Sr. Director – Rapid Innovation Engineering
The Sr. Director of Rapid Innovation Engineering is a senior technical leader responsible for accelerating the adoption of new cybersecurity technologies across the enterprise. This role serves as the front line for evaluating, prototyping, and integrating new platforms and vendor solutions, ensuring innovations are validated quickly and matured into production-ready capabilities. The successful candidate brings a rare combination of technical breadth, integration expertise, and business acumen — able to prototype rapidly, assess value objectively, and deliver enterprise-scale outcomes.
This role requires both hands-on engineering skills and the strategic perspective to influence platform adoption, guide enterprise integration, and communicate with executive stakeholders. The director of the Rapid Innovation Engineering team will help shape the future of automation, AI-driven defense, and platform interoperability within the Cyber Defense organization.
Technology & Vendor Evaluation
Prototyping & Proof-of-Concept Development
Enterprise Integration & Architecture
Innovation Leadership & Enablement
Stakeholder & Program Alignment
The salary range for this role is $187,000.00 - $294,400.00
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
12/22/2025
Requisition ID:R377432
The ideal candidate is a hands-on innovator and integrator who thrives on bringing new technologies into the enterprise. They combine technical breadth with the ability to go deep when required, ensuring that new tools are not only tested but made operational at scale. They are comfortable engaging with vendors, building prototypes, running rapid evaluations, and working directly with executives to demonstrate business value. Above all, they bring creativity, speed, and technical leadership to strengthen the enterprise’s cyber defense posture. Accountability, Asset Management, Benefits Management, Computer Engineering, Cyber Defense, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Systems Integration, Integration Architecture, Leadership, Management System Development, Microsoft Azure, Platform Engineering, Product Management, Regulatory Compliance, Report Writing, Requirements Management, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, System Designs, Technical Leadership, Threat Detection
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:
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.
Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.
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.
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. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
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.
$187'000 - $294'400
