Associate Specialist, Technical Operations Engineering

Merck; West Point (PA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 113,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Plan

Paid Holidays

Vacation

Sick Days

Job summary

Merck in West Point, PA is seeking highly motivated individuals to join the Analytical team within Technical Operations laboratories to support multi-product vaccine manufacturing processes. The role collaborates with Operations, Technology, Quality, and other groups for product/process investigations and continuous improvement.

You will perform identification and characterization testing for lab-scale optimization, work to tight timelines, document data, and communicate findings across the

Qualifications

• Experience with experimental preparation, execution, analysis, and safety.
• Good laboratory documentation practices and data review.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and cross-functionally.

Responsibilities

• Execute identification and characterization testing for lab-scale process optimization.
• Meet accelerated timelines with right-first-time execution.
• Communicate data across organizations.
• Collaborate in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary lab team.
• Support product/process investigations and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Adaptability

Excellent written and oral comms

Independent & cross-functional

Problem solving

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry or comparable discipline

Tools

HPLC/UPLC

CE

SDS-PAGE

ELISA

Job description

Job Description

West Point Technical Operations Process Support Laboratories (WPTO PSL) is seeking highly motivated individuals to join the laboratory team supporting multi-product vaccine manufacturing processes. The role will be a laboratory-based role collaborating with Operations, Technology, Quality, and other support groups to meet targeted manufacturing and product projects, including product/process investigation, continuous improvement changes, and strategic product/process initiatives.

Primary Activities

• Functioning as a key member of the Analytical team within Technical Operations laboratories through the execution of identification and characterization testing in support of lab-scale process optimization and investigations.
• Executing assignments against accelerated, critical-path timelines in a right-first-time manner.
• Communicates data across organizations.
• The candidate must function well and be able to collaborate in a fast-paced, integrated, multidisciplinary team environment in a laboratory-based role.

Education Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry or comparable discipline, with a minimum of 0 - 2 years of relevant experience.

Experience and Skills

Required

• General working knowledge and practices associated with experimental preparation, execution, analysis, and safety.

• Good laboratory documentation practices in notebooks and corresponding data review.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Ability to work both independently and cross-functionally.

Preferred

• Knowledge and understanding of one or more of the following; separation-based methodology (HPLC, UPLC, CE, SDS-PAGE), absorbance and fluorescence protein quantification, and plate-based characterization (ELISA, enzymatic activity).

• cGMPs experience.

• Experience performing or developing analytical test methods for recombinant proteins, viruses, and/or polysaccharides.

• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Strong problem-solving skills including a hands-on approach to problem solving, with a bias towards going to see problems for oneself in the field.

• Skill in troubleshooting experimental design, assay development, and data analysis.

Our Manufacturing & Supply Division is committed to be the most trusted supplier of biopharmaceuticals worldwide. Our facilities, along with our external contractors, suppliers, and partners, create an interdependent global manufacturing network that’s committed to delivering a high quality, reliable supply to customers and patients on time, every time.

Required Skills

Adaptability, Assay Development, Biochemistry, Biopharmaceutical Operations, Chemistry, Data Review, Design of Experiments (DOE), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Laboratory Analysis, Multitasking, Problem Solving, Process Improvements, Protein Quantification, Recombinant Proteins, Report Writing, Technical Calculations, Troubleshooting, Working Independently

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.

Additional location(s)

USA - Pennsylvania - West Point

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$71,900.00 - $113,200.00

This 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) Compensation Information

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

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship

No

Travel Requirements

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements

Not Applicable

Shift

1st - Day

Valid Driving License

No

Hazardous Material(s)

Yes

Job Posting End Date

11/13/2026

Job Posting Timing

*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.

Requisition ID

R423712