Principal Scientist, Upstream Process Development Group Lead

Merck & Co.; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 173,000 - 273,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) plan

Job summary

Merck & Co. in Rahway, NJ seeks a Senior Principal Scientist to shape and drive innovation in upstream bioprocessing for the biologics pipeline.

You will lead cross-functional teams, design cell-culture processes, and guide strategies for early to late development while contributing to CMC development and regulatory filings. You will supervise 3–5 scientists, mentor colleagues, and collaborate with academia, industry, and vendors to adopt novel technologies.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. with 10+ years, MS with 12+ years, or BS with 14+ years of industry experience in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or a related field for Senior Principal Scientist position and Principal Scientist position.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of robust and scalable upstream processes for biologics in various stages of clinical development, as well as process characterization and regulatory filings for successful commercialization.
• Mentor and actively share expertise across teams; guide career development within and outside the group; build strong, collaborative connections in matrix teams.
• Direct supervision of 3-5 scientists, accountable for development and growth of a cohesive group and direct reports.
• Represent BPR&D as an upstream bioprocess expert/co-leader in internal and cross-functional project teams.

Skills

Biologics

Bioprocess Engineering

Bioreactors

Cell Culture Process Development

Cell Culture Techniques

Process Development (PD)

Regulatory Filings

Quality by Design

Scientific Presentations

Technical Evaluation

Education

Ph.D. with 10+ years experience in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or related field

MS with 12+ years experience in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or related field

BS with 14+ years experience in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or related field

Job description

Job Description

Our Scientists are our Inventors. Through innovative thinking, state‑of‑the‑art facilities, cutting‑edge science, and technology, we collaborate to deliver the next medical breakthroughs. We are looking for a collaborative, self‑motivated scientific leader with expertise in downstream bioprocessing to join Biologics Process Research & Development (BPR&D) as a Senior Principal Scientist.

As a Senior Principal Scientist/Principal Scientist, you will drive various strategic initiatives and translate strategies into‑implementation for our Company biologics platform. You will collaborate with an immensely creative and collaborative team of scientists and engineers to design upstream, cell‑culture processes while developing technical strategies related to upstream processing and recombinant expression of drug candidates in early‑ and late‑stage development.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as a scientific leader to shape and drive innovation across the Biologics pipeline, strategy, and science.
• Anticipate and solve scientific and technical challenges across projects and functional teams, in a fast‑paced, multidisciplinary environment.
• Lead the development of robust and scalable upstream processes for biologics in various stages of clinical development, as well as process characterization and regulatory filings for successful commercialization.
• Improve upstream processes by increasing efficiency and cost‑effectiveness through research and innovation, while evaluating technologies and industry best practices.
• Collaborate with academia, industry, and vendors to facilitate the development and early adoption of novel process technologies.
• Contribute to strategic initiatives; work with senior leaders to establish overall project strategy and guide teams in its execution.
• Conceptualize, plan, and execute projects using effective organizational, prioritization, and problem‑solving skills.
• Stay updated on the scientific and regulatory landscape; contribute scientifically and build your reputation through conference participation.
• Represent BPR&D as a upstream bioprocess expert/co‑leader in internal and cross‑functional project teams.
• Direct supervision of 3‑5 scientists, accountable for development and growth of a cohesive group and direct reports
• Mentor and actively share expertise across teams; guide career development within and outside the group; build strong, collaborative connections in matrix teams

Minimum Education Requirements

• Ph.D. with 10+ years, MS with 12+ years, or BS with 14+ and Ph.D. with 6+ years, MS with 8+ years, or BS with 10+ years of industry experience in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or a related field for Senior Principal Scientist position and Principal Scientist position, respectively.

Required Experience, Skills, and Competencies

• Strong fundamental knowledge and subject matter expertise in cell‑culture process development for biologics, fed‑batch cell culture, bioreactor scale‑up and scale‑down, as well as recent advances, and challenges in the field
• Expertise in independently conducting and directing the design, execution, analysis, and documentation of all stages of cell‑culture process development
• Track record of accomplishments in upstream bioprocessing with a history of peer‑reviewed publications and presentations. Strong understanding of cell metabolism and biochemical pathways relevant to bioprocessing.
• Knowledge of biologics CMC development.
• Ability to adapt to and prioritize complex objectives under tight timelines in a rapidly changing environment.
• Experience leading internal and external cross‑functional, matrixed teams.
• Demonstrated scientific leadership with significant, measurable project impacts across a set of programs.
• Action‑oriented mindset with a capacity for creativity; ability to take initiative, innovate, iterate, and solve problems.
• Supervise, coach and mentor scientists to maximize talent development and utilization.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Leadership of CMC development teams.
• Experience with continuous biomanufacturing integrated with process‑analytical technologies.
• Knowhow of intensified inoculum and perfusion process development.
• Expertise in media/feed development and relevant chemistry.
• High‑throughput experimentation, automation, and process control.
• Knowledge of microbial fermentation.
• Cell culture predictive modeling (omics (transcriptomics, metabolomics, or/and proteomics), metabolic flux analysis); statistics, data‑science, machine learning, artificial intelligence.
• Process characterization and validation, CDMO supervision, commercialization of biologics.

Required Skills: Biologics, Bioprocess Engineering, Bioreactors, Cell Culture Process Development, Cell Culture Techniques, Cell Line Development, Chemistry, Combination Products, Commercialization, Downstream Processing, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Matrix Management, Pharmaceutical Process Development, Process Development (PD), Process Implementations, Quality by Design, Regulatory Filings, Scientific Presentations, Technical Evaluation, Technology Development, Technology Transfer

The salary range for this role is
$173,200.00 - $272,600.00

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.

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 .

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

Requisition ID: R417386

Job Posting End Date: 10/10/2026