Job Description
Primary Responsibilities:
In this role, the chosen candidate will work with a team of scientists tasked with identifying, developing, and deploying data-rich technologies aimed at improving the manner in which process understanding is gathered. The tools that we develop are as diverse as the team developing them, and in this Senior Scientist role, the chosen candidate will leverage fundamental process modeling, machine learning, and other innovative data science approaches to enable our process research and development efforts across our company biologics and vaccines portfolio.
Our DRE organization is responsible for the invention and application of new data-rich tools to support the scientists across process research and development at our company. We aspire to embed data-intense technologies into the fabric of our company process development culture. This Senior Scientist role is a scientific position tasked with solving complex process research and development challenges in an interdisciplinary, collaborative environment via invention, development, and application of cutting-edge process modeling including novel deep neural network architectures and especially their combination with physics and theory through hybrid methods. Ultimately, through the development, application, and deployment of these capabilities across our multi-modality pipeline, we aim to elucidate a deeper understanding and optimization of our processes and drive enhanced decision making for improving the speed and quality of development for diverse medicines and vaccines.
In this Senior Scientist role, the chosen candidate will combine process modeling and deep learning techniques to help advance process-focused scientific research. This includes, but is not limited to, developing mechanistic, hybrid, or data-driven models for chemical synthesis and isolation, cell culture, fermentation, biomolecule separations; working closely alongside pipeline project teams to extract impactful insights from experimental data for manufacturing process design; employing process models to accelerate and enhance laboratory development through ML-assisted optimal experiment design; applying physics-based and hybrid models to guide and de-risk scale-up/scale-down during technology transfer and commercialization; developing new hybrid machine learning frameworks based on customized deep learning architectures and their integration with physics-based models or structures; and collaborating with enterprise IT colleagues for the automated scaling, training, and serving of such models to an extensive process development organization. As such, the chosen candidate should have a robust background in machine learning with an emphasis on the intersection of modeling and manufacturing process development.
In addition to a passion for computational process modeling and machine learning, the chosen candidate should have excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills. The chosen candidate should embrace and model our core values of diversity and inclusion, including fostering a supportive culture where all can thrive. The chosen candidate should be able to effectively collaborate in a dynamic, integrated, and multidisciplinary team environment. The chosen candidate should demonstrate a clear ability to perform impactful scientific innovation in a team-oriented manner that builds trusted partnerships across vast stakeholder networks. The chosen candidate should have a demonstrated ability to publish and present research, including an established track record of interaction with the broader academic community. The chosen candidate will join a diverse group of scientific problem solvers who are dedicated to creating the life-changing medicines and vaccines of tomorrow.
Education Minimum Requirement
- A Ph.D. in Engineering, Biology, Chemistry or a closely-related field
- A M.S. in Engineering, Biology, Chemistry or a closely-related field with at least 2 years of industrial/pharmaceutical experience
- A B.S. in in Engineering, Biology, Chemistry or a closely-related field with at least 4 years of industrial/pharmaceutical experience
Required Experience And Skills
- Background and experience in process modeling, scientific machine learning, deep learning, and technology deployment.
- Expertise in Python with hands-on experience in deep learning frameworks and libraries (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow, or similar).
- High motivation and enthusiasm for novel technology development; passion for modernizing chemical and bioprocess development practices.
- Excellent communication skills, demonstrated creativity, adaptive problem-solving, and effective interpersonal skills for delivering complex technical solutions in a dynamic cross-functional environment
- Demonstrated scientific expertise evidenced through impactful journal publications and/or conference presentations.
Preferred Experience And Skills
- Experience in developing novel process models for dynamical systems, process control, or digital twins for chemical or biological systems through physics-based, mechanistic, or hybrid model frameworks.
- Background in laboratory chemical or biochemical research, cell culture, or fermentation process design, development, or optimization and experience applying or developing new digital or data-rich technologies to extract insights from complex laboratory data
- Familiarity with MLOps practices and workflows (automated training, documentation and monitoring, deployment and integration) and ability to collaborate with IT stakeholders for technology deployment at scale.
- Experience in the new technology development and deployment with an understanding of technology adoption frameworks, including a successful track record of technology change management.
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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.
Requirements
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.
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
$114,700.00 - $180,500.00
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:
VISA Sponsorship
Travel Requirements:
Flexible Work Arrangements
Hybrid
Shift
Valid Driving License:
Hazardous Material(s)
Required Skills:
Preferred Skills
Job Posting End Date:
10/3/2025
- 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.
Requisition ID:R364187
