Associate Principal Scientist, Biology-Discovery

Job Description

Were seeking an innovative and experienced Associate Principal Scientist to join the Quantitative Biosciences (QB) department at our research site in West Point, PA. The Translational Pharmacology team within QB is responsible for the development, validation and execution of in vitro and in vivo translational models to preclinically evaluate chemical matter across our Discovery portfolio, with particular focus on the areas of infectious diseases, vaccines, immunology and neuroscience. Responsibilities of this position include a combination of lab-based efforts and management. You will be representing the QB functional area on a subset of Discovery portfolio program core teams to provide consultation on preclinical translation and inform on QB resources. You will be responsible for both your individual lab-based efforts in, and management of a small team also tasked with, the development of complex in vitro models and corresponding assays for Discovery program support.

As such, ideal candidates will have demonstrated hands-on success in establishing complex in vitro models/engineered tissues. In addition, possession of expertise in one or more of the following broad therapeutic areas is required: immunology, infectious disease and/or vaccines. Experience leading pharmacology evaluation for pharmaceutical discovery programs is essential, as is hands-on in vitro assay development experience across a broad range of cell-based and biofluid analytical readouts/techniques. Last, candidates will be expected to have both hands-on experience as well as theoretical expertise in iPSC biology, including iPSC maintenance, QC, differentiation and scaling.

We highly value teamwork, innovation, and critical thinking. If you are a highly motivated team player with a strong desire to help transform and impact the success of our drug discovery and development efforts via the application of advanced translational in vitro models, we invite you to consider joining our team.

The ideal candidate will meet the following requirements:

• Ph.D. in pharmacology, cell biology, biomedical engineering, immunology, neuroscience or related discipline with 5+ years post-graduate experience, preferably within the pharmaceutical industry

Professional Skills :

• Personnel management experience (formal preferred), including scientific coaching and career development of junior scientific team members, budget forecasting, hiring, etc.

• Project management experience and/or functional area representation on drug discovery program teams

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

• Experience and/or eagerness to collaborate across disciplines and functional areas, as needed, to fulfill objectives

• Experience collaborating with external partners

Scientific Skills :

• Demonstrated experience establishing and validating complex in vitro models (primary/iPSC-derived co-cultures, 3D models, tissue engineered models, etc.), modeling both healthy and disease states

• Prior experience supporting and leading pharmacodynamic evaluation of chemical matter for pharmaceutical industry discovery programs

• Strong or expert-level understanding of pharmacodynamic concepts across different modalities and mechanisms of action (drug-target interactions, structure-activity relationships (SAR), dose-response relationships, etc.)

• Assay development expertise across a range of cell-based (viability, cytotox, functional, etc.) and biofluid analytical methods (ELISA, ELISpot, Luminex, etc.) and readouts (fluorescence, luminescence, colorimetric, etc.), including an understanding of typical plate-based assay validation/QC statistics (z, CV, etc.)

• Independent design and execution of experiments and critical analysis of resulting data

• Hands-on and theoretical iPSC expertise (maintenance, QC, differentiation, scaling)

• Flow cytometry experience (spectral, panel development/execution)

• Experience with (or strong desire to learn) implementing automation (robotics, liquid handling, etc.) throughout assay development/execution workflows

• Experience with electronic notebook and timely and accurate documentation of experimental procedure and resulting data

• Adherence to all requisite lab and site safety protocols

• Working first-hand knowledge of the drug discovery process

• A desire to establish a broad knowledge base, both with respect to therapeutic areas as well as across various types of advanced in vitro models/platforms

• Desire to promote, and positively contribute to, a work culture that is diverse and inclusive, fosters a growth mindset and values respective constructive feedback in order to progress business deliverables

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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.

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

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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):

N/A

Required Skills:

Assay Development, Biochemical Assays, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Engineering, Cell-Based Assays, Cell Biology, Flow Cytometry, Fluorescence, High-Throughput Screening, Immunochemistry, Immunology, Infectious Disease, In Vitro Assays, In Vitro Studies, Mammalian Cell Culture, Molecular Biology, Personnel Administration, Professional Networking, Protein Expression, Strategic Thinking, Structure Activity Relationship

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

06/13/2025

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