Associate Principal Scientist, Preclinical Dev.

Job Description

Applications are sought for an opportunity in the Vaccine and Advanced Biotechnologies (VAX) Process R&D department, which is part of our Company's Research Labs division of our Company's he individual will support our Company's downstream process development efforts for Vaccine programs at West Point, PA. 

Vaccines and Advanced Biotechnologies (VAX) Process R&D is responsible for the development and clinical manufacturing of Drug Substance (DS) and Drug Product Intermediates (DPI) for the vaccine and advanced therapy pipeline, spanning from preclinical to commercialization stages. We are part of the Process R&D organization, which enables modality-agnostic DS/DPI process development and clinical manufacturing for our company's pipeline. Our vaccines downstream process development team develops safe, scalable, robust, cost-effective downstream processes that enable clinical and commercial manufacture of vaccines and adjuvants across all vaccine modalities. 

 

We are seeking an innovative, highly motivated, and experienced Associate Principal Scientist to join us at our research and development site in West Point, PA. The candidate will be responsible for scientific/technical leadership of a bioconjugation process development team, and will also be a critical member of cross-functional program/project teams.  

 

This role will require frequent collaboration with cross-functional teams including Analytical, Formulation, Process Chemistry, Enabling Technologies, and Manufacturing colleagues. The candidate should have a strong background in downstream bioprocess/bioconjugation design, including reaction steps, filtration (tangential and normal flow) and column chromatography. Preferably, the candidate will have a strong background in biomolecule conjugation techniques and conjugate modalities (e.g., conjugate vaccines, antibody-drug conjugates). 

 

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Lead downstream process design and development for conjugate vaccine candidates. 

• Design, execute, and analyze process development experiments to maximize conjugate vaccine production processes, thereby de-risking later stage development and tech transfer. 

• Represent functional area in cross-functional and strategic teams engaged in vaccine development. 

• Lead tech transfer of vaccine bioconjugation processes for clinical and commercial manufacture. 

• Serve as scientific/technical mentor for junior staff, providing technical guidance in the various aspects of downstream bioprocess/bioconjugation development. 

• Support strategic initiatives and innovation in the areas of vaccine and advanced biotechnology process development. 

• Analysis of experiments through analytical techniques including HPLC, light scattering, and spectroscopy. 

• Data interpretation and presentation, manuscript/patent preparation. 

 

Education Minimum Requirement:   

BS, MS or PhD in engineering or bio/chemical sciences: 

• Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology  

• For BS candidates, at least eight (8) years of experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology-related position 

• For MS candidates, at least five (5) years of experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology-related position 

• For PhD candidates, at least three (3) years of experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology-related position 

 

Required Experience and Skills:   

• Strong scientific and hands-on understanding of downstream bioprocess/bioconjugation unit operations, biotherapeutic and/or vaccine process development and sound understanding of scale-up principles. 

• At least five (5) years of hands-on laboratory experience in downstream bioprocess/bioconjugation development. 

• Prior experience with statistical design of experiments (DOE) and/or algorithmic process optimization. 

• Strong understanding of, or hands-on experience in, cGMP manufacturing. 

• Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team-focused environment. 

• Well-developed organizational, record-keeping, and timeline/resource-mapping skills. 

 

Preferred Experience and Skills: 

• Experience with biomolecule conjugation (e.g., conjugate vaccines, antibody-drug conjugates), conjugation chemistry and downstream bioconjugate processing. 

• Experience in leading technical development teams and mentoring others. 

• Experience in authoring and reviewing CMC regulatory documentation. 

• Experience with process and technology transfer. 

 

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the ability to communicate results of his/her work in both verbal and written formats.  They are also expected to demonstrate flexibility in responding to changing priorities or dealing with unexpected events. In addition to the core responsibilities outlined above, the candidate will be expected to comply with all required training and maintain a focused attention on laboratory safety for him/herself and his/her team. 

 

Position may require working with infectious agents, pathogens, and/or potent compounds with appropriate engineering controls and PPE. Some travel or off-hours work may be required. 

 

#PRD 

Required Skills:

Animal Vaccination, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), Bioconjugation, Biodesign, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Cell Line Development, Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology, Column Chromatography, Detail-Oriented, Downstream Process Development, Drug Delivery Technology, Drug Development, Expression Vectors, Interpersonal Relationships, Laboratory Safety, Leading Project Teams, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical Formulations, Pharmaceutical Process Development, Physical Characterization, Stable Cell Lines, Strategic Planning, Technical Leadership

Preferred Skills:

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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:

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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.

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

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”.

The salary range for this role is

$142,400.00 - $224,100.00

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. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

05/15/2026

*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.