Senior Scientist Biology-Discovery

Merck; New Jersey; Sur place; USD 110 000 - 160 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Merck in Rahway, NJ is seeking a collaborative scientist to join the Affinity Selections team, focusing on mRNA Display technologies. You will contribute to execution, optimization, and advancement of affinity-selection platforms to support discovery against challenging targets.

Candidates should have strong experimental skills, scientific curiosity, and the ability to integrate information across disciplines to guide decisions.

Qualifications

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Structural Biology, or related field.
• MS with 4+ years of relevant research or industry experience in affinity-selection or genotype-to-phenotype discovery technologies.
• Strong understanding of molecular biology, protein biochemistry, affinity-based screening, and NGS-based analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsabilités

• Design, execute, troubleshoot, and optimize mRNA Display affinity-selection campaigns.
• Analyze experimental and NGS data to support hit identification and project progression.
• Develop and improve selection strategies, workflows, and platform performance.
• Contribute to development and implementation of new technologies and scientific approaches.
• Draft, maintain, and update SOPs, protocols, and technical documentation.
• Present findings and recommendations to project teams and stakeholders.
• Collaborate effectively with scientists across disciplines.
• Support knowledge sharing, training, and continuous improvement.

Connaissances

Molecular biology

Protein biochemistry

Affinity-based screening

NGS data analysis

Experimental design

Data integration

Scientific communication

Formation

PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Structural Biology, or related

Description du poste

Job Description

About the Team

At our Company, our scientists are united by a common purpose: applying innovative science to discover medicines that make a meaningful difference for patients. Within Quantitative Biosciences Early Discovery (QBED), we leverage advanced technologies and multidisciplinary collaboration to address challenging therapeutic targets and enable the next generation of drug discovery.

The Affinity Selections team develops and applies mRNA Display and DNA Encoded Library (DEL) technologies to discover peptide and small molecule leads against difficult biological targets. Working closely with colleagues across biology, protein sciences, chemistry, biophysics, automation, and computational sciences, we aim to advance both discovery programs and platform capabilities.

Beyond executing screens, we seek to understand why experiments succeed or fail, identify patterns across campaigns, and continuously improve our technologies, workflows, and scientific approaches.

Position Overview

We are seeking a collaborative scientist to join the Affinity Selections team in Rahway, NJ, with a primary focus on mRNA Display technologies.

The successful candidate will contribute to the execution, optimization, and continued advancement of our affinity-selection platforms while supporting discovery efforts against challenging therapeutic targets. This role requires strong experimental skills, scientific curiosity, and the ability to integrate information from multiple sources to guide scientific decision-making.

Experience with mRNA Display is highly desirable. Candidates with experience in related genotype-to-phenotype discovery technologies are also encouraged to apply.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design, execute, troubleshoot, and optimize mRNA Display affinity-selection campaigns.
• Analyze experimental and NGS data to support hit identification and project progression.
• Develop and improve selection strategies, workflows, and platform performance.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new technologies and scientific approaches.
• Draft, maintain, and update SOPs, protocols, and technical documentation.
• Present scientific findings and recommendations to project teams and stakeholders.
• Collaborate effectively with scientists across multiple disciplines.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing, training, and continuous improvement efforts.

Collaboration and Team Culture

We believe scientific excellence is built through both individual contributions and effective teamwork.

We value scientists who:

• Demonstrate scientific rigor, integrity, and attention to detail.
• Approach challenges with curiosity, humility, and an open mind.
• Integrate information across disciplines and connect observations to broader scientific questions.
• Apply previous experiences constructively while remaining receptive to new ideas and approaches.
• Share knowledge openly and contribute to the success of colleagues.
• Build trust through reliability, accountability, and consistent execution.
• Value team success alongside individual achievement.

We are looking for a scientist who is eager to learn, willing to contribute, and motivated to strengthen both our discovery platforms and our team.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must meet one of the following:

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Structural Biology, or a related scientific discipline; or
• MS with 4+ years of relevant research or industry experience in affinity-selection or genotype-to-phenotype discovery technologies.

Required Qualifications

• Strong understanding of molecular biology, protein biochemistry, affinity-based screening, and NGS-based analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to design, execute, optimize, and troubleshoot complex experimental workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and integrate data from multiple experimental approaches to guide scientific decision-making.
• Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and contribute effectively to team-based science.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Hands-on experience with mRNA Display is strongly preferred.
• Experience with genotype-to-phenotype discovery technologies and use of NGS data to identify and prioritize hits.
• Experience with phage display, yeast display, ribosome display, CIS display, DNA display, or related technologies.
• Experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology research environment.
• Experience developing new technologies and improving scientific workflows.
• Experience writing SOPs, protocols, and technical documentation.

Why Join Us?

This role offers an opportunity to advance industry-leading discovery platforms while working alongside a highly collaborative team dedicated to scientific excellence, innovation, and continuous learning. The successful candidate will contribute to future therapeutic discoveries while helping strengthen the capabilities and impact of the Af