Director, Vaccines Drug Substance Commercialization - Upstream

1000 Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC; West Point (PA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 273,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement benefits

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

MSD is seeking a Director to lead the Vaccines Drug Substance Commercialization (VDSC) upstream organization. You will provide senior technical direction for vaccine upstream processes, drive cross-site process development, validation, and tech transfer, and champion lifecycle management for late-stage programs.

You will manage a ~30-person team, partner with internal and external stakeholders, ensure regulatory alignment, and deliver robust drug substance manufacturing while controlling

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biological Engineering, Biochemistry or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience leading end-to-end vaccine and/or biologic CMC process development, with emphasis on late-stage projects, regulatory filing and approvals.
• 5+ years of experience leading CMC projects and directing transversal or functional process development teams.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical authority for upstream vaccine process development and commercialization across mammalian cell culture, live-virus vaccines, microbial fermentation, media and feed strategy, bioreactor engineering and validation.
• Drive process control and validation strategies to deliver robust drug substance processes across GMP sites.
• Direct development and scale-up across varied platforms and equipment including AMBR and pilot-scale systems; ensure scale-down models are representative.
• Align departmental goals with broader enterprise priorities to support an evolving pipeline.
• Own accountability for team resource allocation, budgets, and headcount projections.
• Provide expert guidance across vaccine upstream process development and lifecycle management for large molecules.
• Coach and develop talent; foster a high-performance culture and succession planning.
• Evaluate team performance through formal appraisal processes and development support.
• Champion safety and EHS compliance through training and Gemba walks.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

GMP Knowledge

Process Development

People Leadership

Strategic Planning

Technical Leadership

Upstream Process Development

Vaccine Manufacturing

Education

PhD or Master's in Chemical Engineering or related field

Job description

Job Description

As part of Our Company’s Manufacturing Division, within the Vaccines Drug Substance Commercialization (VDSC) organization, the Upstream department provides the technical process leadership and laboratory capabilities in support of late-stage pipeline and post-market commercial manufacturing processes for the upstream portion of vaccines drug substance processes. VDSC supports various commercialization activities and second-generation process development including process characterization, technology transfer to internal and external manufacturing sites, manufacturing investigations, process validation, and authoring of regulatory submissions.

Under the scientific and administrative direction of the Executive Director, VDSC, and working in close partnership with internal and external stakeholders, you will lead a highly skilled team of ~30 scientists and engineers. In this pivotal leadership role, you will shape the commercialization strategies for late-stage pipelines and champion post-market commercial manufacturing commitments to deliver life-saving vaccines globally.

In this role, the successful candidate will be responsible as the Director for:

• Scientific Oversight: Serve as the senior technical authority for upstream vaccine process development and commercialization. Provide technical direction across mammalian cell culture, live-virus vaccines (host cell and virus biology, infection kinetics, etc), microbial fermentation, media and feed strategy, bioreactor engineering, process intensification, scale-up, process characterization, technology transfer, validation, and lifecycle management.
• Technical & Manufacturing Delivery: Drive process control and validation strategies to deliver robust drug substance processes to both internal and external GMP manufacturing sites, ensuring full alignment with regulatory expectations and lifecycle plans.
• Platform and Scale Translation: Direct development and scale-up across varied platforms and equipment, including AMBR and other high-throughput microbioreactors, laboratory-scale stainless-steel and single use systems, pilot-scale equipment, and commercial-scale manufacturing assets. Ensure scale-down models are representative and scientifically justified.
• Strategic Leadership: Align and prioritize departmental technical, scientific, and business goals with broader enterprise priorities to dynamically support an evolving pipeline.
• Financial & Resource Management: Own accountability for team resource allocation, capital, and consumable budgets, ensuring headcount projections and financial targets are met precisely.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Provide expert technical guidance across all aspects of vaccine upstream process development and commercialization for large molecule products.
• Talent Development: Cultivate a high-performance culture by identifying, coaching, and developing talent; actively leveraging both internal and external networks.
• Performance Management: Evaluate team performance accurately through structured, formal appraisal processes and dedicated development support.
• Succession Planning: Establish robust succession plans and actively champion career advancement opportunities for high-potential talent.
• EHS & Compliance: Champion a culture of safety by actively role-modeling, reinforcing, and implementing safe working practices through continuous training, Gemba walks, and EHS compliance.

Required (Basic) Qualifications

• Education Experience: Ph.D. or Master’s in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biological Engineering, Biochemistry or a related field.
• Industry Experience: 10+ years of experience leading end-to-end vaccine and/or biologic CMC process development, with a strong emphasis on late-stage projects, regulatory filing, and approvals.
• Leadership Scope: 5+ years of experience leading CMC projects and directing transversal or functional process development teams. Proven track record managing large, lab-based process development and tech transfer teams.
• Technical Expertise: Deep subject matter expertise in biologics and/or vaccine processing (large molecules), with the ability to independently direct all stages of cell culture and fermentation process commercialization.
• Regulatory & Documentation: Proven experience authoring critical CMC technical documentation, including Process Performance Qualification (PPQ), risk assessments, control strategies, comparability reports, and regulatory filings.
• Soft Skills & Agility: Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and matrix-leadership skills with a proven ability to mentor staff, drive a high-performance culture, and deliver on tight timelines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Process Technology: Hands-on experience with both fermentation and cell culture, including intensified inoculum, fed-batch, and perfusion process development.
• Equipment & Analytics: Experience with stainless steel systems, high-throughput microbioreactors, and advanced in situ analytics for real-time process monitoring.
• Data Science & Modeling: Experience with predictive modeling and data science (e.g., Metabolic Flux Analysis (MFA), omics, machine learning) and integrating Process Analytical Technology (PAT).
• Engineering & Quality: Strong background in mathematical scaling, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Quality by Design (QbD), and Lean Six Sigma principles.
• On-the-Floor GMP: Experience providing direct GMP manufacturing support, including batch record reviews and operational oversight.
• Global Regulatory Exposure: Direct experience supporting and writing international regulatory filings (IND, MAA, BLA) and interacting with global health authorities (FDA, EMA, PMDA/JNDA, TGA).
• External Influence: Demonstrated experience representing in external conferences to influence wider industry standards.

Required Skills

• Analytical Thinking
• Clinical Manufacturing
• Driving Continuous Improvement
• Employee Development
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Manufacturing Equipment
• People Leadership
• Pharmaceutical Process Development
• Process Characterization
• Process Development (PD)
• Process Validation
• Resource Management
• Results-Oriented
• Strategic Planning
• Technical Leadership
• Upstream Process Development
• Vaccine Manufacturing

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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

Compensation

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

The salary range for the primary location of this role is: $173,200.00 - $272,600.00. 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.

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.

Primary Location

The primary location for this posting is: USA - Pennsylvania - West Point

Additional Locations

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.

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 SanFranciscoFair Chance Ordinance LosAngeles 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 LosAngeles’ 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: No Travel Requirements: 10% Flexible Work Arrangements: Not Applicable Shift: Not Indicated Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): N/A

Job Posting End Date: 11/13/2026 *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.

Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where we have codified our legacy for over a century. Our success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.