Sr. Spclst , UX/UI Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Spclst, UX/UI Design
Company: Merck
Location: Rahway, New Jersey, United States; Singapore, Singapore; North Wales, Pennsylvania, United States
Job Type: FULL_TIME
Category: User Experience (UX) / User Interface (UI) Design, Digital Product Development
Date Posted: 2026-01-09T00:00:00
Experience Level: 5-10 Years
Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This Senior Specialist role focuses on leading User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design for digital products within the External and Scientific Engagement (ESE) Product Line, ensuring a cohesive and high-quality user experience.
• Responsibilities include defining UX strategy, planning and executing user research methodologies, and translating research findings into actionable insights to drive user-centric design decisions.
• The position involves creating design artifacts such as personas, wireframes, prototypes, and visual mock-ups, while collaborating closely with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders.
• This role is critical for advancing technologies in medical affairs and outcomes research, contributing to the Digital Development Capabilities Value Team within the Clinical Development and Digital Solutions organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job title "Sr. Spclst, UX/UI Design" combined with the responsibilities heavily implies a lead or senior individual contributor role within the UX function. The focus on "defining UX strategy" and "mentoring other UX designers" points towards leadership responsibilities, even if not a formal management title. The specific product line (ESE) and its connection to medical affairs and outcomes research provide crucial context for understanding the domain and target users.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and align the UX strategy for the External and Scientific Engagement (ESE) Product Line with overarching business objectives and digital transformation goals.
• Plan, conduct, and manage end-to-end user research studies, including contextual interviews, field studies, focus groups, card sorting, surveys, and usability testing sessions.
• Prepare comprehensive research plans, discussion guides, and workshop materials to facilitate effective user engagement and data collection.
• Prioritize and manage UI/UX requests for the ESE Product Line, creating schedules and allocating resources for UX activities to ensure timely delivery.
• Mentor and guide other UX designers and researchers within the team, fostering best practices and professional development in user experience design.
• Conduct heuristic evaluations, UI reviews, and usability testing sessions to identify areas for improvement in existing and new digital products.
• Synthesize research findings into clear recommendations and actionable insights, summarizing complex data and presenting results effectively to diverse audiences.
• Maintain and advocate for user-centered design standards and principles across all digital products within the ESE Product Line.
• Lead design thinking workshops and focus group sessions to foster innovation and gather stakeholder input.
• Create detailed design artifacts, including personas, storyboards, wireframes, interactive prototypes, user flows, and high-fidelity visual mock-ups using industry-standard tools.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders to translate user needs into user stories and ensure design solutions meet functional and non-functional requirements.
• Participate in test planning and execution to validate that product designs meet business requirements and deliver optimal user experiences.
• Work with product and engineering teams to develop Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), analyze user feedback, and iterate on designs for continuous improvement.
• Drive the product design process from initial concept through to final implementation, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user journey.
• Gather consistent user feedback to support data-driven product decisions and enhance user satisfaction and engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The raw description lists many specific UX activities. These have been expanded into more detailed responsibilities, emphasizing the strategic and leadership aspects of the "Sr. Spclst" title, such as developing strategy, managing resources, and mentoring. The connection to "medical affairs and outcomes research" has been integrated to highlight the domain-specific nature of the role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, Graphic Design, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Anthropology, Information Technology, Information Architecture, or a closely related field.

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in User Experience (UX) design and user research.
• Demonstrated ability to lead user research studies end-to-end, from planning and moderation to data analysis and presentation of findings.
• Proven experience in applying user-centered design principles to create intuitive and effective digital products.

Required Skills:

• User Experience (UX) & User Interface (UI) Design: Expertise in designing intuitive, user-friendly interfaces and seamless user journeys.
• User Research Methodologies: Proficiency in a wide range of research techniques including contextual interviews, field studies, focus groups, card sorting, surveys, and usability testing.
• Design Artifact Creation: Skill in developing personas, storyboards, wireframes, prototypes, user flows, and visual mock-ups.
• Design Tools: Familiarity and practical experience with industry-standard UX/UI design and collaboration tools such as Sketch, Figma, and Mural.
• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present findings and design concepts effectively to diverse audiences, including leadership, product managers, and engineers.
• Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to establish credibility, build trust, and foster strategic partnerships with business stakeholders to influence product decisions.
• Organizational Skills: Strong ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple projects simultaneously, work independently, and meet tight deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking: Capacity to analyze user needs, identify design challenges, and develop innovative, user-centric solutions.
• Mentoring & Knowledge Sharing: Willingness and ability to mentor junior UX designers and researchers, and a commitment to continuous learning and knowledge exchange.
• User-Centered Design Principles: In-depth understanding and application of human-computer interaction (HCI) principles and user-centered design best practices.
• Agile/Scrum Familiarity: Experience working within agile development environments, including creating user stories and collaborating with engineering teams.
• Jira & Confluence: Familiarity with project management and documentation tools like Jira and Confluence for tracking progress and managing project information.

Preferred Skills:

• General or specialized UX certifications in research, user experience, and design.
• Prior experience in the life sciences or pharmaceutical industry, understanding the unique needs of medical affairs and outcomes research domains.
• Experience supporting cross-functional initiatives involving Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), automation, and other emerging technologies.
• Experience with data visualization tools for presenting research findings.
• Knowledge of Waterfall model for project management, in specific contexts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The raw "Required Skills" section provided a mix of general skills and specific tool mentions. This section has been structured to clearly delineate between foundational skills, technical proficiencies, and preferred qualifications. Specific tools like Jira, Confluence, Sketch, Figma, and Mural have been explicitly called out under 'Required Skills' as they are critical for this role's execution. The preferred qualifications have been expanded to include domain-specific experience and AI/ML involvement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end UX/UI design process from problem definition to final solution, highlighting your specific contributions.
• Problem Definition: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge addressed in each case study, including user research insights that informed the problem statement.
• Process Demonstration: Illustrate your design process, including user research methodologies used, ideation techniques, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing.
• Solution Showcase: Present high-fidelity mock-ups and interactive prototypes, clearly explaining design decisions and rationale.
• Impact & Metrics: Quantify the impact of your designs using relevant metrics (e.g., increased user satisfaction, improved task completion rates, reduced error rates, increased engagement) and demonstrate ROI where possible.

Process Documentation:

• User Research Documentation: Examples of well-structured user research plans, discussion guides, and synthesis reports that clearly outline findings and recommendations.
• Design System Contributions: If applicable, showcase contributions to or utilization of design systems, demonstrating consistency and scalability in design.
• Collaboration Artifacts: Evidence of collaborative work, such as Miro boards, workshop outputs, or user story documentation, demonstrating effective teamwork with cross-functional partners.
• Iterative Design Examples: Show examples of design iterations based on feedback or data, demonstrating an adaptive and continuous improvement approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The original job description did not explicitly mention portfolio requirements. Based on the role's emphasis on research, design, and cross-functional collaboration, a strong portfolio is implied. This section details what a robust UX/UI portfolio should contain, focusing on process, impact, and collaboration, which are key for senior-level roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $114,700.00 - $180,500.00 USD per year

Benefits:

• Healthcare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision healthcare coverage for employees and their families.
• Retirement Savings: Robust retirement benefits, including a 401(k) plan with potential company match.
• Paid Time Off: Generous paid holidays, vacation days, compassionate days, and sick days to support work-life balance and employee well-being.
• Additional Benefits: Access to other insurance benefits and resources as detailed on the company's benefits portal.

Working Hours:

• Standard 40-hour work week.
• This is a hybrid role, requiring 3 days per week in the office. Friday is designated as a remote work day unless business critical tasks require on-site presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range and benefits were provided in the raw data. The working hours and remote status have been clarified based on the "Hybrid Work Model" section of the original description and the "remote_derived" field. The specific breakdown of 3 days in office and 1 remote day on Friday is explicitly mentioned.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology. Merck is a global leader in healthcare, dedicated to discovering, developing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad range of innovative prescription medicines and vaccines. Company Size: Large Enterprise (typically >10,000 employees). Merck is a major global corporation with a significant presence across numerous countries. Founded: 1891. Merck has a long and rich history in scientific innovation and healthcare advancement.

Team Structure:

• Reporting: The UX Lead will report within the Digital Development Capabilities Value Team, which is part of the broader Clinical Development and Digital Solutions organization.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: This role will work closely with product managers, engineers, business stakeholders, and potentially other UX designers and researchers within the ESE Product Line and Value & Implementation organization.
• Specialization: The ESE Product Line specifically partners with the Value & Implementation organization, focusing on advancing technologies for medical affairs and outcomes research, indicating a specialized area of focus for this UX team.

Methodology:

• User-Centric Design: A strong emphasis on user-centered design principles and data-driven product decisions is central to the team's approach.
• Agile Development: Collaboration with engineering teams suggests an agile or iterative development methodology is likely employed.
• Research-Driven Insights: The role's core function involves robust qualitative and quantitative research to inform design and strategy.

Company Website: https://jobs.merck.com/us/en

📝 Enhancement Note: Information about Merck's industry, size, and founding date was inferred from the company name and common knowledge about large pharmaceutical corporations. The team structure and methodology were derived from the description of the ESE Product Line and its partnerships, highlighting the specific focus and collaborative nature of the operations within this context.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Specialist/Lead role within UX/UI Design. It signifies a mid-to-senior level position requiring substantial experience and the ability to operate with a degree of autonomy and leadership. The role involves strategic input, mentorship, and end-to-end ownership of UX initiatives within a specific product line. Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Digital Development Capabilities Value Team, within the Clinical Development and Digital Solutions organization. This structure suggests a focus on innovation and technology enablement within the clinical and development aspects of the pharmaceutical business. Operations Impact: The UX Lead's impact is directly tied to enhancing the user experience of digital products that support medical affairs and outcomes research. This influences how internal and external stakeholders engage with critical data and tools, ultimately impacting the efficiency and effectiveness of research, scientific engagement, and potentially patient outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to further develop leadership skills through mentoring other designers and potentially leading larger UX initiatives or projects.
• Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in the life sciences, pharmaceutical industry, and specific areas like medical affairs and outcomes research, making you a valuable specialist in a critical sector.
• Technology Advancement: Exposure to and involvement with emerging technologies such as AI/ML and automation within a healthcare context, offering pathways into advanced digital product development.
• Cross-functional Exposure: Experience collaborating with diverse teams across IT, product management, and business units, broadening your understanding of organizational dynamics and strategic alignment.
• Career Progression: Potential to move into more senior UX/UI roles, UX management, or specialized roles in digital product strategy or innovation within Merck.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section interprets the "Sr. Spclst" title and the described responsibilities within the context of typical career progression in UX/UI design and the pharmaceutical industry. Growth opportunities are projected based on the role's senior nature and the company's focus on innovation and technology.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with 3 days per week in the office and 1 designated remote day (Friday), unless business needs dictate otherwise. This suggests a structured approach to in-office collaboration and remote flexibility. Office Location(s): The role is available in Rahway, New Jersey; Singapore, Singapore; and North Wales, Pennsylvania. This indicates potential for international collaboration and diverse work environments within Merck's global footprint.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Office days are intended for collaboration, team meetings, design workshops, and in-person stakeholder interactions, fostering a dynamic environment.
• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard UX/UI design and collaboration tools (Sketch, Figma, Mural, Jira, Confluence) will be provided to support efficient work.
• Cross-functional Interaction: The hybrid model encourages focused individual work on remote days and intensive collaboration and team building during office days, facilitating rich interaction between UX, product, and engineering teams.

Work Schedule:

• A standard 40-hour work week is expected.
• The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility, balancing structured in-office collaboration with the autonomy of remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Hybrid Work Model" details provided in the raw data have been synthesized to describe the office type and workspace context, emphasizing the blend of in-person collaboration and remote flexibility. The multiple locations imply a need for excellent remote collaboration skills.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review your application and resume for alignment with core requirements.
• Technical/Portfolio Review: Expect a session focused on your portfolio, where you'll present 1-2 key case studies. Be prepared to walk through your design process, research methodologies, and the impact of your solutions.
• Behavioral & Situational Interviews: Interviews will assess your communication, collaboration, problem-solving skills, and how you handle specific UX challenges. Questions might focus on mentoring, stakeholder management, and navigating complex projects.
• Cross-functional Team Interaction: You may meet with product managers, engineers, or business stakeholders to gauge your ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership or the hiring manager to assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall fit with Merck's culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select case studies that best represent your end-to-end UX process, showcasing your ability to handle complex problems within a regulated industry context if possible.
• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the rationale behind your design decisions, and the measurable outcomes.
• Highlight Research: Emphasize your user research skills, detailing how insights led to design solutions and how you validated those solutions.
• Showcase Collaboration: Be ready to discuss how you collaborated with developers, product managers, and stakeholders, and how you managed feedback.
• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. If direct metrics are unavailable, discuss potential impact or lessons learned.
• Tool Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with tools like Figma, Sketch, Mural, and Jira, and how you leverage them to improve efficiency and collaboration.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: You might be given a hypothetical problem or a small existing product feature to redesign. Focus on your process: understanding the problem, user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and iterative refinement.
• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your work concisely and compellingly. Be ready to answer "why" behind your design choices.
• Stakeholder Communication: Prepare to discuss how you would gather requirements, manage expectations, and present design solutions to different stakeholder groups.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section infers a typical interview process for a senior UX/UI role in a large corporation, focusing on portfolio presentation and behavioral aspects. The tips are tailored to emphasize the critical elements of a UX portfolio and interview preparation for such a role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX/UI Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch (industry standard for visual design and prototyping).
• Collaboration & Whiteboarding: Mural (for remote workshops, brainstorming, and user journey mapping).
• Project Management & Documentation: Jira (for tracking user stories, bugs, and project progress), Confluence (for documenting research findings, design specifications, and project knowledge).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, expect to work with or interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to inform design decisions and measure impact.
• Data visualization tools may also be used to present research findings and performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly a focus of this role, but understanding how UX impacts CRM and automation workflows within the ESE Product Line could be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The raw data explicitly lists Jira, Confluence, Sketch, Figma, and Mural. These have been categorized and described with their typical use cases in a UX/UI design context, with additional common tools in analytics and CRM environments mentioned as likely related areas.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of the end-user is paramount, driving all design and research efforts.
• Collaboration: Fostering strong partnerships with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders to achieve shared goals and deliver effective solutions.
• Innovation: Encouraging the exploration of new technologies and methodologies to create cutting-edge digital experiences within the life sciences domain.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing research findings and performance metrics to inform design choices and measure the impact of UX initiatives.
• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of ongoing learning, iteration, and refinement of both products and processes to enhance user satisfaction and business outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where UX designers work closely with diverse teams to integrate user needs into product roadmaps.
• Iterative Design Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback and open dialogue throughout the design and development lifecycle.
• Knowledge Sharing: Emphasis on sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across the UX team and with other departments to foster a collective growth environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section infers typical values and collaboration styles for a senior UX role within a large, innovative company like Merck, focusing on user-centricity, collaboration, and data-driven approaches.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business/Technical Constraints: Navigating the complexities of a highly regulated industry (pharmaceuticals) while ensuring user needs are met, alongside technical feasibility and business objectives.
• Driving UX Strategy in a Large Organization: Effectively championing UX principles and strategy across multiple stakeholders and departments, ensuring buy-in and consistent application.
• Mentoring and Leading: Providing effective mentorship to junior designers while managing a diverse workload and potentially leading specific project streams.
• Adapting to Emerging Technologies: Staying abreast of and integrating new technologies like AI/ML into user experience design for medical affairs and outcomes research applications.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX Research Techniques: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized research methodologies and their application in a life sciences context.
• Leadership and Mentorship Training: Formal or informal training in leadership, team management, and effective mentoring practices.
• Industry Conferences and Certifications: Potential to attend leading UX conferences or pursue relevant certifications to enhance skills and industry knowledge.
• Exposure to Pharmaceutical Innovation: Gaining in-depth understanding of drug development, medical affairs, and outcomes research processes, and how digital solutions support them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are derived from the role's senior nature, the industry context, and the emphasis on strategy and collaboration. Growth opportunities are framed around skill enhancement, leadership, and domain expertise specific to Merck's business.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define and align the UX strategy for a product line focused on medical affairs and outcomes research with Merck's business objectives?" (Focus on strategic thinking, business acumen, and understanding of the domain.)
• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting stakeholder requirements with user needs. How did you approach this, and what was the outcome?" (Assess negotiation, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.)
• "How do you ensure a consistent and high-quality user experience across multiple digital products within a product line?" (Focus on design systems, governance, and strategic oversight.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Merck and specifically the External and Scientific Engagement (ESE) Product Line?" (Research Merck's mission, values, and recent work in digital health/biotech.)
• "How do you approach mentoring junior UX designers and fostering a collaborative team environment?" (Demonstrate leadership potential and teamwork.)
• "Describe your experience with user-centered design principles and how you advocate for them in a cross-functional team." (Highlight your commitment to UX and communication skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Relevant Case Studies: Choose 1-2 projects that best showcase your end-to-end UX process, research capabilities, and impact, ideally related to enterprise software, healthcare, or complex data applications.
• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role and responsibilities, the research methods used, key design decisions and rationale, and the measurable outcomes or lessons learned.
• Highlight Collaboration: Be prepared to discuss how you worked with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders, and how you incorporated their feedback.
• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to support your claims about the success of your designs. If exact metrics aren't available, discuss the intended impact and how you would measure it.
• Tool Proficiency Discussion: Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma, Sketch, Mural, Jira, and Confluence, and how you leverage these tools for efficiency and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions and preparation strategies are tailored to the specific role of a Senior UX/UI Specialist at Merck, focusing on strategy, research, collaboration, and the pharmaceutical industry context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the official Merck careers portal via the provided link.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight relevant experience in UX/UI design, user research, and stakeholder collaboration, using keywords from the job description (e.g., Human-Computer Interaction, Design Thinking, Usability Testing, Figma, Jira). Quantify your achievements with metrics where possible.
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date, showcasing 1-2 strong case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end UX process, research methodologies, design rationale, and measurable impact. Be ready to present these virtually or in person.
• Research Merck: Familiarize yourself with Merck's mission, values, recent innovations, and their approach to digital solutions in healthcare. Understand the ESE Product Line's focus on medical affairs and outcomes research.
• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio case studies and practice answering common UX interview questions, focusing on demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and collaborative capabilities.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

---