Merck KGaA is a leading global science and technology company operating across the healthcare, life science, and electronics sectors. Founded in 1668, it is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company, currently employing over 60,000 people worldwide and focusing on high-tech solutions for life-threatening diseases and scientific advancement.

In Spain, Merck maintains a robust presence with major manufacturing sites and commercial hubs that serve both local and international markets. The company is a significant employer for international professionals in Spain, particularly within its global supply chain, IT, and R&D functions, offering a multicultural environment where English is frequently used as a primary working language.

Founded in 1668 in Darmstadt, Germany, Merck is the world's oldest operating chemical and pharmaceutical company. It has evolved from a single pharmacy into a global powerhouse that remains majority-owned by the descendants of Friedrich Jacob Merck.

For international professionals

Operates major production facilities in Tres Cantos (Madrid) and Mollet del Vallès (Barcelona).
Frequently hires for global roles in IT, Supply Chain, and Data Science that do not require Spanish fluency.
Offers the 'Curious Talent' program, providing structured entry points for international graduates and interns.
Consistently recognized as a 'Top Employer' in Spain, offering comprehensive benefits and relocation support for senior roles.

Solution Lead - Study Design Platform

Merck

Original Advert

Work Your Magic with us!

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you've got big plans - so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people's lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

United As One for Patients, our purpose in Healthcare is to help create, improve and prolong lives. We develop medicines, intelligent devices and innovative technologies in therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Neurology and Fertility. Our teams work together across 6 continents with passion and relentless curiosity in order to help patients at every stage of life. Joining our Healthcare team is becoming part of a diverse, inclusive and flexible working culture, presenting great opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe.

Your Role: Clinical trials are at the heart of bringing new therapies to patients - and the decisions made in early study design have a lasting impact on their success. As Solution Lead for the Study Design Platform, you will own the end-to-end delivery and continuous evolution of a next-generation Software as a Service platform that enables smarter, data-driven decisions in clinical study planning, protocol authoring, and scenario-based operational feasibility analysis. You will join the Digital, Data & IT (DDIT) R&D team within our Healthcare sector, working at the intersection of clinical operations, digital innovation, and enterprise IT.

During the implementation phase, you will act as the critical bridge between R&D business stakeholders, the IT team, and the software vendor. You will lead solution design activities, translate complex business requirements into clear functional specifications and process flows, support User Acceptance Testing (UAT), facilitate alignment workshops, and drive change management and user onboarding to ensure a successful platform rollout.

Beyond go-live, you will take ownership of lifecycle management: prioritizing enhancements, supporting releases, monitoring solution performance, and ensuring sustainable adoption and business value realization. Working across a global matrix organization, you will collaborate closely with R&D users, IT partners, and the software provider - and may also contribute your analytical expertise to broader digital R&D initiatives in the clinical trial space.

This position is based in Spain, preferably Barcelona or Madrid, but other locations in Spain may also be considered.

Who You Are

You hold a Master's degree in life sciences, computer science, or a related field, or bring equivalent professional experience.
You have 5 or more years of experience as an IT Solution Lead, Application Lead, or in a comparable role within the healthcare or life sciences industry.
You bring in-depth knowledge of clinical trial processes, including protocol design, operational planning (country and site selection), and study conduct.
You have a proven track record of translating complex business needs into functional specifications and communicating effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
You have hands-on experience contributing to IT solution delivery in regulated environments, with a solid understanding of software development lifecycles and computerized system validation (CSV) in line with GxP requirements.
You are familiar with clinical trial systems and clinical trial data standards, and can navigate a global matrix organization to build trusted relationships across R&D, IT, and external partners.
You are fluent in English (written and spoken) and bring a proactive, solution-oriented mindset - you take ownership, anticipate challenges, and drive issues through to resolution.