Technical Project Manager

Merck Merck · Pharma · San Jose, CA, Costa Rica

This role is a Technical Project Manager at Merck, focused on managing the end-to-end delivery of technical deliverables for clinical trials. It involves developing project plans, collaborating with functional areas, engaging with stakeholders, and managing change requests and risks within the clinical data management lifecycle. The role requires experience in software development or technology implementation, project management tools, and an understanding of clinical research processes and GxP concepts.

What you'd actually do

  1. Build and maintain detailed plan for design, build, testing, deployment, run, and closeout of study-level technical deliverables (e.g., eCRFs, data-collection systems, integrations, edit checks/derivations, listings/reports, archival/decommissioning)
  2. Lead discovery with study stakeholders/SMEs to assess complexity, define technical requirements and inputs/timelines, and confirm the full set of data-management services
  3. Ensure appropriate use of standards and project-level consistency in database design, data collection, and validation; facilitate standards and change-request intake/processing
  4. Orchestrate configuration and build of study-level technical deliverables with full traceability to requirements
  5. Plans across studies; runs risk/change control; aligns stakeholders; provides reliable status reporting and governance updates

Skills

Required

  • Adaptability
  • Clinical Data Management
  • Clinical Research
  • Communication
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Quality Assurance
  • Data Reporting
  • Data Review
  • Data Validation
  • Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
  • Medical Terminology
  • Project Coordination
  • Teamwork
  • Vendor Management
  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, math, or Science
  • 5 years in Software Development or technology implementation
  • Experience with work tracking programs (e.g., Jira/Confluence), Excel/SQL for simple queries; MS Project or equivalent for timelines
  • Experience with ETL and integrations
  • Understanding of clinical research process and the clinical data management (CDM) lifecycle including design, build, validation, and lock / closeout
  • Working knowledge of clinical data management systems
  • Basic understanding of SDLC and CSV/GxP concepts (e.g., 21 CFR Part 11, Annex 11); follow SOPs/WIs and maintain traceability
  • Awareness of data standards and data flow principles
  • Ability to lead day-to-day activities including technical team meetings
  • Strong communication and negotiation skills, with ability to translate technical topics for non-technical stakeholders and deliver crisp status, decisions, and blockers
  • Strong project management skills (planning, execution, change control, RAID management, escalation)
  • Strong organization and leadership skills

Nice to have

  • PM certifications are preferred
  • Experience facilitating data migration and integration from different sources preferred

What the JD emphasized

  • end-to-end project management
  • technical project management
  • technical deliverables
  • technical project plans
  • technical data management components
  • technical components
  • technical project
  • technical point of contact
  • technical team meetings
  • technical topics