Director, Field Scientific Support

Title: Director, Field Scientific Support

Job Category: Field Scientists

Requisition Number: DIREC003754

Full-Time

Remote

Locations

All, CA 00000, USA

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director, Field Scientific Support, is responsible for leading and scaling a high-performing team of field application scientists (FAS) that directly supports commercial success and customer satisfaction. This role oversees regional FAS managers and their teams, driving strategic alignment between technical support, sales objectives, and customer experience. The Director serves as both a people leader and technical authority, ensuring the team delivers best-in-class scientific support across MSD’s portfolio.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Leadership and Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of regional FAS managers and Field Application Scientists across North America and selected distribution networks.

• Serve as hiring manager for FAS roles, driving recruitment, onboarding, and retention of top talent.

• Establish clear performance expectations, KPIs, and career development plans for team members.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Represent the FAS team in commercial leadership meetings.

Strategic Execution

• Define and implement FAS strategy aligned with commercial goals, ensuring measurable impact on revenue growth and customer satisfaction.

• Set clear, achievable objectives that balance technical excellence with business outcomes.

• Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Field Service, Technical Support, and Customer Support teams to ensure alignment.

• Ensure that the FAS team effectively captures and relays voice-of-customer to internal stakeholders.

Technical Leadership

• Act as the senior escalation point for complex scientific and technical challenges

• Maintain deep expertise in MSD products, software, and applications to guide the team and support customer engagements.

• Contribute to software design and feature requirements

• Ensure consistent, high-quality technical messaging and support across regions.

Field Engagement and Coaching

• Travel regularly with FAS team members to provide coaching, assess performance, and strengthen customer relationships.

• Participate in key customer meetings and troubleshooting sessions as needed.

• Drive best practices in field engagement and scientific consultation.

Training Enablement

• Deliver technical and application-focused training sessions to the broader commercial organization.

• Ensure that the FAS team is continuously trained on new products, software releases, applications, and competitive positioning.

• Partner with internal stakeholders to develop and refine training programs and training materials.

Performance Metrics

• Define and track KPIs related to FAS effectiveness.

• Use data-driven insights to optimize team performance and resource allocation.

• Regularly report on team performance and strategic initiatives to leadership.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• PhD in biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology, or other related discipline.

o Master’s degree may be substituted with additional relevant experience.

• Minimum of 3 years of leadership experience managing teams.

• Minimum 8 years of experience in a field application, technical support position, or related focused role. 

• Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience working in a biochemistry, molecular biology lab, clinical lab, or discovery lab in a research or clinical setting. 

• Experience training and developing teams with a customer-centric focus.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Technical Expertise

• A thorough understanding of the commercial support process in the life sciences marketplace (drug development/discovery, pharmaceutical, biotech, etc.).

• Strong background in immunoassays and experience in protein biochemistry. 

• Display a thorough understanding of the principles of immunoassays, their development, and their applicability in different research fields. 

• Ability to demonstrate superior competency in analytical skills along with strong scientific fundamentals.

• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex scientific and technical issues.

Leadership Competencies

• Strong coaching and mentoring skills with a focus on talent development.

• Ability to set clear goals and drive accountability.

• Demonstrated success in building and leading high-performing, geographically distributed teams.

Business and Communication Skills

• Strong business acumen with the ability to align support activities to commercial outcomes.

• Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal communication skills as a core competency to include presentation and training styles.

• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.

• A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected, including the ability to multitask and work productively in a demanding environment with changing priorities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

This position requires the ability to communicate and exchange information, utilize equipment necessary to perform the job, and move about the office.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This position is performed in the field at customer sites and in a home-office environment.

• Travel is required (up to 30% in North America)

COMPENSATION SUMMARY

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $151,400 to $236,600. This salary range represents a general guideline as MSD considers other factors when presenting an offer of employment, such as scope and responsibilities of the position, external market factors, and the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, education and experience. Employees may qualify for a discretionary or non-discretionary bonus in addition to their base salary. These annual bonuses are intended to recognize individual performance and enable employees to benefit from the Company's overall success.

BENEFITS SUMMARY

At MSD, we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees' well-being and financial security. In addition to competitive salaries, our benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with prescription benefits. We provide a 401(k) plan with company matching, flexible spending accounts, and company-paid short- and long-term disability insurance as well as group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Our offerings also encompass paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid holidays, and paid parental leave, along with an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary perks include a fitness club membership contribution, pet insurance, identity theft protection, home and auto insurance discounts, and optional supplemental life insurance.