Senior Clinical Scientist, Immunology

Merck; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Merck seeks a Senior Clinical Scientist to provide scientific leadership for a clinical trial within the assigned therapeutic area. You will partner with Clinical Directors, Study Managers, Clinical Operations, Medical Monitoring, Data Management, Statistics, and Regulatory colleagues to ensure scientific integrity and quality.

The role applies disease biology, clinical research, and drug development to support study design, data review, interpretation, and generation of insights that inform

Qualifications

• Advanced degree or equivalent in a life sciences field and substantial clinical sciences experience.
• Experience with protocol development and clinical data review.
• Familiarity with cross-functional drug development teams and regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead Clinical Scientist for assigned trial, providing scientific oversight from planning through analysis and reporting.
• Contribute to development of clinical protocols, amendments, informed consent forms, CRFs, data review plans and related documents.
• Collaborate with cross-functional study teams to ensure objectives and endpoints align with development strategy.
• Mentor junior clinical scientists and communicate complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences.

Skills

Adaptability

Clinical Data

Clinical Operations

Clinical Research

Clinical Trials

Data Analysis

ICH GCP Guidelines

Protocol Development

Regulatory Compliance

Stakeholder Alignment

Strategic Thinking

Study Design

Education

Advanced degree (PharmD, PhD, MD, DO, PA)

Bachelor's Degree in life sciences w/ 5+ years clinical sciences

Master's Degree in life sciences w/ 3+ years clinical sciences

Job description

Job Description

The Senior Clinical Scientist provides scientific leadership for one clinical trial of a clinical development program within the assigned therapeutic area. This role partners with Clinical Directors, Study Managers, Clinical Operations, Medical Monitoring, Data Management, Statistics, and Regulatory colleagues to ensure the scientific integrity, quality.

The Senior Clinical Scientist applies expertise in disease biology, clinical research, and drug development to support study design, clinical data review, interpretation of results, and generation of scientific insights that inform development decisions and advance protocol objectives.

Job Responsibilities

Clinical Development & Scientific Leadership

• Serve as the lead Clinical Scientist for assigned clinical trial, providing scientific oversight from study planning through analysis and reporting
• Contribute to the development of clinical protocols, protocol amendments, informed consent forms, case report forms, data review plans, and other study-related documents
• Partner with Clinical Directors and cross-functional study teams to ensure study objectives, endpoints, assessments align with development strategy
• Maintain knowledge of evolving scientific literature, treatment guidelines, competitive developments, and emerging therapies within the therapeutic area

Clinical Data Review & Scientific Insights

• Lead ongoing review and interpretation of clinical data to assess patient safety, protocol adherence, data quality, and study conduct
• Collaborate with Medical Monitors and Clinical Directors to evaluate safety signals, protocol deviations, patient profiles, laboratory findings, and efficacy outcomes
• Analyze and interpret clinical trial data to identify meaningful trends and generate scientific insights that support study deliverables
• Contribute to study reports, regulatory documents, publications, scientific presentations, and internal governance materials

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Clinical Operations, Data Management, Programming, Biostatistics, and Regulatory Affairs to support high-quality study execution and delivery
• Provide scientific expertise and guidance to study teams and mentor junior clinical scientists as appropriate
• Effectively communicate complex scientific concepts and study findings to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Influence decisions and drive alignment within a matrix-based global organization

Key Focus Areas

• Strong understanding of autoimmune diseases including biology, pathophysiology, and treatment paradigms for immune-mediated diseases
• Ability to interpret efficacy, safety, biomarker, and patient-reported outcome data within the context of disease-specific endpoints and evolving standards of care
• Experience conducting medical review of clinical trial data and contributing to safety and efficacy assessments
• Ability to translate scientific findings into actionable insights that support clinical development strategy
• Demonstrated scientific curiosity and commitment to staying current with advancements in immunology research, disease mechanisms, and emerging treatment approaches

Education & Experience

• Advanced degree (PharmD, PhD, MD, DO, PA or ANRP) -OR-
• Bachelor's Degree in life sciences and 5+ years of experience in clinical sciences -OR-
• Master's Degree in life sciences and 3+ years of experience in clinical sciences
• Experienced with:
  • Protocol development
  • Clinical data review
  • Medical monitoring support
  • Cross-functional drug development teams

Preferred

• Experience in Immunology clinical development

Required Skills: Adaptability, Clinical Data, Clinical Operations, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, Data Analysis, ICH GCP Guidelines, Protocol Development, Regulatory Compliance, Stakeholder Alignment, Strategic Thinking, Study Design

Preferred Skills: Leadership, Mentorship, Technical Knowledge

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.

Employee Status

Regular

Relocation

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship

No

Travel Requirements

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements

Not Applicable

Shift

1st - Day

Valid Driving License

No

Hazardous Material(s)

N/A

Job Posting End Date

09/29/2026

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.

Requisition ID:

R418249

The salary range for this role is

$117,000.00 - $184,200.00

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.