Lead Peptide Formulation Scientist — Developability & Delivery

MSD; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 176,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in South San Francisco seeks a Principal Scientist to lead peptide formulation, developability assessment, and delivery strategies for peptide modalities.

You will characterize physicochemical properties and guide candidate selection with cross-functional teams. The role requires a PhD with at least 6 years' industrial experience in peptide formulations, strong communication, and leadership to mentor scientists while driving innovation across preclinical and early clinical

Qualifications

• PhD with minimum 6 years in peptide formulation development in industry.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Characterize physicochemical properties of peptide molecules (oligomer state, fibrillation risk).
• Conduct early formulation development and developability assessments.
• Develop delivery approaches for peptide modalities.
• Provide candidate recommendations with partner functions.
• Mentor junior scientists and lead technical discussions.
• Collaborate with Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, Nonclinical and Drug Product teams.

Skills

Peptide formulations

Developability assessment

Cell culture

Drug delivery

Pharmacokinetics

Protein chemistry

Protein biochemistry

Quality by Design

Scientific research

Education

PhD in relevant field

Tools

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Job description

Merck & Co., Inc. in South San Francisco seeks a Principal Scientist to lead peptide formulation, developability assessment, and delivery strategies for peptide modalities.

You will characterize physicochemical properties and guide candidate selection with cross-functional teams. The role requires a PhD with at least 6 years' industrial experience in peptide formulations, strong communication, and leadership to mentor scientists while driving innovation across preclinical and early clinical