Merck Animal Health, located in De Soto, Kansas, is an integrated site dedicated to the development, licensing, and production of veterinary vaccines. With a strong culture rooted in “Safety First, Quality Always,” the site supports the advancement of innovative animal health products that meet the highest standards of quality. This role provides the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge vaccine process development, working closely with cross-functional teams in Manufacturing, Quality, and Research to deliver impactful solutions that improve animal health worldwide.
Responsibilities
- Assist in the development of cell culture, viral, and bacterial processes that are robust, scalable, and economical for bioreactor, fermentation, and purification platforms.
- Advocate for Manufacturing needs on interdisciplinary teams while applying working knowledge of current GMP guidelines.
- Design and execute experimental studies to identify and optimize critical process parameters for veterinary biological product development.
- Create innovative approaches and develop solutions for new platform technologies and process improvements.
- Facilitate product transfers from R&D and site to site, participating in engineering runs and validation batches to meet Manufacturing standards.
- Support laboratory and pilot operations by ordering supplies, preparing reagents, and maintaining equipment.
- Document and prepare comprehensive, accurate, and well-written project summaries and technical reports.
- Collaborate routinely and effectively with Manufacturing, Quality, and Research functions.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Life Science, Veterinary Science, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Protein Chemistry, Microbiology, or Biotechnology.
Experience
Required:
- 0–2 years of experience in animal health vaccine R&D, process development, biological manufacturing, or a closely related field.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with excellent documentation ability.
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills to work independently and in a collaborative environment.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a hands-on approach that considers safety, environment, and compliance.
Preferred:
- Hands-on experience with cell and microbial cultures.
- Experience with sterile processes, including scale-up of bench-top cell or microbial cultures and downstream operations (e.g., purification, concentration).
- Working knowledge of GMP standards.
