Discovery Program Leader (Immunology & Oncology)

Merck; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 176,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) retirement benefits

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Merck is seeking a Discovery Program Leader to represent Nonclinical Drug Safety on discovery teams focused on immunology and oncology. This role requires exceptional leadership, collaboration, and independence to drive innovative target discovery and lead optimization across multiple therapeutic areas.

The candidate will oversee cross-site teams, assess risks using literature and internal data, and may lead early development efforts to support product development.

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant field, DVM, MD degree or equivalent.
• Minimum 8+ years of pharmaceutical industry experience as a non-clinical safety scientist or as a representative to cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate cross-functional lines and drive team decision making in a matrix structure.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
• Experience with biopharmaceutical and small molecule development and/or discovery.
• Experience with regulatory submissions and responses.
• Member of pharmaceutical consortia and/or external scientific/professional organizations.

Responsibilities

• Represent NDS on discovery teams and participate in governance reviews.
• Promote creative thinking from target identification through lead optimization across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Lead early development teams and inform on preclinical studies to support product development.
• Identify and assess risks for targets and development candidates using literature and internal/external data.

Skills

Clinical Safety

Immuno-Oncology

Regulatory Filings

Regulatory Submissions

Strategic Thinking

Technology Transfer

Toxicology

Quality by Design

Matrix Management

Finite Element Analysis

Education

PhD (or MD/DVM) in relevant field

Job description

Merck is seeking a Discovery Program Leader to represent Nonclinical Drug Safety on discovery teams focused on immunology and oncology. This role requires exceptional leadership, collaboration, and independence to drive innovative target discovery and lead optimization across multiple therapeutic areas.

The candidate will oversee cross-site teams, assess risks using literature and internal data, and may lead early development efforts to support product development.