Senior Data Scientist (Machine Learning & Generative AI)

Merck & Co.; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to prototype and deploy advanced analytics products for the manufacturing division.

You will collaborate with IT, engineering, and operations to design scalable analytics solutions and guide projects from discovery to deployment. The role requires strong ML/DL foundations, Python expertise with scikit-learn, Keras, TensorFlow, or PyTorch, and a software‑engineering mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; PhD preferred in chemical engineering, applied mathematics, or related field with data science/ML experience
• 2+ years of data science and ML projects if master's degree
• Experience with Agile methodologies and cross-functional collaboration

Responsibilities

• Design and develop quantitative methodologies using ML, DL, and generative AI to drive decisions
• Apply data science techniques for process monitoring, optimization, and predictive analytics
• Develop end-to-end digital solutions incl. automation and integration into production systems
• Engage with stakeholders to align analytics with business objectives
• Create and share domain knowledge on emerging analytics trends
• Lead the development of analytics platforms and pipelines to unlock value from insights
• Stay current with AI/ML best practices, ethics, and compliance

Skills

Machine Learning

Deep Learning

Generative AI

Python

Data Science

Agile Methodology

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Communication Skills

Software Engineering Mindset

Data Mining

Modeling & Simulations

Education

Bachelor's degree

PhD preferred in technical field

Master's in data science / related field + 2+ years

Tools

Python libraries (scikit-learn)

Keras

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Docker

AWS / Databricks

LangChain / agent tooling

Job description

Job Summary:

As a Senior Data Scientist, you will leverage your expertise in machine learning model development, generative AI, and software engineering to rapidly prototype and deploy advanced analytics products for our manufacturing division. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including IT, engineering, and operations, to design and implement robust advanced analytics solutions at scale within production systems. You will also engage in ad-hoc consulting roles to support various projects across the organization. Our data science team contributes to different project phases, from ideation and business case development, through data discovery and preparation, to model development, prototyping, and facilitating adoption.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

• Independently design and develop innovative quantitative methodologies, leveraging different methods and approaches in machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI, to drive data-driven decision-making and influence key initiatives within the company.
• Apply data science, machine learning, and deep learning techniques to create tools for process monitoring, process optimization, and predictive analytics.
• Develop end-to‑end digital solutions, including automation of data workflows and integration into existing systems.
• Engage with customers and stakeholders to understand their needs, requirements, expectations, and potential opportunities, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Build and disseminate in-depth domain knowledge of emerging trends in one or more sub‑specialty areas of data analytics, fostering collaboration with cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Design, lead, and document the development of analytics applications, platforms, and processes to unlock value through scientific insights.
• Stay updated on current best practices, methodologies, and technologies in AI, machine learning, and data science landscape, including compliance and ethical considerations.

Required Skills:

• Extensive knowledge of both traditional supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms, as well as familiarity with advanced deep learning architectures.
• Proven hands‑on experience with Python, including practical skills with libraries such as scikit‑learn, Keras, TensorFlow, or PyTorch.
• Familiarity with feature engineering and exploratory data analysis for both structured and unstructured data sets.
• Knowledge of experiment tracking methodologies and tools to monitor model performance and maintain reproducibility.
• Exceptional communication skills to effectively convey complex information to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• A strong software engineering mindset, emphasizing the importance of producing high‑quality code, documentation, and pipelines.
• A data‑centric mindset, focusing on how data can be leveraged to create actionable insights and drive business value.
• Experience working within Agile frameworks and methodologies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding of generative AI including large language models and vision language models, RAG, pre‑training, and/or fine‑tuning for specific applications.
• Experience with agents, agentic AI platforms (CrewAI, LangGraph, LangChain, AutoGen, Semantic Kernel, Bedrock, Strands, etc), agent tooling and protocols (MCP, A2A), and/or AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Open Claw).
• Familiarity with graph networks, semantic layers, and causal inference.
• Familiarity with deep learning applications or inference, computer vision, autoencoders, etc.
• Familiarity with modern MLOps tools and best practices for lifecycle management including CI/CD pipelines, containerization technologies such as Docker, and deploying machine learning models in cloud environments such as AWS, Databricks, or similar platforms.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree required
• Preferred Ph.D. in chemical engineering, applied mathematics, or other technical fields with expertise in data science and machine learning projects or master's degree in data science, computer science, applied statistics/mathematics, chemical engineering, or a related field with 2+ years of relevant experience in data science and machine learning projects.

Required Skills:

Required Skills: Agile Methodology, Agile Methodology, Applied Mathematics, Business Analytics, Business Case Development, Change Catalyst, Chemical Engineering, Cheminformatics, Compliance Analytics, Containerization, Cross‑Functional Collaboration, Data Mining, Data Science, Detail‑Oriented, Emerging Trends, Generative AI, Information Architecture Design, Information Systems Engineering, Machine Learning (ML), Modeling Simulations, Pharmacogenetics, Predictive Modeling, Prototyping, Software Tool Development, Stakeholder Engagement {+ 2 more}

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. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

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.

Salary:

The salary range for this role is $129,000.00 - $203,100.00

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:

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:

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:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

10/12/2026

Posting Effective Note:

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.