Director, Clinical Research, Obesity

Merck & Co.; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 256,000 - 403,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co. seeks a Director (Principal Scientist) to lead clinical research in the Metabolism area, focusing on obesity and related disorders.

You will oversee late-stage development from study design to regulatory reporting, and publication, across multiple trials and teams. You will collaborate with clinical scientists and cross-functional partners to advance drug development, manage external collaborations, and contribute to business development assessments.

Qualifications

• Experience in industry or faculty in academia.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in clinical medicine.
• Minimum of 1 year of industry experience in drug development or biomedical research in academia.
• Demonstrated record of scientific scholarship and achievement.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan clinical trials (design, operational plans, settings).
• Monitor and manage conduct of ongoing/new trials for investigational or marketed drugs.
• Analyze and summarize findings to support safety/efficacy decisions and regulatory submissions.
• Participate in internal/external research teams for development of new or marketed drugs.
• Travel ~20% of the time to manage projects.

Skills

Clinical Development

Clinical Research

Clinical Trial Planning

Cross-Functional Teamwork

Liver Diseases

Obesity

Education

M.D or M.D./Ph.D.

Job description

Job Description

The Director (Principal Scientist) has primary responsibility for the planning and directing clinical research activities involving new or marketed medicines in the Metabolism section of the Atherosclerosis & Metabolism therapeutic area, with a focus on obesity and obesity-related disorders.- Our company's Atherosclerosis & Metabolism medicines span all phases of clinical development (pre-clinical to post-licensure). The Director will manage the entire cycle of clinical development for late-stage studies, including study design, initiation, execution, monitoring, analysis, regulatory reporting, and publication.

Specifically, The Director will be responsible for:

• Planning clinical trials (design, operational plans, settings) based on these clinical development strategies
• Monitoring and managing the conduct of ongoing or new clinical trials for investigational or marketed drugs;
• Analyzing and summarizing the clinical findings from studies to support decisions regarding safety and efficacy as well as new drug applications, clinical study reports, or publication; and
• Participation in internal and joint internal/external research project teams relevant to the development of new compounds, and the further study of marketed compounds.
• Support of business development assessments of external opportunities

The Director will:

Collaborate with the Clinical Scientists in the execution of clinical studies. Work closely with a cross-functional group of experts in commercialization, regulatory affairs, statistics, and manufacturing to manage clinical development projects; and assist the team in ensuring that appropriate Corporate personnel are informed of the progress of studies of our company and competitors' drugs, and of internal and external expert opinion on scientific questions relevant to his/her areas of responsibility.

The Director is responsible for maintaining a strong scientific fund of knowledge by:

• Maintaining awareness of scientific developments within his/her area of expertise, in terms of new scientific findings and research methodologies
• Identifying scientifically and operationally strong investigators who can assist in the development of our company's investigational and marketed drugs
• Establishing communications with prominent clinical investigators in his/her particular field of interest, particularly those who will be willing and able to assist in the evaluation of our company's drugs
• Attending appropriate scientific meetings to maintain his or her competency and to maintain awareness of research activities in his/her area of responsibility.

To accomplish these goals, the Director may:

• Author detailed development documents, presentations, and position papers for internal and external audiences
• Facilitate collaborations with external researchers around the world
• Travel on company business about twenty (20) percent of the time to manage future or ongoing clinical research projects.

Education:

• M.D or M.D./Ph.D.

Required:

• Must have experience in industry or faculty in academia
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in clinical medicine
• Minimum of 1 year of industry experience in drug development or biomedical research experience in academia
• Demonstrated record of scientific scholarship and achievement
• Proven track record in clinical medicine and background in biomedical research
• Strong interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to function in a team environment
• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills

Preferred:

• Board Certified or Eligible in Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Cardiology, Nephrology or related discipline

• Prior specific experience in clinical research and prior publication

Required Skills:

Clinical Development, Clinical Research, Clinical Trial Planning, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Liver Diseases, Obesity

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:

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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.

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The salary range for this role is

$255,800.00 - $402,700.00

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 .

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

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

09/17/2026

*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.