Specialist, Technology Risk Management

Job Description

Specialist, Technology Risk Management

The Opportunity

• Based in Hyderabad, join a global healthcare biopharma company and be part of a 130- year legacy of success backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.
• Be part of an organisation driven by digital technology and data-backed approaches that support a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products.
• Drive innovation and execution excellence. Be a part of a team with passion for using data, analytics, and insights to drive decision-making, and which creates custom software, allowing us to tackle some of the world's greatest health threats.

Our Technology Centers focus on creating a space where teams can come together to deliver business solutions that save and improve lives. An integral part of our company’s IT operating model, Tech Centers are globally distributed locations where each IT division has employees to enable our digital transformation journey and drive business outcomes. These locations, in addition to the other sites, are essential to supporting our business and strategy.

A focused group of leaders in each Tech Center helps to ensure we can manage and improve each location, from investing in growth, success, and well-being of our people, to making sure colleagues from each IT division feel a sense of belonging to managing critical emergencies. And together, we must leverage the strength of our team to collaborate globally to optimize connections and share best practices across the Tech Centers.

Role Overview

The position acts as a trusted risk advisor, translating technical risk into business context and supporting the implementation of practical, risk-based controls that enable safe business operations and innovation.

The Business Information Risk Specialist supports the alignment of cybersecurity, information risk management, and compliance activities of the Information Technology Risk Management & Security (ITRMS) organization with the objectives of our company’s Research Laboratories Business Unit. The role partners with one of the IT, business stakeholders supporting research, development, clinical operations, regulatory, and ITRMS to identify, assess, document, and help mitigate information security and compliance risks across applications, data, cloud services, third parties, and digital initiatives.

What will you do in this role

• Support risk advisory engagements for IT and business teams across research, development, clinical trials operations, regulatory activities, and related enabling functions.
• Help translate cybersecurity and compliance requirements into clear, practical actions for product teams, application owners, project teams, and business stakeholders.
• Participate in planning forums, product discussions, and program governance activities to help identify security, privacy, data integrity, and compliance considerations early in the lifecycle.
• Prepare concise risk summaries, decision options, and status updates for review by BIRO leadership and stakeholders.
• Support maintenance of related risk registers, including risk statements, ownership, treatment plans, target dates, residual risk, and evidence of closure.
• Assist business and technology owners in evaluating risk treatment options, including mitigation, compensating controls, exception requests, acknowledgement, transfer, or acceptance, in accordance with enterprise requirements.
• Track remediation commitments, follow up with accountable owners, validate supporting evidence, and escalate overdue or material items through the appropriate BIRO lead.
• Technology and Cybersecurity Risk
  • Support reviews of architecture, solution design, and operational controls for systems and digital capabilities, including identity and access, configuration, vulnerability management, data protection, integration security, backup, recovery, and business continuity.
  • Contribute to Crown Jewel application governance by coordinating control reviews, risk posture updates, remediation tracking, and readiness activities.
  • Assist with risk analysis for emerging technologies and innovation, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced analytics, cloud platforms, laboratory technologies, and external data exchange.
  • Partner with cybersecurity and technology subject-matter experts to clarify control requirements and document practical remediation recommendations.
• Compliance, Assurance, and Incident Support
  • Support compliance and assurance activities relevant to including control testing, audits, inspections, assessments, and remediation follow-up in regulated environments.
  • Help evaluate technology risks affecting GxP-regulated processes, sensitive research and clinical information, privacy obligations, records retention, intellectual property, and data integrity.
  • Support security event and incident coordination by gathering facts, documenting business impact, monitoring corrective actions, and connecting stakeholders with the appropriate response teams.
  • Contribute to the development and operationalization of security guidance, standards, procedures, and reusable job aids for teams.
• Risk Visibility, Awareness, and Continuous Improvement
  • Prepare routine risk reporting and operational updates that highlight risk trends, remediation status, milestones, dependencies, and items requiring leadership awareness.
  • Analyze recurring issues and identify opportunities to improve risk processes, stakeholder guidance, controls, reporting, and customer experience.
  • Contribute to targeted cybersecurity awareness and training for audiences, tailored to scientific, clinical, regulatory, and technology work practices.
  • Stay informed about relevant cyber threats, regulatory expectations, industry practices, and emerging technologies, and raise potential impacts for review.

What should you have

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, cybersecurity, computer science, data science, engineering, life sciences, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 3 to 6 years of experience.

Required Skills:

• Experience or demonstrated foundational knowledge in cybersecurity, technology risk management, IT compliance, IT audit, privacy, quality, or a related field.
• Experience supporting risk assessments, control reviews, remediation tracking, or compliance activities is preferred.
• Experience in a regulated industry, particularly pharmaceuticals, life sciences, healthcare, research, clinical operations, or manufacturing, is preferred but not required.
• Exposure to cloud, application, data, AI, laboratory, or operational technology security is beneficial.
• Skills and Competencies
  • Foundational understanding of security controls, technology risks, vulnerabilities, data protection, and risk treatment concepts.
  • Ability to analyze information, identify gaps, organize evidence, and produce clear, prioritized, and actionable recommendations.
  • Ability to explain technical and compliance topics in understandable business language.
  • Strong written and verbal communication, organization, follow-through, and attention to detail.
  • Ability to collaborate across scientific, clinical, regulatory, technology, privacy, quality, legal, procurement, and cybersecurity teams.
  • Comfort working independently on defined assignments while seeking guidance appropriately for complex or material risk decisions.
  • Adaptability, learning agility, sound judgment, and a practical, service-oriented approach.
  • High integrity and discretion when handling sensitive research, clinical, regulatory, security, and business information.
• Preferred Credentials
  • Entry-level or developing certifications in cybersecurity, risk, audit, privacy, cloud, project management, or data governance are beneficial.
  • Advanced certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA, or CRISC may be valuable for career growth but are not required for this Specialist role.

Primary Skills (Must have):

• Cybersecurity Fundamentals
• Technology Risk Management
• IT Compliance and Governance
• Risk Assessments and Control Reviews
• Vulnerability and Security Risk Analysis
• Data Protection and Information Security Controls
• Risk Remediation Tracking and Management
• IT Audit and Assurance Support
• Security Control Evaluation
• Risk Reporting and Documentation
• Stakeholder Management and Cross-functional Collaboration
• Strong Written and Verbal Communication Skills
• Regulatory and Compliance Awareness
• Incident and Risk Management
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills

Secondary Skills (Nice to have):

• Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Clinical Operations, or Manufacturing Industry Experience
• Cloud Security
• Application Security
• Data Security and Data Governance
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Risk Management
• Laboratory Technology Security
• Operational Technology (OT) Security
• Privacy and Data Protection Regulations
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
• Crown Jewel Application Governance
• Cybersecurity Awareness and Training
• Audit and Inspection Support
• Third-Party Risk Management
• Project Management
• Certifications such as Security+, CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, or similar (preferred but not required).

Who we are:

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

What we look for:

Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.

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Required Skills:

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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.

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Requisition ID:R421577