Associate Director, Cybersecurity Engineering

Merck is building its Privileged Access Management (PAM) capabilities to support Zero Trust goals and reduce cyber risk. In this onsite role in Rahway, New Jersey, you will lead the PAM engineering organization, set strategy and standards, and drive delivery of enterprise PAM and secrets management services across environments and platforms.

Role summary

The Privileged Access Management (PAM) Team Lead (R4, Associate Director) owns PAM strategy, engineering execution, service health, and continuous improvement. You will lead a global PAM engineering team while partnering with IAM Product, architecture, cybersecurity, and stakeholders to expand privileged access controls and improve identity security outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the enterprise PAM roadmap aligned to cybersecurity strategy, Zero Trust objectives, and identity security initiatives.
• Define and maintain PAM standards and governance practices with security, risk, and architecture teams.
• Develop and present PAM posture, risk metrics, and remediation plans to leadership, governance, and audit stakeholders.
• Partner across teams to prioritize PAM adoption, expand privileged access controls, and remediate risk.
• Lead the design and delivery of enterprise PAM and secrets management capabilities.
• Modernize privileged access using risk-based, least-privilege, and just-in-time access models.
• Translate PAM strategy into scalable designs, standards, and patterns across all environments.
• Lead evaluations of new PAM technologies based on need, risk, architectural fit, and cost.
• Oversee remediation of PAM vulnerabilities, control gaps, audit findings, and technical debt.
• Lead daily PAM engineering activities, drive execution, remove delivery barriers, and develop team capabilities.
• Promote Agile ways of working and continuous improvement.
• Mentor and influence the team’s personal and professional development.
• Partner with the IAM Product Owner to manage the backlog aligned with OKRs and team capacity.
• Be accountable for the health, stability, and continuous improvement of PAM services.
• Partner with stakeholders to ensure capabilities meet business and security needs while reducing risk.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience), preferably in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity or Identity and Access Management (IAM), including at least 7 years focused on Privileged Access Management (PAM).
• Experience leading and developing security engineering teams within a large, global organization.
• Strong understanding of enterprise PAM and secrets management platforms (e.g., Delinea, CyberArk, BeyondTrust, and/or HashiCorp Vault).
• Hands-on knowledge of PAM solutions supporting Windows, UNIX/Linux, and databases.
• Experience delivering solutions using Agile methodologies and collaborating with Product Owners using tools such as Jira.
• Excellent communication skills to translate complex technical concepts, risks, and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Technologies

• Privileged Access Management (PAM), secrets management
• Delinea, CyberArk, BeyondTrust, HashiCorp Vault
• Windows, UNIX/Linux, Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID
• Cloud identity services, AWS, Azure, GCP
• Kubernetes
• ServiceNow, PowerShell, Jira
• NIST, ITIL, Zero Trust

Preferred experience & skills

• Hands-on experience with identity platforms such as Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, cloud identity services, and/or HashiCorp Vault.
• Hands-on knowledge of PAM solutions in multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, and GCP) and Kubernetes platforms.
• Familiarity with ServiceNow for incident and change management processes.
• Experience automating administrative and operational tasks using PowerShell or similar technologies.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals, secure SDLC practices, Zero Trust principles, and cloud-native security controls.
• Knowledge of industry standards and frameworks such as NIST, ITIL, and modern identity security practices.
• Experience working in healthcare, life sciences, or other highly regulated industries.
• Industry-recognized certifications such as CISSP, Security+, or comparable credentials.

Required skills

• Application Security
• Cloud Security
• Cybersecurity Operations
• Data Protection
• Delivery of Security Applications
• Design Applications
• DevOps Coaching
• Influence
• Information Security
• SLA Management
• System Designs
• Technical Advice
• Zero Trust Identity

Compensation and location

• Location: Rahway, NJ (onsite)
• Salary: USD 142,400 - 224,100 per yearly

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

Flexible work arrangements

• Hybrid

Job posting end date: 10/8/2026 (effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed end date).