Assoc. Scientist, Preclinical Dev.

Merck & Co.; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 72,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ is seeking an engineer/associate scientist to support the formulation development and manufacturing of parenteral pharmaceutical products. You will collaborate in a matrix team from initial formulations to commercialization, applying scientific principles to design robust drug products.

The role emphasizes learning, teamwork, and data analysis, with opportunities to contribute to process development, scale-up, and device integration in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Chemical/Biochemical/Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related fields.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Prior experience with Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Develops and applies basic principles and scientific concepts to execute work in a laboratory or pilot plant environment to develop sterile drug products.
• Capable of learning practical laboratory / pilot plant skills and fundamental scientific principles to utilize as part of their daily responsibilities.
• Executes routine experiments and data interpretation with appropriate technical guidance. Operates and troubleshoots equipment and processes.
• Builds capability to support manufacturing operations in GXP environments.
• Can understand overall project timelines to manage prioritization of individual contributor deliverables with appropriate supervision.
• Works well with others in collaborative team environments.
• Takes initiative, motivated to excel, has a strong technical background, has excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Builds awareness of relevant new and current technologies to grow as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Skills

Collaboration

Pharmaceutics

Researching

Scientific Research

Taking Initiative

Technical Writing

Microsoft Office

Education

B.S. degree in Chemical/Biochemical/Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related fields.

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Our Research Scientists are our Inventors. We translate molecules to medicines, working from the discovery interface through registration stability manufacturing by designing, developing and scaling-up the formulation, device, and manufacturing process. Using innovative thinking, state-of-the-art facilities, and robust scientific methodology, we collaborate to discover the next medical breakthrough. Our company's Sterile Product Development (SPD) department is a multidisciplinary research group responsible for developing non-oral dosage forms (injections, implants, inhaled, ocular) for small, intermediate, and large molecules from preclinical toxicology studies to commercialization. Driving drug product design from the bench to manufacturing facilities, our teams ensure robust product design and development through deep fundamental understanding and characterization including screening and designing drug product compositions, developing scalable processes, and defining primary packaging / device. During development, we leverage smart experimental design, cutting edge analytical tools, and predictive approaches to inform molecule, formulation, and process selection. We are seeking a motivated engineer / associate scientist to work collaboratively in a team environment to help solve key challenges in formulation development and manufacturing of parenteral pharmaceutical products. The successful candidate will be a passionate scientist with strong academic fundamentals and a drive to develop new medicines to improve human health. In this role, the individual will be responsible for supporting the formulation development of new biological / chemical entities as part of a matrix team from initial first-in-human formulations to commercialization. The successful candidate must be able to collaborate in a fast-paced, integrated, multidisciplinary team environment.

Additional Responsibilities

• Develops and applies basic principles and scientific concepts to execute work in a laboratory or pilot plant environment to develop sterile drug products.
• Capable of learning practical laboratory / pilot plant skills and fundamental scientific principles to utilize as part of their daily responsibilities.
• Executes routine experiments and data interpretation with appropriate technical guidance. Operates and troubleshoots equipment and processes.
• Builds capability to support manufacturing operations in GXP environments.
• Can understand overall project timelines to manage prioritization of individual contributor deliverables with appropriate supervision.
• Works well with others in collaborative team environments.
• Takes initiative, motivated to excel, has a strong technical background, has excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Builds awareness of relevant new and current technologies to grow as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Education Minimum Requirements

• B.S. degree in Chemical/Biochemical/Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related fields.

Required Experience and Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong collaboration skills and experience working in a team environment.
• Ability to learn and apply new scientific principles to execution of daily responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to collate and conduct basic data analysis.
• Prior experience with Microsoft Office.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Prior experience in a laboratory environment.
• Passion to learn and develop as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Required Skills

Collaboration, Pharmaceutics, Researching, Scientific Research, Taking Initiative, Technical Writing

Preferred Skills

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Industry

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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 Resources

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.

The salary range for this role is $71,900.00 - $113,200.00

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 .

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:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

08/18/2026

*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.

Requisition ID:

R411178