Associate Scientist, Preclinical Dev.

Job Description

Our Research Scientists are our Inventors.  We translate molecules to medicines, working from the discovery interface through registration stability manufacturing by designing, developing and scaling-up the formulation, device, and manufacturing process.  Using innovative thinking, state-of-the-art facilities, and robust scientific methodology, we collaborate to discover the next medical breakthrough.

Our company's Sterile Product Development (SPD) department is a multidisciplinary research group responsible for developing non-oral dosage forms (injections, implants, inhaled, ocular) for small, intermediate, and large molecules from preclinical toxicology studies to commercialization.  Driving drug product design from the bench to manufacturing facilities, our teams ensure robust product design and development through deep fundamental understanding and characterization including screening and designing drug product compositions, developing scalable processes, and defining primary packaging / device.  During development, we leverage smart experimental design, cutting edge analytical tools, and predictive approaches to inform molecule, formulation, and process selection.  

We are seeking a motivated engineer / associate scientist to work collaboratively in a team environment to help solve key challenges in formulation development and manufacturing of parenteral pharmaceutical products.  The successful candidate will be a passionate scientist with strong academic fundamentals and a drive to develop new medicines to improve human health.  In this role, the individual will be responsible for supporting the formulation development of new biological / chemical entities as part of a matrix team from initial first-in-human formulations to commercialization.  The successful candidate must be able to collaborate in a fast-paced, integrated, multidisciplinary team environment.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Develops and applies basic principles and scientific concepts to execute work in a laboratory or pilot plant environment to develop sterile drug products.

• Capable of learning practical laboratory / pilot plant skills and fundamental scientific principles to utilize as part of their daily responsibilities.

• Executes routine experiments and data interpretation with appropriate technical guidance. Operates and troubleshoots equipment and processes.

• Builds capability to support manufacturing operations in GXP environments.

• Can understand overall project timelines to manage prioritization of individual contributor deliverables with appropriate supervision.

• Works well with others in collaborative team environments.

• Takes initiative, motivated to excel, has a strong technical background, has excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Builds awareness of relevant new and current technologies to grow as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Education Minimum Requirements:

• B.S. degree in Chemical / Biochemical / Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related fields (or an expected graduation date by May 2026).

Required Experience and Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong collaboration skills and experience working in a team environment.

• Ability to learn and apply new scientific principles to execution of daily responsibilities.

• Demonstrated ability to collate and conduct basic data analysis.

• Prior experience with Microsoft Office.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Prior experience in a laboratory environment.

• Passion to learn and develop as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Required Skills:

Development of Innovative Products, Experimental Methods, Laboratory Experiments, Microsoft Office, Product Development, Scientific Methods, Scientific Research, Technical Writing

Preferred Skills:

Biologics, Collaboration, Manufacturing Operations, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutics, Process Development (PD), Technology Transfer

Current Employees apply HERE

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

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.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

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

$71,900.00 - $113,200.00

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.