Associate Principal Scientist, Mixed Modality Product Development
Merck & Co.
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Merck & Co. in Rahway, NJ is seeking an Associate Principal Scientist (R4) to advance parenteral drug products across modalities.
You will lead biologics sterile product development, design experiments, analyze data, and guide regulatory filings within a fast-paced, cross-functional team. The role requires deep knowledge of formulation science, process development, and technology transfer, with excellent communication and mentoring skills.
Qualifications
- PhD in a relevant engineering/ pharma discipline with 4–5 years of industry experience.
- BS or MS with 8+ years of industrial experience.
- Experienced in biologics process development and characterization for late-stage programs.
- Capable of leading formulation development in matrix team environments to define robust formulation and manufacturing process.
- Recognized as a technical expert with proven ability to identify and develop innovative ideas.
- Broad knowledge of formulation science and deep knowledge of drug development process.
- Track record of working with diverse teams.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Responsibilities
- Lead or contribute to innovative approaches for biologics sterile product development through experimental design, execution and data analysis.
- Support early and late-stage development candidates including robust composition, scalable process, primary packaging, compatibility characterization and regulatory filings.
- Build deep fundamental knowledge of the drug product to meet milestones and documentation requirements.
- Provide strategic and technical leadership on programs, interfacing with stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
- Lead organizational strategic and innovation objectives aligned with goals.
- Mentor scientists and drive initiative with strong technical background.
- Lead project activities at external manufacture sites including tech transfers.
- Advance company voice via patents, publications and presentations.
- Share knowledge of new technologies and capabilities across teams.
Skills
Education
Job description
The Mixed Modalities team within Sterile Product Development is responsible for developing parenteral dosage forms (injections, implants, inhaled, ocular) for small, intermediate, and large molecules from preclinical toxicology studies to commercialization. Our development teams ensure robust composition, primary packaging/device, and process selection through deep fundamental understanding and characterization such that the process is scalable without compromising stability, safety, efficacy, and delivery. During development, we leverage smart experimental design, cutting edge analytical tools, and predictive approaches to inform molecule, formulation, and process selection. In summary, our team enables the translation of preclinical candidates into non-oral drug products.
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate for the position of Associate Principal Scientist (R4) focused on developing parenteral drug products across a range of modalities (small molecule, peptides, proteins, antibody-drug conjugates, and biologics). The successful candidate must be able to collaborate in a fast-paced, integrated, multidisciplinary team environment.
- Lead/ contribute towards the new, innovative approaches for biologics sterile product development through the generation of experimental designs, execution of experimental plans and data analysis
- Support both early and late-stage development candidates, including screening and development of robust drug product composition, scalable process, primary packaging, compatibility characterization for processing and administration, and supporting regulatory filings.
- Build deep fundamental knowledge around the drug product to ensure completion of key milestones and laboratory / regulatory documentation.
- Active strategic and technical leadership on program development teams, interfacing with key stakeholders, and collaborating across functions to drive defined milestones will be required.
- Responsible for leading and championing organizational strategic and innovation objectives aligned with organizational goals.
- Be willing to take initiative, motivated to excel, have a strong technical background, have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to multi-task, mentor scientists, and a strong desire to learn and contribute.
- Leads project activities at external manufacturing sites including tech transfers
- Enhance our Company's professional image and competitive advantage through patents, presentations, publications and professional activities and advance areas such as science and technology development, technical and business strategic improvements, business process innovations
- Maintain awareness of relevant new and current technologies, capabilities, and effectively share this knowledge with others
- Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related discipline with a minimum of 4-5 years relevant industry experience.-
- OR
- B.S. or M.S. degree in Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related discipline with minimum of 8 years relevant industrial experience.
- Experienced in biologics process development and characterization particularly for late-stage programs
- Capable of leading formulation development activities in matrix team environments to define a robust formulation and manufacturing process
- Recognized as a technical expert and scientific contributor with proven ability to identify and develop innovative ideas
- Has broad knowledge of formulation science and in depth-knowledge in multiple areas, including core understanding of the drug development process
- Track record of working effectively with team-members of diverse skill sets and backgrounds
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- The candidate should have a strong track record in product development/ regulatory filing/ drug delivery/ complex formulation and process development/ characterization reflected through industry experience and external publications/ patent.-
- Deep understanding of one or more of the following: surface science, colloid science, particle engineering, ADC and/or high concentration formulations
- Prior experience leading development projects at an enterprise level
- Capable of mentoring individuals in a peer-to-peer fashion and as a technical mentor
- Recognized as a subject matter expert in at least one drug delivery and/or manufacturing technology
- Demonstrated ability to identify, fundamentally characterize and address manufacturing challenges through the development and optimization of novel production technologies.
- Desire to build new capabilities through the evaluation of new technologies and hands‑on optimization of existing technologies.
- Prior experience with process scale up, modeling, regulatory filings and/or driving key capability evaluation/ build would be highly preferred.
Biologics, Cell Line Development, Design of Experiments (DOE), Downstream Process Development, Drug Delivery, Drug Product Development, Expression Vectors, Molecular Biology, Particle Engineering, Pharmaceutical Formulations, Pharmaceutical Process Development, Product Formulation, Technology Transfer, Toxicology
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.
The primary location for this posting is: USA - New Jersey - Rahway
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$142,400.00 - $224,100.00
The range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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 .
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
- 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.
Regular
Domestic
Yes
10%
Not Applicable
Not Indicated
No
n/a
11/28/2026
Requisition ID: R424587
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