Pharmaceutical Sciences Co-op: Drug Formulation & Delivery

MSD; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

MSD’s Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences Department in South San Francisco invites motivated undergraduates or graduate students to join its Future Talent Co-op in formulation development and manufacturing. The program runs up to 6 months and offers hands-on projects across oral, sterile, and specialty modalities.

You will work in a collaborative team, present results orally and in writing, and gain exposure to drug delivery, solid state chemistry, and early development.

Qualifications

• Candidates must be currently enrolled undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree OR a currently enrolled graduate student pursuing a Masters or Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or Engineering.
• Candidates must be available to work full-time for up to 4-6 months during 2027.

Responsibilities

• Co-op will work collaboratively in a team environment to help solve key challenges in formulation development and manufacturing of oral, sterile, and specialty pharmaceutical products.
• Participate in departmental and project team meetings to provide a broad perspective on the drug development process in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Have an opportunity to present research results in oral and written formats.
• Work closely with an experienced pharmaceutical industry scientist on a research project.

Skills

Pharmaceutical Sciences interest

Lab skills & research experience

GPA 3.0+

HPLC

Spectroscopy

Electronic notebook

Analytical techniques

Lab safety

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

Undergraduate student (sophomore–senior)

Graduate student (MS/PhD)

Pursuing Pharmaceutics/Pharmaceutical Sciences/Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry/Engineering

Job description

MSD’s Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences Department in South San Francisco invites motivated undergraduates or graduate students to join its Future Talent Co-op in formulation development and manufacturing. The program runs up to 6 months and offers hands-on projects across oral, sterile, and specialty modalities.

You will work in a collaborative team, present results orally and in writing, and gain exposure to drug delivery, solid state chemistry, and early development.