Associate Director, Translational PK/PD

MSD Malaysia; South San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 247,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangements

Relocation: Domestic/International

VISA Sponsorship: Yes

Travel: 10%

Benefits package (medical/dental/ret)

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. is seeking a Translational PK/PD Associate Director to independently design and execute PK/PD analyses guiding drug discovery for biologics, proteins, and peptides.

This role combines expert modeling with cross-functional leadership to shape dose predictions and translational strategies. The candidate will integrate diverse data, develop mechanistic modeling platforms (PKPD, PBPK, QSP), and lead junior colleagues while collaborating across PDMB and broader discovery teams.

Qualifications

• Education requirements: Master’s/PharmD/PhD with substantial experience in PK/PD or related fields
• Hands-on translational PK/PD modeling using standard software for biologics/proteins/peptides
• Experience in interdisciplinary team settings and in planning translational modeling strategies

Responsibilities

• Design and execute analyses to inform drug discovery strategy
• Integrate in vitro and in vivo data to build PK/PD, PBPK, or QSP models
• Guide model-informed decision making for dose projections and target selection
• Collaborate across PDMB and translational teams to optimize programs

Skills

Translational PKPD modeling

Mathematical modeling

Data analysis

Statistics

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Master's in related field

PharmD

PhD

Tools

MATLAB

OSP Suite

Monolix

R

Job description

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 #EligibleforERP

Required Skills (Keywords)

• 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)

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. 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

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.

• Employee Status: Regular
• Relocation: Domestic/International
• VISA Sponsorship: Yes
• Travel Requirements: 10%
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid
• Shift: 1st - Day
• Valid Driving License: No
• Hazardous Material(s): N/A

• 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.

Job Posting End Date: 09/30/2026. 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. 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.