Lead Scientist, Biologics Downstream

Merck

Rahway (NJ)

On-site

USD 173,000 - 273,000

Full time

44 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k)

Job summary

Merck in Rahway, NJ seeks a Principal Scientist (Director) to lead the Biologics Downstream team within BDSC, directing late-stage and commercial programs and shaping downstream strategies. You will mentor scientists, drive tech transfer, scale-up, validation, and collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, and external partners to enable licensure and commercialization.

This role requires strong leadership, deep biologics know-how, and a track record of delivering complex processes in

Qualifications

BS/ MS/ PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemistry, or related field.
14 years (BS), 12 years (MS), or 6 years (PhD) of industry experience.
Deep technical expertise in downstream processing of biologics.
Proven ability to independently design, direct, execute, analyze, and document all stages of process development.
Experience supporting biologics commercialization, including late-stage development and/or commercial manufacturing.
Strong leadership and collaboration skills within cross-functional, matrixed organizations.

Responsibilities

Lead downstream and/or integrated drug substance teams supporting late-stage clinical and commercial programs.
Provide technical leadership for laboratory scale and manufacturing scale studies (characterization, validation, investigations, CPV).
Serve as a downstream SME across core unit operations and interdependencies with upstream, analytical, and GMP manufacturing.
Ensure process and product knowledge is developed, documented, and transferred per company standards and regulatory expectations.
Support technology transfer activities to internal and external sites, including scale-up, process validation, and readiness.