Principal Scientist, Translational Immunology & High-Throughput Precision Biomarkers

Job Description

The Data, A.I. and Genome Sciences Department is seeking a highly motivated and passionate Principal Scientist to join our Genome Science research team. In this role, you will develop and execute large-scale translational immunology studies on human biospecimens in support of companion diagnostic (CDx) development and biomarker discovery.

In this role you will apply a range of immunology and genomics approaches at scale, including PBMC isolation, immune-cell activation assays, cytokine profiling, flow cytometry, and single-cell RNA sequencing, to characterize immune cell interactions and identify biomarkers associated with treatment response. 

The ideal candidate will have experience in biomarker assay development, cytokine profiling, immune-cell characterization, flow cytometry, and preparing human biospecimen samples for multi-omics data generation. Candidates who have demonstrated the ability to design and execute high throughput translational studies with human biospecimens at scale and leveraging automation to enable robust data generation are strongly encouraged to apply. 

This role supports biomarker discovery within the Discovery Immunology therapeutic area and is based at our company's Research Labs site in Cambridge, MA. As a member of this team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with and lead cross-functional teams of experimental biologists, data scientists, and Discovery Immunology stakeholders to advance biomarker discovery and translational science. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead translational immunology studies leveraging human biospecimens to support biomarker discovery and companion diagnostic (CDx) development in Discovery Immunology. 

• Design and execute hands-on laboratory experiments for large-scale studies using PBMCs, immune-cell activation assays, cytokine profiling, flow cytometry, and single-cell RNA sequencing. 

• Develop and optimize biomarker assays and workflows to characterize immune cell interactions and identify response-associated biomarkers. 

• Design and execute experiments for integration of multi-modal data types such as bulk transcriptomics, single-cell transcriptomics, flow cytometry, cytokine assays, and other multi-omics platforms to generate actionable biological insights. 

• Partner with experimental biologists, data scientists, and cross-functional Discovery Immunology stakeholders to advance translational hypotheses and biomarker strategies. 

• Translate mechanistic biology into clinically relevant hypotheses that inform patient stratification, target engagement, and biomarker-driven decision-making. 

• Lead study planning, experimental design, data interpretation, and presentation of findings to internal stakeholders and leadership. 

• Ensure scientific rigor, reproducibility, and quality in all biomarker discovery activities. 

• Evaluate emerging technologies and analytical approaches to strengthen translational immunology capabilities. 

• Collaborate closely with experimental biologists, automation engineers, computational scientists, data analysts, AIML data scientists and therapeutic area subject matter experts to address biological questions, develop experimental strategies, and execute project plans.  

• Mentor and guide junior scientists and contribute to the growth of the Genome Science team. 

• Contribute to scientific publications, internal reports, and presentation materials as needed. 

Required Qualifications: 

• PhD in Immunology, Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Biological engineering or related life sciences discipline with 8+ years of industry or pharma research, academia, or a combination of both 

• Strong background in translational immunology, biomarker discovery, and human biospecimen-based research. 

• Hands-on experience with PBMC isolation, assay development using primary immune cells, immune-cell activation assays, cytokine profiling, and/or flow cytometry. 

• Experience with bulk and/or single-cell transcriptomics, including experimental design and data interpretation. 

• Demonstrated expertise in biomarker assay development, optimization, and application in translational studies. 

• Experience generating multi-omics datasets to enable biologically meaningful and clinically relevant insights is preferred.

• Proven ability to design, execute, and interpret complex studies that connect mechanistic biology to clinical hypotheses. 

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and scientific communication skills. 

• Ability to lead scientific projects and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. 

• At least 1-2 years' experience of direct people management experience. 

#EligibleforERP

Required Skills:

Assay Development, Biomarkers, Cell-Based Assays, Cell Culture Techniques, Cytokines, Cytometry, Flow Cytometry, Immunology, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (IPSC), iPS Derived Cells, Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) Isolation, Transcriptomics

Preferred Skills:

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US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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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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The salary range for this role is

$176,200.00 - $277,300.00

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:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

BSL2, human biospecimens

Job Posting End Date:

06/22/2026

*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.