Associate Principal Scientist, Discovery Biologics, High Throughput Production

MSD; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 141,000 - 224,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharmaceutical company is seeking an Associate Principal Scientist to lead the Discovery Biologics high throughput production team in Boston. The role involves overseeing protein production, mentoring staff, and ensuring effective collaboration to advance therapeutic programs. Ideal candidates will possess significant experience in protein sciences and a commitment to fostering diversity and innovation within the team.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision healthcare

401(k) retirement benefits

Paid holidays and vacation

Annual bonus and long-term incentive

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's with significant industry experience in biochemistry or proteins.
• Strong track record of protein production and biologic development.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and collaboration ability.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-throughput production team for biologics.
• Mentor junior scientists and foster team development.
• Collaborate on project teams to advise on protein design and strategy.

Skills

Protein production

Protein engineering

Collaboration

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Ph.D. in structural biology, biochemistry, or biophysics

Master's with 8+ years of relevant industry experience

Bachelor's with 12+ years of relevant industry experience

Tools

Liquid handling platforms (e.g. TECAN, Hamilton)

Job description

Associate Principal Scientist, Discovery Biologics, High Throughput Production

Associate Principal Scientist, High Throughput Production Team Lead, Discovery Biologics

We are on a quest for cures and are committed to be the world’s premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Our teams combine leading drug discovery capabilities and world-class R&D with the purpose of turning breakthrough science into life-changing medicines.

We are seeking an energetic and experienced scientist in the role of Associate Principal Scientist in the Boston Discovery Biologics group. The qualified candidate will be an passionate scientific leader who oversees efficient execution of the Boston Discovery Biologics high throughput production platform from the lab bench. They will foster the development of junior scientists on their team and across Discovery Biologics. They will serve as a functional area representative on project teams where they will contribute to therapeutic development through influencing the strategy of Biologic design and production. The ideal candidate will use their expertise in Protein Sciences to build format agnostic fit-for-purpose liquid handling solutions for of high purity complex Biologics. Using your therapeutic program lead experiences, they will prioritize the right experiments at the right time hence enabling timely go/no-go decisions. Our organization is directly integrating computational and wet-lab researchers with state-of-the-art automation to accelerate the discovery, engineering, and characterization of novel biologics in the pre-IND pipeline.

As a people manager, they will invest in the growth and development of current and future staff, to create a culture of collaboration and accountability to enable shared success. They will work closely with their team members to leverage strengths and identify opportunities to continually expand technical skillsets and enterprise thinking. They will work to support the department’s efforts to recruit diverse and highly skilled key talent to the organization and be a champion for diversity and inclusion. We recognize that the diversity in our team is our strength, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate inclusive behaviours in working with a diverse group of researchers to drive our core mission.

What you will do:

Lead and contribute to Boston’s high-throughput production team enabling delivery 100s to 1000s of Biologics a week

Work with upstream and downstream colleagues to enable continuous process improvements to accommodate a constantly evolving therapeutic portfolio

Serve as a functional area representative on project teams where you leverage your deep understanding of protein design and production to advise project teams on strategies to accommodate their unique molecular needs

Mentor 2+ direct reports and support associated up/downstream teams

Stay abreast of external advancements in the design and production of biologic therapeutics

Promote the external reputation of our company’s Discovery Biologics

What you will need to be successful in this role:

Qualifications & Experience

Ph.D. in structural biology, biochemistry, biophysics or related field with 4+ years relevant industry experience, Master's with 8+ years relevant industry experience or Bachelor's with 12+ years of relevant industry experience in biochemistry or related field

Experience in advancing large molecule therapeutics through discovery pipelines

Excellent communication and collaboration skills

Strong presentation and publication record

Required skills:

Extensive protein production experience at varied scales and production strategies for Biologic therapeutics

Demonstrated application of state-of-the-art of protein engineering approaches to impact therapeutic pipeline programs

Experience supporting multiple Biologic discovery pipeline projects and platform development initiatives

Prior direct people management of junior scientists

Established external reputation through high-impact publications, presentations, and/or scientific community engagement

Champion for diverse and inclusive culture

Preferred skills:

Design and production experience of complex antigens, protein reagents and Biologic therapeutics modalities beyond antibodies

Hands-on experience developing and implementing high throughput biologic production and characterization approaches utilizing common liquid handling platforms (e.g. TECAN, Hamilton, Dynamic Devices)

Familiarity with integrated end-to-end plate based biologic production and characterization pipelines including automated data capture

Biologic program leadership experience

Experience in outsourcing and managing external collaborations

Demonstrated passion for and a track record of talent development

Your role at our company is integral to helping the world meet new breakthroughs that affect generations to come, and we’re counting on your skills and inventiveness to help make meaningful contributions to global medical advancement. At our company, we’re inventing for life.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively for the common good. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

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:

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.

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.

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:

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.

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The salary range for this role is

$141,900.00 - $223,300.00

Job Description

Associate Principal Scientist, High Throughput Production Team Lead, Discovery Biologics

We are on a quest for cures and are committed to be the world’s premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Our teams combine leading drug discovery capabilities and world-class R&D with the purpose of turning breakthrough science into life-changing medicines.

We are seeking an energetic and experienced scientist in the role of Associate Principal Scientist in the Boston Discovery Biologics group. The qualified candidate will be an passionate scientific leader who oversees efficient execution of the Boston Discovery Biologics high throughput production platform from the lab bench. They will foster the development of junior scientists on their team and across Discovery Biologics. They will serve as a functional area representative on project teams where they will contribute to therapeutic development through influencing the strategy of Biologic design and production. The ideal candidate will use their expertise in Protein Sciences to build format agnostic fit-for-purpose liquid handling solutions for of high purity complex Biologics. Using your therapeutic program lead experiences, they will prioritize the right experiments at the right time hence enabling timely go/no-go decisions. Our organization is directly integrating computational and wet-lab researchers with state-of-the-art automation to accelerate the discovery, engineering, and characterization of novel biologics in the pre-IND pipeline.

As a people manager, they will invest in the growth and development of current and future staff, to create a culture of collaboration and accountability to enable shared success. They will work closely with their team members to leverage strengths and identify opportunities to continually expand technical skillsets and enterprise thinking. They will work to support the department’s efforts to recruit diverse and highly skilled key talent to the organization and be a champion for diversity and inclusion. We recognize that the diversity in our team is our strength, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate inclusive behaviours in working with a diverse group of researchers to drive our core mission.

What you will do:

• Lead and contribute to Boston’s high-throughput production team enabling delivery 100s to 1000s of Biologics a week

• Work with upstream and downstream colleagues to enable continuous process improvements to accommodate a constantly evolving therapeutic portfolio

• Serve as a functional area representative on project teams where you leverage your deep understanding of protein design and production to advise project teams on strategies to accommodate their unique molecular needs

• Mentor 2+ direct reports and support associated up/downstream teams

• Stay abreast of external advancements in the design and production of biologic therapeutics

• Promote the external reputation of our company’s Discovery Biologics

What you will need to be successful in this role:

Qualifications & Experience

• Ph.D. in structural biology, biochemistry, biophysics or related field with 4+ years relevant industry experience, Master's with 8+ years relevant industry experience or Bachelor's with 12+ years of relevant industry experience in biochemistry or related field

• Experience in advancing large molecule therapeutics through discovery pipelines

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

• Strong presentation and publication record

Required skills:

• Extensive protein production experience at varied scales and production strategies for Biologic therapeutics

• Demonstrated application of state-of-the-art of protein engineering approaches to impact therapeutic pipeline programs

• Experience supporting multiple Biologic discovery pipeline projects and platform development initiatives

• Prior direct people management of junior scientists

• Established external reputation through high-impact publications, presentations, and/or scientific community engagement

• Champion for diverse and inclusive culture

Preferred skills:

• Design and production experience of complex antigens, protein reagents and Biologic therapeutics modalities beyond antibodies

• Hands-on experience developing and implementing high throughput biologic production and characterization approaches utilizing common liquid handling platforms (e.g. TECAN, Hamilton, Dynamic Devices)

• Familiarity with integrated end-to-end plate based biologic production and characterization pipelines including automated data capture

• Biologic program leadership experience

• Experience in outsourcing and managing external collaborations

• Demonstrated passion for and a track record of talent development

Your role at our company is integral to helping the world meet new breakthroughs that affect generations to come, and we’re counting on your skills and inventiveness to help make meaningful contributions to global medical advancement. At our company, we’re inventing for life.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively for the common good. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

#EligibleforERP

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

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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.

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

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The salary range for this role is

$141,900.00 - $223,300.00

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 .

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

EB4, bispecific agents

Required Skills:

Antibody Discovery, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), Antibody Therapeutics, Automated Liquid Handling Systems, Biochemistry, Biologics, Biophysics, Bispecific Antibodies, Cell Free Assays, Collaboration, Communication, Detail-Oriented, Expression Vectors, High-Throughput Assays, High-Throughput Experimentation (HTE), Protein Engineering, Protein Production, Robotic Liquid Handlers, Structural Biology, Therapeutic Proteins

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

07/7/2025

*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.

About the company

Merck & Co., Inc.

Notice

Talentify is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Talentify provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities, including disabled veterans. Request assistance at [e-mail] or 407-000-0000.

Federal law requires every new hire to complete Form I-9 and present proof of identity and U.S. work eligibility.

An Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) will score your job-related skills and responses. Bias-audit & data-use details: www.talentify.io/bias-audit-report . NYC applicants may request an alternative process or accommodation at [e-mail] or 407-000-0000.