Discovery Program Leader, Nonclinical Safety - Hybrid

Merck & Co.; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 176,000 - 277,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co. in the United States seeks a Discovery Program Leader (DPL) to champion Nonclinical Drug Safety on discovery research teams focused on immunology and oncology.

The role demands leadership, collaboration, and independence to guide strategy from target ID through GLP toxicity studies and First-In-Human enabling work. You will drive risk assessments, de-risk discovery programs, and coordinate with NDS staff across sites to support target advancement and regulatory submissions in a

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant field, DVM, MD degree or equivalent.
• Minimum 8+ years of demonstrated pharmaceutical industry experience as a non-clinical safety scientist and/or as non-clinical safety assessment representative to cross-functional development and/or discovery teams.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate cross-functional lines and drive team decision making in a matrix organizational structure.
• Excellent team player with ability to collaborate with discovery team members from various functions, other DPLs, and scientists responsible for study conduct.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to establish relationships within networks at all levels.
• Excellent communicator who can raise issues to stakeholders and management appropriately.

Responsibilities

• Represent NDS on discovery teams and participate in therapeutic area discovery governance committee reviews.
• Promote and facilitate creative thinking from target identification through lead optimization across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Be a drug creator and promoter of innovative thinking by influencing cross-site groups and functional areas.
• Identify and assess potential risks associated with therapeutic targets or development candidates using literature, internal data, and external information.
• The individual may also lead early development teams, informing on preclinical studies to support product development.

Skills

Clinical Safety

Toxicology

Strategic Thinking

Regulatory Submissions

Cross-functional Leadership

Immuno-Oncology

Problem Solving

Education

PhD in relevant field

Job description

Merck & Co. in the United States seeks a Discovery Program Leader (DPL) to champion Nonclinical Drug Safety on discovery research teams focused on immunology and oncology.

The role demands leadership, collaboration, and independence to guide strategy from target ID through GLP toxicity studies and First-In-Human enabling work. You will drive risk assessments, de-risk discovery programs, and coordinate with NDS staff across sites to support target advancement and regulatory submissions in a