Infectious Disease Clinical Science Leader

Merck; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 331,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ seeks a Senior Director of Clinical Science for Infectious Disease to steer strategic leadership across multiple studies and programs.

You will apply deep therapeutic expertise to guide development plans, standardize scientific practices, and drive data-driven decisions across a portfolio in collaboration with regulatory, operations, and medical affairs teams. The role emphasizes strong disease area knowledge, cross-functional leadership, and governance

Qualifications

• Advanced scientific or healthcare degree required (e.g., PhD, PharmD) with 8+ years of pharmaceutical/clinical drug development experience.
• Significant experience providing Clinical Science leadership across multiple studies, programs, or assets.
• Strong understanding of disease biology, endpoints, and regulatory expectations in infectious disease development.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic Clinical Science leadership across the disease area and multiple studies/assets.
• Guide interpretation of clinical data to support development decisions and governance.
• Lead standardization and best practices for Clinical Science across the portfolio.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate insights and ensure program alignment.

Skills

Clinical Development

Clinical Research Management

Clinical Sciences

Data Quality

Ethical Standards

High Performance Team Building

Infectious Disease

Matrix Leadership

Matrix Management

Medical Monitoring

New Technology Integration

People Leadership

Pharmaceutical Industry

Regulatory Compliance

Therapeutic Knowledge

Trial Design

Education

Advanced scientific degree (PhD/PharmD)

Master’s degree in life sciences

Bachelor’s degree in life sciences

Job description

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ seeks a Senior Director of Clinical Science for Infectious Disease to steer strategic leadership across multiple studies and programs.

You will apply deep therapeutic expertise to guide development plans, standardize scientific practices, and drive data-driven decisions across a portfolio in collaboration with regulatory, operations, and medical affairs teams. The role emphasizes strong disease area knowledge, cross-functional leadership, and governance