Discovery Program Leader, Nonclinical Safety

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid holidays

Vacation

Sick days

Job summary

Merck seeks a Discovery Program Leader (DPL) to represent Nonclinical Drug Safety on discovery teams, focusing on immunology and oncology. The role demands strong leadership, collaboration, and independence to drive innovative medicines from target identification through lead optimization.

You will lead cross-site programs, assess risks using literature and data, and may guide early development studies 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 equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate cross-functional lines in a matrix structure.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for cross-site collaboration.
• Experience with biopharmaceutical and small molecule development and/or discovery.
• Experience with regulatory submissions and responses.
• Member of pharmaceutical consortia or external professional organizations.

Responsibilities

• Represent NDS on discovery teams and governance reviews.
• Facilitate creative thinking from target identification through lead optimization across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Identify and assess risks for targets or development candidates using literature, data and external information.
• Possibly lead early development teams, informing on preclinical studies.
• Collaborate with cross-site teams and internal stakeholders to drive portfolio decisions.

Skills

Clinical Safety

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Good Lab Practices

Immuno-Oncology

Innovative Thinking

Matrix Management

Quality by Design

Regulatory Filings

Regulatory Submissions

Safety Management

Strategic Thinking

Technology Transfer

Toxicology

Education

PhD in relevant field

DVM

MD

Job description

Merck seeks a Discovery Program Leader (DPL) to represent Nonclinical Drug Safety on discovery teams, focusing on immunology and oncology. The role demands strong leadership, collaboration, and independence to drive innovative medicines from target identification through lead optimization.

You will lead cross-site programs, assess risks using literature and data, and may guide early development studies to support product development.