Senior Field Application Scientist, Protein XI

MSD; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 101,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation & holidays

Bonus potential

Job summary

MSD in San Francisco is seeking a Senior Field Application Scientist, Protein XI, to serve as the scientific expert for immunoassays and NGS. You will support customers, conduct demonstrations, and mentor junior team members while contributing to training materials and field processes.

Initial rotation at MSD headquarters includes hands-on method development, with ongoing field leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and content creation for customer materials. Travel up to 50% is expected.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, or related field required.
• Master’s degree with equivalent experience considered.
• A minimum of 3 years in a field application scientist or scientific support position.
• Hands-on experience with NGS workflows, library prep, sequencing platforms, and data interpretation.
• Experience contributing to application notes, SOPs, or other scientific collateral preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical expert for customers and provide pre- and post-sales scientific support.
• Conduct product demonstrations, technical presentations, and workflow consultations.
• Troubleshoot complex assay challenges, data interpretation, and NGS/workflow issues.
• Guide experimental design, sample prep, assay selection, data analysis, and best practices.
• Partner with bioinformatics/software teams on data delivery and user workflows; propose workarounds.
• Document customer interactions and updates using Salesforce CRM.
• Drive adoption by delivering training plans, certification, and onboarding workflows.
• Create strategic account plans and quarterly business review updates.

Skills

Immunoassays

NGS workflows

Customer training

Sales support

CRM (Salesforce)

Leadership

Data interpretation

Public speaking

Education

PhD in Molecular Biology / Immunology / Biochemistry

MS with equivalent experience

Tools

Salesforce

Workflow development

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Field Application Scientist, Protein XI (FAS) will play a critical role in supporting the launch and ongoing success of a new, cutting-edge proteomic technology platform. This individual will serve as a scientific expert for customers and internal teams, combining deep knowledge of immunoassays and next-generation sequencing (NGS). The Senior FAS, Protein XI will provide advanced technical support, engage in hands‑on method development during an initial rotation at MSD headquarters, and mentor junior members of the Field Applications team. The role also involves creating high quality customer‑facing content, including training materials, workflows, and best‑practice guides and will help establish field processes, support playbooks, escalation paths, and training standards.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Customer Support

• Serve as the primary technical expert for customers using the new proteomic platform, providing pre- and post-sales scientific support.
• Conduct product demonstrations, technical presentations, and workflow consultations for prospective and existing customers.
• Troubleshoot complex assay challenges, data interpretation questions, and workflow issues involving both immunoassays and NGS.
• Guide customers on experimental design, sample preparation, assay selection, data analysis, and best practices.
• Partner with bioinformatics/software teams on data delivery, interpretation, and user workflow; communicate limitations clearly and propose workarounds.
• Manage and document customer interactions, opportunities, and case updates using CRM tools such as Salesforce.
• Drive adoption by delivering customer training plans, certification, and best‑practice rollouts; develop repeatable onboarding workflows.
• For strategic accounts, create success plans and QBR-ready updates (progress, outcomes, next steps).

Internal Launch Support

• Spend several months onsite at MSD gaining hands‑on proficiency with the platform, working closely with R&D, Operations, and Product Development teams before commercialization.
• Participate in method development, prototype evaluation, and early‑access testing to deeply understand platform performance and limitations.
• Provide field‑centric feedback to internal teams to inform product improvements, documentation, and usability.

Early Access Program (EAP) Leadership

• Serve as field lead for the EAP in partnership with Product Management: site selection, onboarding, study design support, timeline management, and executive‑ready readouts.
• Own customer cadence (weekly/biweekly check‑ins), risk tracking, issue triage, and escalation to R&D/Operations.
• Define success criteria and capture Voice‑of‑Customer (VOC) systematically (requirements, defects, desired features), translating into actionable inputs for Product Management.

Training and Mentorship

• Mentor and train other Field Application Scientists, sharing best practices and supporting skill development across the team.
• Deliver internal trainings, verify new hires, and help refine onboarding programs for the FAS organization.
• Serve as an escalation resource for complex customer issues or high‑visibility accounts.

Content Development & Customer Materials

• Develop customer‑facing materials such as quick reference guides, application notes, slide decks, workflow diagrams, and troubleshooting resources.
• Partner with Marketing to ensure scientific accuracy in customer‑facing documentation, campaigns, and launch materials.
• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of internal knowledge bases.
• Create/maintain controlled customer‑facing and internal technical documentation consistent with company quality systems (as applicable).

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Sales to identify customer needs and support technical discussions during the sales cycle.
• Provide field insights to Product Management regarding customer requirements, competitive trends, and product opportunities.
• Represent the company at scientific conferences, workshops, and seminars.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, or related field required.
• Master’s degree with equivalent experience considered
• A minimum of 3 years of in a field application scientist or scientific support position required.
• Hands‑on experience with NGS workflows, including library prep, sequencing platforms, and basic data interpretation.
• Experience contributing to application notes, SOPs, or other scientific collateral preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated expertise with immunoassays (e.g., multiplexed platforms, ELISA, proximity extension/ligation assays).
• Strong troubleshooting skills with complex workflows involving both wet‑lab and software components.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills; comfortable interacting with customers at all levels.
• Proficiency with CRM systems such as Salesforce for documenting customer interactions and supporting sales processes.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring skills.
• Familiarity with cloud‑based analysis tools and data visualization platforms.
• Comfortable reviewing NGS‑derived QC metrics, basic pipeline outputs, and communicating results to bench + computational stakeholders.
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 50% of the time.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• This position requires the ability to communicate and exchange information, utilize equipment necessary to perform the job, and move about the laboratory.
• Requires use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when accessing laboratory areas.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This position may require up to 50% travel within the designated territory to customer sites and events up to four/five days a week These visits may include work in a laboratory environment (which can include work with chemicals and hazardous materials).

COMPENSATION SUMMARY

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $101,400. to $154,700. This salary range represents a general guideline as MSD considers other factors when presenting an offer of employment, such as scope and responsibilities of the position, external market factors, and the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, education and experience. Employees may qualify for a discretionary or non‑discretionary bonus in addition to their base salary. These annual bonuses are intended to recognize individual performance and enable employees to benefit from the Company's overall success.

BENEFITS SUMMARY

At MSD, we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees' well‑being and financial security. In addition to competitive salaries, our benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with prescription benefits. We provide a 401(k) plan with company matching, flexible spending accounts, and company‑paid short‑and long‑term disability insurance as well as group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Our offerings also encompass paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid holidays, and paid parental leave, along with an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary perks include a fitness club membership contribution, pet insurance, identity theft protection, home and auto insurance discounts, and optional supplemental life insurance.

EEO/AA STATEMENT

MSD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, age, protected veteran status, pregnancy, disability status, or any other protected characteristic. For our full EEO/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit here.

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