Lead Associate, Administrative Services

Job description

Job Description Role Summary We are looking for a talented and motivated Lead Associate, Administrative Services, to provide proactive, high-quality, and reliable administrative support to the Intellectual Property legal group (“IP Group”), a part of the Office of the General Counsel (“OGC”). Specifically, this role will support the Senior Vice President and Head of the IP Group, as well as additional senior IP leaders in the department. The individual in this role will coordinate and perform multiple administrative tasks in a dynamic environment and will serve as a key liaison between the IP leadership and internal and external stakeholders. This position requires initiative, high attention to detail and the ability to learn quickly with a demonstrated ability and willingness to continuously acquire new competencies. It also requires good judgment, confidentiality, a strong work ethic, a high degree of accountability, and exceptional organizational and computer skills. Responsibilities and Primary Activities Act as the primary point of contact between the Head of the IP Group's office and other departments, including with our Research and Development Division, Business Development, and senior executive leadership. Manage and prioritize complex, high-volume calendars for the senior IP leaders, including scheduling meetings with internal business units, outside counsel, and senior leadership. Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements, including itineraries, accommodations, and expense reporting. Plan and coordinate logistics for various IP leadership meetings, town halls, team off-sites, CLE sessions, and cross-functional workshops, including preparing agendas and compiling pre-read materials as appropriate. Provide operational support for various internal product patent information reporting, including liaising with attorneys, querying internal patent databases and communicating with internal stakeholders including Investor Relations, Tax and Communications. Prepare, edit, review and/or route correspondence, presentations, and reports on behalf of senior IP leadership. Screen and triage incoming communications, exercising judgment to prioritize and escalate as appropriate. Maintain a strong working knowledge of AI tools and platforms, and proactively identify opportunities to leverage AI in day-to-day activities. Organize and maintain electronic and physical filing systems in accordance with records retention policies and legal hold obligations. Reliably handle confidential and sensitive materials with the utmost discretion. Support the IP Group with onboarding and offboarding of IP Group personnel. Review and approve invoices for compliance with billing guidelines; create matters within billing system; assist with financial matter management and budget planning. Help coordinate special projects within the IP Group and the broader OGC organization. Provide back-up support to other executives and lead administrative assistants, and other administrative assistants within the IP Group, as needed. Requirements Education: Required : High School Diploma or equivalent. Preferred : Advanced education (e.g., Bachelor’s or associate degree) or certifications (e.g. Certified Administrative Professional, Project Management Professional Certification, Professional in Human Resources Certification, Paralegal Studies Certificate) Required Experience and Skillset: Minimum of 5 years administrative assistant experience or 4 years of paralegal experience Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Teams, etc.), enterprise communication and travel solutions, and other company software and hardware tools, leveraging their full capabilities to maximize productivity and streamline departmental workflows. An openness to adopting new solutions that enhance efficiency and support the department's strategic objectives. Ability to handle and prioritize multiple simultaneous assignments while understanding the project principles and managing to critical deadlines, with extraordinary attention to detail. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and people skills, including ability to interact professionally with internal and external stakeholders and with individuals at all levels of the organization. Experience processing expense reports, travel reservations, and invoices. Ability to apply independent judgment, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities. Experience with financial and budget tasks. High-level of attention to detail and organization. Collaborative, inquisitive, adaptive, and flexible. Enthusiastic, self-motivated team player with a strong work ethic. Preferred Experience and Skillset: Administrative experience supporting executives (Associate Vice President or above) in a multinational environment. Experience as an IP administrative associate in a corporate or law firm setting. Concur and Tymetrix360 ebilling system. Intellectual Property specific systems (e.g., Clarivate’s First to File and TIPMS). Notary public commission. Documented experience as a strong performer in current and past positions. #MSJR The salary range for this role is: $100,400 - $158,000 This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this 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. Required Skills: Ability to Coordinate, Ability to Coordinate, Adaptability, Budget Administration, Calendar Management, Communication Systems, Competency Management, Database Management, Data Entry, Document Management, Event Planning, Interpersonal Relationships, Invoice Approval, Invoice Auditing, Invoice Payments, Meeting Management, Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft PowerPoint, Office Administration, Presentation Preparations, Process Improvements, Processing Expense Reports, Reporting and Analysis, Scheduling, Strategic Leadership {+ 5 more} Preferred Skills: Leadership, Microsoft Outlook, Organizing Current Employees apply HERE Current Contingent Workers apply HERE 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: EEOC Know Your Rights EEOC GINA Supplement​ 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 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 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. Employee Status: Regular Relocation: No relocation VISA Sponsorship: No Travel Requirements: 10% Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid Shift: 1st - Day Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): N/a Job Posting End Date: 09/15/2026 *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.