Senior Scientist, Immunology Assays & Vaccine Bioanalysis

Merck; Spring House (PA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck seeks a Senior Scientist to lead hands-on development and validation of immunology-based assays for vaccines in a regulated bioanalytics setting. You will design and optimize cell-based assays, perform intracellular cytokine staining and ELISpot/FluoroSpot, and manage documentation in a GxP environment.

Own assay transfer readiness from development to clinical studies, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure data quality and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in immunology, cell biology, biology, bioengineering, or related scientific discipline; or M.S. with 2+ years of industry experience; or B.S. with 5+ years of industry experience.
• Ability to work safely with viruses, bacteria, and potentially infectious human and animal samples under BSL-2 practices.
• Experience with regulated bioanalytical workflows, GxP documentation, assay development/validation, and data integrity.

Responsibilities

• Lead cell-based immunoassay lifecycle activities for preclinical and clinical samples.
• Develop cellular immunology methods like ICS, ELISpot/FluoroSpot, and cytokine profiling.
• Maintain flow cytometry readiness through calibration and maintenance.
• Author and review SOPs, test methods, and technical reports; communicate strategy and risks.

Skills

Cytometry

GraphPad Prism

Immunoassays

Immunology Research

Ligand Binding Assay

Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacology

Sample Preparations

Scientific Presentations

Scientific Research

Scientific Writing

Technical Reviews

Vaccine Development

Education

Ph.D. in immunology, cell biology, biology, bioengineering, or related field

M.S. with 2+ years of industry experience

B.S. with 5+ years of industry experience

Tools

Flow cytometer

Liquid handling robots

FlowJo

Job description

Merck seeks a Senior Scientist to lead hands-on development and validation of immunology-based assays for vaccines in a regulated bioanalytics setting. You will design and optimize cell-based assays, perform intracellular cytokine staining and ELISpot/FluoroSpot, and manage documentation in a GxP environment.

Own assay transfer readiness from development to clinical studies, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure data quality and regulatory compliance.