Principal Scientist (Director), Clinical Research, Immunology

1000 Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 256,000 - 403,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) retirement

Job summary

MSD is seeking a Clinical Director (Principal Scientist) to lead strategic planning and execution of late-stage clinical research for immunology compounds at a U.S. site. The role spans IND planning, trial design, execution, analysis, regulatory filing and publication.

You will supervise clinical scientists, collaborate with regulatory, statistics, manufacturing and commercialization teams, and help inform senior leadership on study progress and external scientific input.

Qualifications

• Education: MD/DO, MD/PhD, or DO/PhD required with 5+ years clinical or development experience.
• Experience in design and execution of phase 2 or 3 clinical trials in rheumatologic diseases preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate pre-clinical and translational work to inform early clinical development plans and US IND applications.
• Provide clinical development support for business development assessments of external opportunities.
• Develop clinical development strategies and plan trials (design, settings, operational plans).
• Monitor and manage ongoing or new clinical trials for investigational drugs.

Skills

Clinical Development

Clinical Research

Clinical Trial Planning

Cross-Functional Teamwork

Immunology

Rheumatology

Education

MD/DO/PhD required

Job description

Job Description The Clinical Director (Principal Scientist) has primary responsibility for the strategic planning and directing clinical research activities involving investigational compounds in Immunology. With a focus on late-stage development, the Clinical Director will manage the entire cycle of clinical development, including determination of appropriate disease indications to pursue and subsequent study design, initiation, execution, monitoring, analysis, regulatory filing, and publication.

Specifically, The Clinical Director May Be Responsible For:

• Evaluating pre-clinical and translational work for the purpose of generating the early clinical development plan and Investigational New Drug applications.
• Providing clinical development support of business development assessments of external opportunities to grow the Immunology Pipeline.
• Developing clinical development strategies for investigational drugs and planning clinical trials (design, operational plans, settings) based on these clinical development strategies.
• Monitoring and managing the conduct of ongoing or new clinical trials for investigational drugs.
• Analyzing and summarizing the clinical findings from studies to support decisions regarding safety and efficacy as well as new drug applications, clinical study reports, or publication; and Participation in internal and joint internal/external research project teams relevant to the development of new compounds.

The Clinical Director may:

• Supervise the activities of Clinical Scientists in the execution of clinical studies.
• Work closely with a cross-functional group of experts in commercialization, regulatory affairs, statistics, and manufacturing to manage clinical development projects; and assist the Senior Director, Associate Vice-President/Vice-President and Product Development Team Lead in ensuring that appropriate corporate personnel is informed of the progress of studies of our company and competitors' drugs and internal and external expert opinion on scientific questions relevant to his/her areas of responsibility.

The Clinical Director is responsible for maintaining a strong scientific fund of knowledge by:

• Maintaining awareness of scientific developments within his/her area of expertise, in terms of new scientific findings, research methodologies
• Identification of scientifically and operationally strong investigators who can assist in the development of our company's investigational drugs in Immunology
• Establishing collaborative relationships with external experts in Rheumatology diseases, particularly those whose research focus and expertise can inform and assist the evaluation of the company's investigational drugs
• Attending appropriate scientific meetings to maintain his or her competency and to maintain awareness of research activities in his/her area of responsibility.

To accomplish these goals, the Clinical Director may:

• Author detailed development documents, presentations, budgets, and position papers for internal and external audiences.
• Facilitate collaborations with external researchers around the world.
• Travel on company business about twenty (20) percent of the time to manage future or ongoing clinical research projects.

Qualifications

Education M.D., D.O., M.D./Ph.D, or D.O./Ph.D. Required education and experience Minimum of 5 years of clinical and/or development experience (academia, clinical medicine, and/or corporate clinical development). Demonstrated record of scientific scholarship and achievement Prior experience in design and execution of phase 2 or 3 clinical trials in rheumatologic diseases is preferred Strong interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment

Required Skills:

• Clinical Development
• Clinical Research
• Clinical Trial Planning
• Cross-Functional Teamwork
• Immunology
• Rheumatology

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit: EEOC Know Your Rights EEOC GINA Supplement We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The primary location for this posting is: USA - New Jersey - Rahway

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below. The salary range for the primary location of this role is: $255,800.00 - $402,700.00 This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information: San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status: Regular Relocation: Domestic VISA Sponsorship: No Travel Requirements: 25% Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid Shift: Not Indicated Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): n/a Job Posting End Date: 11/4/2026 *A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date. Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where we have codified our legacy for over a century. Our success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.