Associate Director, Quantitative Pharmacology & Pharmacometrics - Mechanistic Modeling, Immunology

MSD Malaysia; West Point (PA); Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 247,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

medical

dental

vision healthcare

other insurance benefits (for employee

retirement benefits, including 401(k)

paid holidays

vacation

compassionate and sick days

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ, USA is seeking an Associate Director who designs and executes mechanistic model analyses to inform translational drug development in immunology.

You will collaborate across disciplines, communicate complex data clearly, and guide dose selection and trial design using PK/PD, PBPK, QSP and related models to drive go/no-go decisions.

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement, domestic relocation, and visa sponsorship where applicable, with about 10% travel.

Qualifications

• PhD/PharmD/MS with relevant experience in pharma drug development or academia.
• Strong background in biopharmaceutics, pharmacometrics, statistics/biostatistics, or computational biology/engineering.
• Hands-on PK/PKPD/QSP modeling using standard software (Phoenix, R, Matlab, NONMEM, Monolix).

Responsibilities

• Design and execute model analysis plans informing translational and drug development questions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and external vendors to align modeling strategies.
• Develop translational PK/PD strategies, perform clinical trial simulations, and inform dose selection and trial design.

Skills

Data Analysis

Data Modeling

Data Visualization

Drug Development

Immunology Research

Machine Learning

Model Development

Pharmacology

Pharmacometrics

PKPD Modeling

Quantitative Models

Scientific Presentations

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent degree

PharmD or equivalent degree

MS or equivalent degree

Tools

Phoenix

R

Matlab

NONMEM

Monolix

Job description

Job Description

The Associate Director is an expert mechanistic modeler and a quantitative drug developer who independently designs and executes model analysis plans with minimal supervision informing translational and drug development research questions within immunology. The ideal candidate is collaborative, possesses a learning mindset and effectively partners with functional departments and external vendors to develop aligned strategies and deliver solutions. In addition, you share your skills and ideas with the department to advance our science. Excellent communication skills are required including the ability to clearly present scientific data in group settings. As an Associate Director, you will participate in cross‑functional teams of experienced scientists to discover and advance the clinical development of novel therapeutic agents for immunologic disorders. You will apply your expertise to frame critical drug development questions to optimize drug development using model‑based approaches and influence cross‑functional teams to adopt such strategies. More specifically, you will apply your quantitative skills to integrate preclinical and clinical data developing and using PK/PD, PBPK, QSP, or other mechanistic models of drug disposition and drug action to define success criteria and make model‑informed decisions. Moreover, you develop and implement translational PK/PD strategies, perform clinical trial simulations, conduct comparator modeling and other model‑based analyses to inform dose selection and schedule, clinical trial design and go/no‑go decisions.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent degree with at least 4 years of relevant experience; PharmD or equivalent degree with at least 6 years of relevant experience; or MS or equivalent degree with at least 8 years of relevant experience.
• Relevant experience should reflect increasing responsibility and independence in pharmaceutical drug development, a regulatory agency, or academia.
• An educational background in biopharmaceutics, pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacometrics, mathematics, statistics/ biostatistics, computational biology/chemistry, or chemical/biomedical engineering.
• Experience in performing hands‑on (population) PK / PKPD / QSP modeling using standard pharmacometric software (e.g. Phoenix, R, Matlab, NONMEM, Monolix).
• Advanced skills in experimental design, mathematical problem solving, critical thinking about data analysis and interpretation.
• Proficiency in written and verbal communication and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Preferred Qualifications

• An exemplary record of increasing responsibility, independence, and demonstrated impact in driving drug development decisions through application of model‑based approaches.
• Knowledge of immunology biology.
• Experience with complex therapeutic biologics.
• Expertise in developing novel modeling strategies or automated workflows that rely on PBPK, QSP or related mechanistic modeling.
• Experience in integrating AI/ML methods in mechanistic modeling and/or modeling workflows.
• Scientific understanding of ADME and biopharmaceutic properties of biologics, small molecules, or non‑traditional therapeutics.

Required Skills

• Data Analysis
• Data Modeling
• Data Visualization
• Drug Development
• Immunology Research
• Machine Learning (ML)
• Model Development
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacometrics
• PKPD Modeling
• Quantitative Models
• Scientific Presentations

Salary

The salary range for this role is $156,900.00 - $247,000.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision healthcare
• other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days

More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

Employment Information

• Employee Status: Regular
• Relocation: Domestic
• VISA Sponsorship: Yes
• Travel Requirements: 10%
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid
• Shift: Not Indicated
• Valid Driving License: No
• Hazardous Material(s): n/a
• Job Posting End Date: 10/24/2026

Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity

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 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.

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.

Company Overview

Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where we have codified our legacy for over a century. Our success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.