Principal Scientist, High Throughput Production Group Leader, Discovery Biologics
Apply NowCompany: Merck & Co, Inc
Location: Boston, MA 02115
Description:
Job Description
We are on a quest for cures and are committed to be the world's premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Our teams combine leading drug discovery capabilities and world-class R&D with the purpose of turning breakthrough science into life-changing medicines.
We are seeking an exceptional and experienced scientist in the role of Principal Scientist in the Boston Discovery Biologics group. The qualified candidate will be a scientist with core capabilities in high throughput approaches to construct design, molecular biology, expression and purification methods for biologics. They should have a deep expertise in the design, execution and optimization of high throughput production methodology supporting reagent and therapeutic screening efforts of diverse therapeutic modalities. They will work closely with protein engineering and science teams across Discovery Biotherapeutics in addition to the Biologics Production and Engineering team in Boston to ensure the execution of fit-for-purpose production approaches. They may serve as a functional area representative for protein engineering and production on project teams, driving protein therapeutic programs from concept through hit identification and lead optimization. The ideal candidate will leverage hand-on experience developing and executing workflows on multiple common automated liquid handing platforms such as Tecan, Hamilton, and Lynx to deliver therapeutic candidates supporting programs from screening through lead optimization. Our organization is directly integrating computational and wet-lab researchers with state-of-the-art automation to accelerate the discovery, engineering, and characterization of novel biologics in the pre-IND pipeline.
As a people manager, they will invest in the growth and development of current and future staff, to create a culture of collaboration and accountability to enable shared success. They will work closely with their team members to leverage strengths and identify opportunities to continually expand technical skillsets and enterprise thinking. They will work to support the department's efforts to recruit diverse and highly skilled key talent to the organization and be a champion for diversity and inclusion. We recognize that the diversity in our team is our strength, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate inclusive behaviors in working with a diverse group of researchers to drive our core mission.
What you will do:
What you will need to be successful in this role:
Qualifications & Experience
Required skills:
Preferred skills:
#EligibleforERP
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
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".
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:
No Travel Required
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
OEB4, Bispecific agonists
Job Posting End Date:
04/28/2025
*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.
We are on a quest for cures and are committed to be the world's premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Our teams combine leading drug discovery capabilities and world-class R&D with the purpose of turning breakthrough science into life-changing medicines.
We are seeking an exceptional and experienced scientist in the role of Principal Scientist in the Boston Discovery Biologics group. The qualified candidate will be a scientist with core capabilities in high throughput approaches to construct design, molecular biology, expression and purification methods for biologics. They should have a deep expertise in the design, execution and optimization of high throughput production methodology supporting reagent and therapeutic screening efforts of diverse therapeutic modalities. They will work closely with protein engineering and science teams across Discovery Biotherapeutics in addition to the Biologics Production and Engineering team in Boston to ensure the execution of fit-for-purpose production approaches. They may serve as a functional area representative for protein engineering and production on project teams, driving protein therapeutic programs from concept through hit identification and lead optimization. The ideal candidate will leverage hand-on experience developing and executing workflows on multiple common automated liquid handing platforms such as Tecan, Hamilton, and Lynx to deliver therapeutic candidates supporting programs from screening through lead optimization. Our organization is directly integrating computational and wet-lab researchers with state-of-the-art automation to accelerate the discovery, engineering, and characterization of novel biologics in the pre-IND pipeline.
As a people manager, they will invest in the growth and development of current and future staff, to create a culture of collaboration and accountability to enable shared success. They will work closely with their team members to leverage strengths and identify opportunities to continually expand technical skillsets and enterprise thinking. They will work to support the department's efforts to recruit diverse and highly skilled key talent to the organization and be a champion for diversity and inclusion. We recognize that the diversity in our team is our strength, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate inclusive behaviors in working with a diverse group of researchers to drive our core mission.
What you will do:
- Leverage deep high throughput production expertise to deliver diverse biologics modalities
- Work with program leaders, protein engineers, and molecular biologists to develop and implement biologic screening campaign strategies
- Perform and oversee high throughput production workflows enabling the critical experiments for pipeline programs through preclinical candidate selection.
- Develop and implement supporting downstream workflows including hit picking, concentration normalization and formulation for project teams within and beyond Discovery Biologics
- Serve as the protein production representative on project teams, driving protein therapeutics programs from concept through hit identification and lead optimization, with discovery program leadership opportunities
- Mentor 2+ direct reports and team members in supporting discovery programs from design through production of multiple biologics modalities
- Train and develop junior scientists
- Effectively partner across multidisciplinary interfaces to achieve organizational objectives.
- Stay abreast of external advancements in the relevant scientific fields
- Promote the external reputation of our company's Discovery Biologics
What you will need to be successful in this role:
Qualifications & Experience
- Ph.D. in biology, biochemistry, structural biology or related field with 8+ years relevant industry experience, Master's with 12+ years relevant industry experience or Bachelor's with 14+ years of relevant industry experience in biochemistry or related field
- Experience in advancing protein therapeutics through discovery toward candidate selection
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Strong presentation and publication record
Required skills:
- Strong technical knowledge of multiple aspects of high throughput screening workflows including design, expression, purification, and characterization of biologics
- Hands-on experience establishing and running high throughput automated workflows
- Prior direct experience as a protein production lead on protein therapeutics discovery project teams, from tool-molecule generation through preclinical development of therapeutic candidates
- Group leadership experience of with a demonstrated passion for and a track record of talent development
- Established external reputation through high-impact publications, presentations, and/or scientific community engagement
Preferred skills:
- Ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with multiple production scales and varied liquid handing platforms
- Previous high throughput production group leadership is highly desirable
- Experience successfully maintaining a robust discovery production pipeline
- Discovery project leadership experience a strong plus
- Programming skills enabling protocol authoring, automated data capture/reporting, and data visualizations would be beneficial
- Experience in outsourcing and managing external collaborations
#EligibleforERP
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
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".
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:
No Travel Required
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
OEB4, Bispecific agonists
Job Posting End Date:
04/28/2025
*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.