Merck · 5 hours ago
Lead Assoc, Administrative Services
USA - New Jersey - Rahway
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$98K/yr - $155K/yr
8+ years expMerck is a leading healthcare company, seeking a Lead Associate in Administrative Services to support the Chief AI Officer. In this role, you will manage the CAIO's calendar, coordinate travel, and ensure strategic engagement with stakeholders to drive the AI vision of the organization.
BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalPharmaceutical
No H1B
Responsibilities
Act as the primary point of contact to the CAIO; manage inbound requests with discretion, judgment, and prioritization aligned to strategic objectives
Own end-to-end calendar management, ensuring time is allocated strategically to maintain key relationships with company executives and external parties (vendors, industry leaders, academic partners, regulators, standards bodies, ecosystem communities)
Coordinate complex domestic and international travel, multi-leg itineraries, visa/passport processing, and on-the-ground logistics; develop contingency plans and provide real-time support during travel
Process expense reports accurately and promptly; maintain budgets and actuals for all of APEX and reconcile costs for APEX-related initiatives and events
Maintain comprehensive records, documents, and knowledge assets; manage executive files and ensure confidentiality
Understand the CAIO’s strategic vision, annual objectives, and quarterly priorities; ensure the CAIO’s calendar and engagements directly map to strategic goals, OKRs, and key initiatives
Partner with the CAIO to triage and prioritize opportunities, requests, and meetings; recommend acceptance/deferral based on impact, readiness, and alignment
Build and maintain a strategic relationship map (internal and external) and an engagement plan to ensure regular, purposeful touchpoints with critical stakeholders
Prepare the CAIO for each meeting, day, week, and month: agenda framing, stakeholder profiles, recent interactions, decision points, risks/issues, and desired outcomes
Coordinate pre-reads, meeting materials, and follow-ups; ensure actions, owners, and timelines are captured and executed
Develop and drive operating rhythms: weekly exec one-on-ones, steering committees, vendor reviews, R&D syncs, quarterly business reviews, board updates, and quarterly town halls
Partner with APEX/IT Communications to craft, edit, and review e-mails, memos, internal announcements, and external communications; ensure messaging aligns with CAIO strategy and company policies
Build agendas and briefing packets; synthesize complex technical inputs (AI/ML strategy, model performance, compliance, risk) into clear, concise executive summaries for the CAIO
Track and ensure closure on decisions and action items from meetings; follow through with stakeholders to keep momentum
Anticipate and mitigate scheduling conflicts, risks, and reputational considerations; escalate thoughtfully with recommended options
Use Generative and Agentic AI (within all approved corporate systems) to draft briefings, summarize pre-reads, generate meeting minutes and action trackers, prioritize tasks, and proactively flag conflicts or dependencies, maintaining appropriate review for accuracy, tone, and compliance
Establish and maintain executive operating mechanisms (cadences, calendars, dashboards, trackers) to sustain progress across APEX and the CAIO’s portfolio (strategy initiatives, pilots, partnerships, compliance, and adoption)
Coordinate town halls and leadership strategy/operational sessions & offsites; liaise with Conference Services, Webcast Services, and Communications to deliver high-quality events
Support utilization of collaboration platforms and knowledge bases to keep materials organized, searchable, and current across all approved corporate systems
Drive continuous improvement in administrative processes across APEX; mentor and align with peer administrative assistants to standardize best practices and build community
Lead the evolution of intelligent admin assistant agents: define use cases, author prompts/playbooks, curate context, test and QA agent workflows, measure outcomes, train colleagues, and partner with IT/AI teams to improve reliability and integration with enterprise systems—staying on the forefront of AI and agentic capabilities
Coordinate and ensure successful delivery of communications across the company – specifically focused on initiatives like AI Horizons webcast, AI Town Halls, etc
Cultivate enabling relationships with admin assistants and support functions to all company executives, technical leaders, vendors, and external experts; coordinate introductions, demos, and connect sessions aligned with CAIO strategy
Support vendor and partner lifecycle activities (NDA routing, scheduling evaluations, tracking milestones, coordinating executive briefings)
Serve as a trusted representative of the CAIO in coordinating cross-functional work, ensuring professionalism and confidentiality at all times
Uphold data privacy, security, and compliance expectations in all administrative and AI-enabled activities, including handling sensitive information and regulated content
Ensure awareness of and adherence to applicable regulations and internal policies relevant to the role, including GxP where applicable
Qualification
Required
Education: High School Diploma
Minimum 8 years of Administrative Assistant experience
Minimum 3 years supporting senior executives (VP and above) as an Executive Administrative Assistant
Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and collaboration tools; ability to create executive-ready materials
Experience scheduling complex, multi-leg domestic and international travel; demonstrated experience processing visas/passports
SAP or equivalent ERP experience processing expense reports and basic financial tasks
Exceptional communication skills to interact effectively with executives and internal/external stakeholders, both onsite and remotely
Demonstrated experience using Generative AI tools to draft, summarize, plan, and streamline workflows, with strong judgment on application and review
Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism
Preferred
Advanced education (associate or bachelor's degree) or relevant certifications (Certified Administrative Professional, PMP, PHR/SPHR, project coordination)
Experience in healthcare, life sciences, or enterprise IT; familiarity with AI/ML concepts and terminology to support effective meeting preparation and communication
Experience with Agentic AI or workflow automation tools (e.g., copilots, orchestration agents, RPA/IPA platforms); ability to design prompts, templates, and process automations
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize simultaneous assignments and manage to deadlines
Extraordinary attention to detail; proactive, self-directed, and comfortable making decisions with incomplete information
Experience with event planning, executive operating rhythms, and cross-functional coordination
Familiarity with all approved corporate systems for collaboration, knowledge management, finance, and vendor management
Experience mentoring others on AI-assisted workflows and establishing practical playbooks
Benefits
Medical
Dental
Vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
Retirement benefits, including 401(k)
Paid holidays
Vacation
Compassionate and sick days
Company
Merck
Merck is a biopharmaceutical company that offers medicines and vaccines for various diseases.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$5.59MKey Investors
Private Capital AdvisorsGavi, the Vaccine Alliance
2018-11-25Post Ipo Equity· $0.59M
2016-01-21Series Unknown· $5M
1980-12-19IPO
Leadership Team
Betty Larson
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Dean Li
Executive Vice President and President, Merck Research Laboratories
Recent News
2026-01-23
2026-01-23
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