Associate Specialist

Merck; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck's Small Scale Organics (SSO) Pilot Plant in Rahway, NJ seeks an Operations Specialist to provide hands-on support for daily production while ensuring cGMP and S&E compliance. The role centers on batch processing at pilot scale, equipment setups, material sampling, and process knowledge capture.

Collaborate with building staff to drive improvements, perform root-cause analyses, mentor rotating and new employees, and maintain facility readiness.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Proven mechanical aptitude and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in technical writing and document management.
• Ability to work 8-hour shifts rotating between 1st and 2nd shifts; onsite five days a week.

Responsibilities

• Assist in equipment setups and batch processing at pilot scale.
• Prepare solutions, sample materials, and plan batch execution.
• Maintain S&E and cGMP compliance; document activities and results.
• Contribute to incident investigations and corrective/preventive actions.
• Mentor rotational and new employees; share best practices.

Skills

Strong communication

Mechanical aptitude

Technical writing

Shift work

Education

Associate degree in Process Technology

High School Diploma or GED + 4 years experience

Job description

The Small Scale Organics (SSO) Pilot Plant is a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) manufacturing facility in the Small Molecule Process Research and Development (SM PR&D) organization. The SSO pilot plant enables gain of critical internal experience with scale-up of manufacturing GMP steps, demonstration of new manufacturing technology/processes, training opportunities for improved manufacturing process development, and seamless technology transfer to commercial sites.

The SSO Operations Specialist will provide hands on assistance for daily production activities while ensuring compliance with Safety & Environmental (S&E) and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) requirements to meet SSO objectives and customer requirements. The position is responsible for implementing actions to meet S&E and GMP requirements. This position is also responsible for ensuring facility readiness for batch processing and shares accountability for the building performance. Ultimately, this position is expected to work cooperatively with the SSO leadership team and SSO partners to drive overall success and performance of the building, and ultimately strong support for the overall SM PR&D pipeline.

Responsibilities:

• Under the scientific direction of a facility lead, the Operations Specialist will participate in equipment setups, raw material sampling and subdivisions, solution preparations, batch processing planning and execution at a pilot scale, process knowledge capture, and troubleshooting equipment with the aim of advancing process development, aiding technology development, and supplying Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) for clinical use and drug product development. This will involve handling of a variety of reagents, solvents, and active pharmaceutical ingredients during “wet chemistry” operations (performing chemical reactions, extractions, distillations, crystallizations, filtration, drying, etc.) as well as dry powder processing (e.g., dry milling).
• Ensure processes are run within the capability constraints of the facility.
• Ensure facility readiness with respect to cleaning (including documentation and execution), batch execution, building housekeeping, and consumable inventory.
• Provide input for incident root cause analysis, reporting, and action items.
• Facilitate and drive building improvement projects and corrective/preventative action closures.
• Provide input on process setups.
• Provide regular feedback to peers to promote a continuous improvement mindset.
• Collaborate with all building staff to share and align on best practices.
• Actively investigate problem statements and safety observation reports (SORs) to promote fast and efficient closure.
• As needed, safely perform High Risk Work involving hazardous energy control.
• Identify and follow through on opportunities to improve building flexibility, efficiency, compliance, and safety.
• Author lessons learnt and summary reports to capture knowledge gained.Mentor and help train rotational and new employees.
• This position’s primary focus is executing batch production work. Additional responsibilities include coordination, planning, documentation, and other facility improvement activities.

Position Qualifications:

• Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science (ideally in Process Technology), or higher degree in a relevant technical field of study with expected completion by Dec 2026 – or –
• High School Diploma/GED plus at least four (4) years of relevant experience in Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Petrochemical or Food Processing/Manufacturing.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Strong communication skills to discuss technical problems and a collaborative mindset to interface with cross-functional teams.
• A strong mechanical aptitude.
• Proficiency in technical writing and the use of word processing, spreadsheet, graphing, and presentation software.
• This role requires working on 8-hour shifts that rotate between 1st and 2nd shift on alternating weeks throughout the year. Onsite presence is required five days a week. Occasional overtime work may be required based on business needs.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Operations experience in pilot plant or manufacturing environment.
• Understanding of/Experience with process scale-up of chemical processes, moving from the laboratory to the pilot scale.
• Familiarity with the administration of cGMPs, Good Documentation Practices (GDPs), and S&E regulations as it pertains to pharmaceutical development.
• Lean Six Sigma Training / Certification.

#MSJR

#eligibleforERP

#PRD

Required Skills:

Assembly Operations, Chemical Processes, Document Management, Efficiency Improvements, Equipment Operations, Industrial Production, Machinery Operation, Mechanical Aptitude, Powder Handling, Process Technologies, Production Lines, Production Scheduling, Safety Protocols, Shift Work, Solids Handling