Senior Scientist, Biology-Discovery

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist to join our Infectious Disease and Vaccines team in Discovery Vaccines located in West Point, PA. Our team’s objective is to solve key challenges in developing and progressing vaccine candidates for viral targets. To help us achieve this goal, this individual should possess strong virological and immunological expertise, as well as knowledge and technical skills in immunoassays (ELISA, multi-parameter flow cytometry), tissue processing and cell culture. This role requires not only technical proficiency but also the ability to articulate ideas and collaborate effectively within a dynamic, multidisciplinary scientific team fostering a healthy work environment. Responsibilities include: 

·       Collaborating effectively in a fast-paced, integrated, multidisciplinary team environment, fostering open communication and collaboration

·       Actively developing, optimizing, implementing immunoassays (such as Flow cytometry, cell sorting, ELISA, Luminex, single cell RNA sequencing) for vaccine target antigens

·       Evaluating samples via virological assays such as plaque and neutralization assays

·       Providing technical guidance to fellow scientists, promoting a collaborative and supportive environment

·       Crafting technical documents and presentations for both internal discussions as well as external presentations and publications, and in support of regulatory submissions

 

Qualifications

Education Requirement:

·       Ph.D. (with 2 years post Ph.D.), Master's (with 5 years post Master’s) or Bachelor's (with 8 years post Bachelor’s) in Immunology, Microbiology, Virology or related discipline and relevant experience

Required Skills: 

·       Strong scientific and technical leadership skills

·       Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills

·       Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

·       Ability to work at the bench ~80% of the time

·       High adaptability to a continuously evolving research landscape

·       Experience with immunoassays, multi-parameter flow cytometry, tissue, cell culture and/or PBMC processing

·       Experience with viral plaque and neutralization assays

·       Hands on research experience within a BSL-2 environment

·       Excellent verbal and written communication skills

·       Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), flow cytometry software (FlowJo) and graphing software (GraphPad Prism)

Preferred Skills: 

·       Viral vaccine research experience

·       Single cell RNA sequencing processing and/or analysis

·       Cell Sorting

·       Mouse handling to collect specimens and/or vaccinations

·       Experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Assay Development, Cell Cultures, Cell Culture Techniques, Detail-Oriented, Drug Target Identification, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Flow Cytometry, FlowJo, Immunoassays, Immunology, Microbiology, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Molecular Biology, Personal Initiative, RNA Sequencing, Teamwork, Tissue Cultures, Transcriptomics, Virology

Preferred Skills:

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:

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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.

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The salary range for this role is

$117,000.00 - $184,200.00

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):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

07/15/2026

*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.