2027 Future Talent Program – Global Clinical Supply - Co-op

Merck; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck is offering a Global Clinical Supply Co‑op in the United States (Hybrid). This fixed-term internship provides hands-on experience in end-to-end clinical supply, dashboards, and data-driven decision making within a global, matrixed organization.

Selected students will lead workstreams, analyze processes, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver measurable value while building reusable tools and insights for ongoing operations.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's, master's, PharmD, PhD, or other relevant degree program.
• Ability to commit to an extended co‑op assignment aligned to business and academic program requirements.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Foundational digital and data literacy, including comfort with data sets and business systems.
• Interest in applying analytics, automation, or AI-enabled tools to improve processes and decision making.
• Demonstrated ownership and ability to manage work across milestones.
• Ability to collaborate across functions and incorporate feedback.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Lead one or more sustained project workstreams supporting global clinical supply priorities.
• Analyze business processes, operational data, and supply chain information to identify improvements.
• Support development of dashboards, reports, process maps, training materials, and governance tools.
• Apply digital, data, automation, or AI-enabled approaches to improve visibility and efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across planning, quality, logistics, and more.
• Participate in governance, digital transformation, and change management initiatives.
• Develop recommendations supported by data and communicate findings to stakeholders.
• Support project management activities including milestone planning and risk identification.
• Document processes and prepare clear handoff materials for implementation.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication skills

Data literacy

Ownership & accountability

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PharmD/PhD or relevant degree

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Power BI

SharePoint

SAP

AI tools / Generative AI

Job description

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education that lasts up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research Labs Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

The Global Clinical Supply Co-Op will support strategic and operational initiatives within GCS while gaining deeper, hands‑on exposure to the end‑to‑end clinical supply chain. Co‑Ops will own meaningful workstreams that contribute to business objectives, operational excellence, digital transformation, data‑driven decision making, and continuous improvement across a global organization.

This role is designed for students seeking an extended applied learning experience. Compared with a summer internship, the co‑op assignment provides additional time to understand business context, build stakeholder relationships, execute against project milestones, refine deliverables, and support implementation or handoff of solutions that create lasting value for GCS.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead one or more sustained project workstreams supporting Global Clinical Supply priorities.
• Analyze business processes, operational data, and supply chain information to identify improvement opportunities and practical recommendations.
• Support development of dashboards, reports, process maps, training materials, playbooks, governance tools, and business insights.
• Apply digital, data, automation, or AI‑enabled approaches to improve visibility, decision making, operational efficiency, or knowledge management.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including Planning, Quality, Logistics, Packaging, Digital, Clinical Operations, External Partners, and other enabling functions.
• Participate in operational excellence, process standardisation, knowledge management, business continuity, governance, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Develop recommendations supported by data and communicate findings, tradeoffs, risks, and next steps to functional stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Support project management activities including scope definition, milestone planning, risk identification, stakeholder engagement, meeting facilitation, and progress tracking.
• Contribute to implementation readiness by documenting processes, creating reusable assets, supporting change management, and preparing clear handoff materials.

Learning Opportunities

Co‑Ops Will Gain Exposure To

• Clinical trial supply chain management
• Supply planning, forecasting, and inventory considerations
• Logistics, distribution, trade, and regional operations
• Clinical labeling and packaging operations
• External partnerships, sourcing, supplier governance, and operational expense management
• Digital and AI‑enabled business transformation
• Data analysis, dashboards, reporting, and business performance visibility
• Operational excellence and continuous improvement methodologies
• Project, portfolio, and change management
• Pharmaceutical industry regulations, compliance expectations, and inspection readiness
• Cross‑functional collaboration in a global matrixed organization

By the end of the co‑op assignment, successful candidates will:

• Deliver measurable project outcomes that create value for GCS.
• Build reusable tools, documentation, insights, or process assets that can continue beyond the assignment.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively across functions and organizational boundaries.
• Communicate recommendations, risks, decisions, and implementation needs to stakeholder and leadership audiences.
• Apply data‑driven decision making to solve real business challenges.
• Contribute to digital, data, automation, AI, or process improvement opportunities where relevant.
• Develop a strong understanding of the clinical supply value chain and how GCS supports clinical trial execution.
• Provide a clear hand‑off plan that enables continuity after the co‑op assignment ends.

Required Education And Skills

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, PharmD, PhD, or other relevant degree program.
• Ability to commit to an extended co‑op assignment aligned to business and academic program requirements.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Foundational digital and data literacy, including comfort working with data sets, business systems, and technology‑enabled ways of working.
• Interest in applying analytics, automation, or AI‑enabled tools to improve business processes, insights, and decision making.
• Demonstrated ownership, accountability, and ability to manage work across multiple milestones.
• Ability to collaborate across functions, ask thoughtful questions, and incorporate feedback.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Skills

• Interest in supply chain, operations, engineering, business, data analytics, information systems, life sciences, pharmacy, public health, or related disciplines.
• Experience with data analysis, data visualization, business analytics, process improvement, automation, project management, or change management.
• Familiarity with Power BI, Power Apps, SharePoint, SAP, machine learning concepts, generative AI, Copilot, or other AI‑enabled tools.
• Experience translating ambiguous business problems into structured project plans, analyses, or recommendations.
• Prior internship, co‑op, research, academic project, or work experience in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, supply chain, operations, quality, manufacturing, technology, or consulting.

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is $39,908 - $111,111 USD

FTP2027

RL2027

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.

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: 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

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

Employee Status

Intern/Co‑op (Fixed Term)

Relocation

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship

No

Travel Requirements

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid

Shift

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License

No

Hazardous Material(s)

n/a

Job Posting End Date

10/9/2026

• 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.