International, and the subsidiary registration departments to support their interactions and provide strategic direction across multiple regions simultaneously
- Review and provide final approval Worldwide Marketing Applications, Clinical Study Reports, protocols, Investigator Brochures before release from our company to external agencies and investigators
- Represent Global Regulatory Affairs within internal company committees to provide regulatory advice and approval according to the committee charters (including therapeutic area Document Review Committees, PDT, EDT, and label development team)
- Conduct initial IND/CSA content review and approval to facilitate initial approval by agencies for conduct of clinical trials
- Participate in regulatory due diligence activities for licensing candidate review
What you need
4 ways to qualify
Bachelor’s
+ 10+ years of experience
B.S., with minimum of 10 years relevant drug development experience, with a majority in regulatory affairs
- or
Master’s
+ 10+ years of experience
M.S. with minimum of 10 years relevant drug development experience, with a majority in regulatory affairs
- or
MD
+ 7+ years of experience
M.D. with minimum of 7 years relevant drug development experience, with 5 years in regulatory affairs
- or
PhD
+ 7+ years of experience
PhD/PharmD with minimum of 7 years relevant drug development experience, with 5 years in regulatory affairs
Minimum Education & Experience Requirements
Degree in biological science or related discipline
Required:
- Ability to achieve optimal results with limited day-to-day direction from the Therapeutic Area Lead
- Outstanding interpersonal, verbal and written communication, and negotiation skills.
- Demonstrated leadership attributes, including experience building and leading high-performing teams.
Required Skills
Biological Sciences, Clinical Reporting, Drug Development, Global Health, In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD), Multiple Therapeutic Areas, Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Process Improvements, Product Approvals, Regulatory Affairs Compliance, Regulatory Affairs Management, Regulatory Communications, Regulatory Compliance, Regulatory Issues, Regulatory Strategies, Regulatory Strategy Development, Written Communication
Travel Requirements
10%
Preferred Experiencenice to have
- Substantial experience with cardiovascular/renal/respiratory development programs, including pediatrics, orphan drug, and expedited development
- Substantial experience with both small and large molecule development programs
- Experience in regulatory affairs in global markets, such as EU, China, and Japan
- Prior GRL oversight of global regulatory submissions and approvals, including IND/CTAs and NDA/BLAs
- Knowledge and experience with devices (inhalers, auto injectors, pre-filled syringes, etc.)
- Proficient in AI applications (Co-pilot, Chat GPT, etc)
Pay and benefits
$191,000 – $300,000 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, vision insurance
401(k) retirement benefits
Paid holidays
Vacation
Sick and compassionate days
Annual bonus and long-term incentive
Where you'll work
Rahway, NJHybridOpen in Maps (opens in a new tab)
More jobs in Rahway, NJWorking conditions
Not Indicated
Hazardous Material(s)
n/a
Employee Status
Regular
Relocation
Domestic
VISA Sponsorship
No
Flexible Work Arrangements
Hybrid
Job Posting End Date
10/27/2026
*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:
$190,800.00 - $300,300.00
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 4% above the US median for Regulatory Affairs roles at this level.
This roleEmployer provided
Director roles in New Jersey14 roles publishing pay
Director roles in the US101 roles publishing pay
| Annual base pay | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| This role | $191,000 | — | $300,000 |
| New Jersey (middle half) | $237,625 | $257,750 | $264,000 |
| All US (middle half) | $211,000 | $236,500 | $264,000 |
This role: Merck's own published range. Comparisons: the base pay employers published on open Regulatory Affairs roles at the same level on Regulatory Jobs, October 20, 2026. Nothing is estimated.
Career trajectory
Where this role sits in Regulatory Affairs
The general path across 302 open Regulatory Affairs roles on Regulatory Jobs, with the titles they carry most. Not Merck's own promotion track.
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.
- Collaboration and leadership10
- Regulatory submissions7
- Documentation and SOPs3
- Investigations and CAPA2
- GMP and compliance1
- Quality systems and risk1
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.
- FDAFDA IND(official source, opens in a new tab)Investigational New Drug applications
- FDAFDA NDA(official source, opens in a new tab)New Drug Applications
From Regulatory News
Manufacturing and quality coverage for this professionCompany 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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Sr. Principal Scientist (Sr. Director) - Regulatory Liaison at Merck
Applications close October 27. $191K–$300K a year, employer provided.