Principal Scientist, Discovery Separation Sciences

MSD; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 176,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k)

Paid holidays

Vacation

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. seeks an experienced senior scientist to lead purification and analytical science within Discovery Chemistry.

The role drives chromatographic purification, analytical separations, impurity isolation, and related technologies to enable high-quality compound delivery for drug discovery programs. Responsibilities include scientific leadership, development of automation-enabled workflows, LIMS deployment, and cross-functional collaboration with Medicinal, Process, and Analytical

Qualifications

• PhD/MS/BS with extensive industrial experience in pharma/biotech drug discovery environments.
• Experience leading purification, analytical separations, and chromatographic technologies.
• Track record in high-throughput experimentation and laboratory automation.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific leadership and deliver purification and analytical capabilities for drug discovery programs.
• Lead chromatography/analytical strategy, and guide resolution of complex challenges.
• Develop and implement innovative laboratory informatics and automation workflows.

Skills

Chromatography

HPLC

HTE

LC-MS

SFC

Organic Synthesis

Project Leadership

Scientific Leadership

Separation Sciences

Analytical Chemistry

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences/Chemical Engineering or related

M.S. in Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences/Chemical Engineering or related

B.S. in Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences/Chemical Engineering or related

Tools

LIMS

Laboratory informatics platforms

Automation platforms

Job description

Primary Responsibilities may include:

Scientific Leadership and Laboratory Delivery

• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert in purification and separation sciences, providing scientific leadership and contributing to purification and analytical activities that enable Discovery Chemistry programs through the delivery of high-quality compounds, analytical data, and scientific recommendations.
• Provide technical leadership and expertise in chromatographic purification, analytical separations, impurity isolation, and related technologies, while guiding resolution of complex scientific and operational challenges.
• Foster a culture of scientific excellence, operational efficiency, safety, and quality throughout laboratory operations.

Capability Development and Innovation

• Champion and implement innovative technologies, laboratory informatics platforms, LIMS solutions, automation-enabled purification workflows, and digital capabilities that enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of Separation Sciences capabilities.
• Establish best practices, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and contribute to capability roadmaps aligned with Discovery Chemistry priorities.

People Leadership and Talent Development

• Recruit, manage, mentor, and develop scientists and laboratory staff, building both technical expertise and leadership capability across the organization.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing environment that supports employee development, succession planning, and scientific excellence.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Influence

• Partner closely with Medicinal Chemistry, Process Chemistry, Analytical Sciences, Automation, Informatics, IT, and other research functions to support project progression and capability development.
• Serve as a trusted scientific partner to project teams, contributing purification and analytical expertise to project strategy and departmental initiatives.

Operations and Infrastructure Leadership

• Partner in laboratory operations, instrumentation strategy, capital planning, and implementation of automation and digital solutions that improve scientific productivity.
• Partner with Facilities, Procurement, Engineering, IT, and external vendors to ensure reliable laboratory operations, regulatory compliance, and continuous capability advancement.

External Scientific Engagement

• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and scientific advances in separation sciences and chromatography, contributing to our company's scientific reputation through publications, presentations, collaborations, and external engagement.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with a minimum of 8 years of relevant industrial experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug discovery research environment.
• M.S. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with 10-12 years of relevant industrial experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug discovery research environment.
• B.S. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with 12-15 years of relevant industrial experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug discovery research environment.

Required Experience and Skills

• Extensive experience in chromatographic purification and analytical separations supporting drug discovery programs, with expertise in HPLC, uHPLC, LCMS, SFC, and preparative chromatography technologies.
• Demonstrated experience supporting multiple therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, peptides, targeted protein degraders, and other emerging modalities.
• Experience with high-throughput experimentation (HTE), high-throughput and singleton purification workflows, laboratory automation, and analytical support within a Discovery Chemistry environment.
• Demonstrated ability to provide scientific leadership, influence technical direction, and deliver results through a laboratory-based scientific capability, including scientific leadership in chromatography, separation sciences, analytical chemistry, or related drug discovery capabilities.
• Experience implementing new technologies, laboratory informatics platforms, LIMS solutions, automation-enabled purification workflows, digital workflows, instrumentation, and process improvements.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing scientific staff, with strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Track record of cross-functional and cross-site scientific leadership, capability deployment, technology transfer, and successful collaboration across Discovery Chemistry sites, scientific disciplines, and research organizations.
• Experience partnering with IT, Informatics, Automation, Facilities, Procurement, and external vendors to develop and advance scientific capabilities.
• Experience with laboratory capital planning, laboratory build-out, infrastructure strategy, or management of scientific instrumentation portfolios.
• Publications, presentations, patents, or other evidence of external scientific engagement and professional visibility.

Required Skills:

• Chromatography
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• High-Throughput Experimentation (HTE)
• Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)
• Organic Synthesis
• Project Leadership
• Scientific Leadership
• Separation Sciences
• Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC)

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities.

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:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

Standard lab reagents

Job Posting End Date:

09/28/2026*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.

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is $176,200.00 - $277,300.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this 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.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days

More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

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:

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Our company is 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.