Associate Director, Translational PK/PD

Merck

South San Francisco (CA)

Hybrid

USD 157,000 - 247,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in the United States seeks a Translational PK/PD Scientific Associate Director to lead modeling efforts in the Translational PK/PD organization, focusing on biologics, proteins, and peptides.

The role emphasizes model-informed drug discovery and cross-functional collaboration. The position requires expert PK/PD modeling, data integration, and the development of workflows for PK/PD platforms, with leadership responsibilities and interactions across departments.

Qualifications

Hands-on translational PKPD modeling for biologics/protein therapeutics/peptides.
Experience with experimental design and data interpretation.

Responsibilities

Serve as expert PK/PD modeler in cross-functional teams and guide model-informed decisions.
Integrate in vitro and in vivo data to build PKPD/PBPK/QSP models.
Collaborate to design studies and modeling plans across programs.
Guide automated workflows for modeling platforms and human dose projections.

Skills

PKPD modeling

Experimental design

Mathematical problem solving

Statistics

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Data analysis

Education

Master's degree / PharmD / Ph.D. in pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics or related field

Tools

MATLAB

Monolix

OSP Suite

Job description

The department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, Metabolism & Bioanalytics (PDMB) is seeking a curious and collaborative Scientific Associate Director for our growing Translational PK/PD organization. The Translational PK/PD Associate Director is an expert mathematical modeler and scientist who independently designs and executes analyses with minimal supervision, guiding drug discovery strategy with a focus on biologics, protein therapeutics, and peptides.

The Translational PK/PD Scientific Associate Director Will

Serve as expert PK/PD modeler in cross-functional teams, to make model-informed decisions about drug discovery, modality selection, and dose prediction across therapeutic areas;
Integrate in vitro and in vivo data to build PKPD, PBPK, quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP), or other mechanistic modeling platforms of drug disposition and pharmacology, to support forward/reverse translation for both established and novel therapeutic targets;
Collaborate across our PDMB and broader Discovery / Translational organization to design experimental studies and modeling plans, to identify and optimize drug candidates and guide broader translational strategy across programs;
Guide the design of automated workflows for implementing modeling platforms, to inform human PK/PD and dose projections;
Provide scientific and modeling guidance to junior colleagues.

In addition to the responsibilities described above, the Associate Director will demonstrate excellent leadership and communication skills, building effective partnerships across departments to guide model-informed drug discovery.

NOTE: This role is available in South San Francisco, CA, West Point, PA or Boston, MA based on candidate preference.

Qualifications

Education

Master's (with 8+ years), PharmD (with 6+ yearS) or Ph.D. (with 4+ years) in pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, mathematics, applied mathematics, systems biology, computational biology, chemical/biomedical engineering, statistics/biostatistics or related discipline and experience with increasing responsibility and independence in drug discovery / development, within industry, academia, regulatory or non-profit settings

Required Experience And Skills

Experience performing hands‑on translational PKPD modeling using standard modeling software (e.g., Matlab, OSP Suite, Monolix, R), for discovery / development of biologics, protein therapeutics, and/or peptides
Expert skills in experimental design, mathematical problem solving, critical data analysis/interpretation, and statistics

Preferred Experience And Skills

Demonstrated experience working in interdisciplinary teams and in collaborative problem scoping/planning
Expertise in developing novel translational modeling strategies or automated workflows that rely on PBPK, QSP, or related mechanistic modeling

Required Skills

Biologics, Biostatistics, Data Analysis, Data Modeling, Data Science, Drug Discovery Process, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, MATLAB, Peptides, Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacotherapeutics, PKPD Modeling, Proteins, Statistical Analysis, Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (PKPD)

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

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.

Salary Range

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. 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/International

VISA Sponsorship

Yes

Travel Requirements

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements

Hybrid

Shift

1st - Day