Scientist, Oral Formulation Sciences (On-site)

HireLifeScience; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 87,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Merck IT’S Pharmaceutical Sciences division is seeking a scientist to support formulation development of new chemical entities from first-in-human formulations through final market formulation definition and manufacturing robustness assessment.

The role involves developing solid oral drug products, leading operations in GMP/non-GMP environments, performing routine experiments, data analysis, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure project timelines without heavy supervision.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related discipline with a minimum of 2 years industrial experience.
• Experience with MS Office, JMP, Minitab, and MATLAB.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develops and applies basic principles and scientific concepts to execute work in a laboratory or pilot plant environment to develop solid oral drug products.
• Capability to lead manufacturing operations in non-GMP and GMP environments.
• Executes routine experiments and data interpretation with independence.
• Ability to operate and troubleshoot equipment and processes.
• Utilizes laboratory/pilot plant skills and fundamental scientific principles to execute on daily responsibilities and contributes to the development of project team strategy.
• Can understand overall project timelines to manage prioritization of individual contributor deliverables with minimal supervision.
• Works well with others in collaborative team environments.
• Builds awareness of relevant new and current technologies to grow as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Skills

Pharma industry experience

Data analysis

Verbal and written communication

Independent work

Education

B.S./M.S. in Chemical Eng, Biomedical Eng, Pharm Sci or related

Tools

JMP

Minitab

MATLAB

MS Office

Job description

Job Description

Our company's Pharmaceutical Sciences organization translates molecules to medicines, working from the discovery interface through registration stability manufacturing by designing, developing and scaling-up the formulation, device, and manufacturing process. Driving drug product design from the bench top to the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing facilities, our Scientists use cutting edge science to transform drug delivery and manufacturing technology to positively impact patients.

The successful candidate will be a passionate scientist with strong academic fundamentals and a drive to develop new medicines to improve human health. In this role, the individual will be responsible for supporting the formulation development of new chemical entities as part of a matrix team from initial first in human formulations (suspensions, solutions, capsules, tablets) through final market formulation definition and manufacturing process robustness assessment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develops and applies basic principles and scientific concepts to execute work in a laboratory or pilot plant environment to develop solid oral drug products.
• Capability to lead manufacturing operations in non-GMP and GMP environments.
• Executes routine experiments and data interpretation with independently.
• Ability to operate and troubleshoot equipment and processes.
• Utilizes laboratory/pilot plant skills and fundamental scientific principles to execute on daily responsibilities and contributes to the development of project team strategy.
• Can understand overall project timelines to manage prioritization of individual contributor deliverables with minimal supervision.
• Works well with others in collaborative team environments.
• Builds awareness of relevant new and current technologies to grow as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Education Minimum Requirements

B.S. or M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related discipline with a minimum of 2 years relevant industrial experience.

Required Experience and Skills

• Prior industry experience in the pharmaceutical industry or related field.
• Ability to learn and apply new scientific principles to execution of daily responsibilities in an independent manner.
• Demonstrated ability to collate and conduct basic data analysis in an independent manner.
• Prior experience with Microsoft Office, statistical software (JMP, Minitab), and numerical analysis software (Matlab).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Ability to learn and grow independently and in team environments.
• Prior experienced with advanced simulation/modeling software packages (gSOLIDS, Solidworks, ANSYS Polyflow, etc..).
• Experience with advanced drug product manufacturing technologies.
• Desire to build new capabilities through the evaluation of new technologies and hands-on optimization of existing technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to apply the principles of physical/organic chemistry, physical pharmacy & materials science to solving practical pharmaceutical development problems.
• Hands-on experience in pharmaceutical pilot plants.

About the Company

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we "follow the science" and that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. And we believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

Our company & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA is known as "our company" in the United States, Canada & Puerto Rico. We are known as "our company" in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America & Asia Pacific. We are a global biopharmaceutical leader with a diverse portfolio of prescription medicines, oncology, vaccines and animal health products.

We are driven by our purpose to develop and deliver innovative products that save and improve lives. With 69,000 employees operating in more than 140 countries, we offer state of the art laboratories, plants and offices that are designed to Inspire our employees as we learn, develop and grow in our careers. We are proud of our 125 years of service to humanity and continue to be one of the world's biggest investors in Research & Development.

In a world of rapid innovation, we seek brave Inventors who want to make an Impact in all aspects of our business, enabling breakthroughs that will affect generations to come. We encourage you to bring your disruptive thinking, collaborative spirit and diverse perspective to our organization.

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.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this role is $87,300.00 - $137,400.00. 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.

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.

The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

Location and Availability

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.

Employment Details

Employee Status: Regular

Relocation: Domestic

VISA Sponsorship: Yes

Travel Requirements: 10%

Flexible Work Arrangements: Not Applicable

Shift: 1st - Day

Valid Driving License: No

Hazardous Material(s): n/a

Job Posting End Date: 10/21/2026