Senior Scientist: mRNA Display & Affinity Discovery

Merck; New Jersey; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

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.

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 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.

Skills

Molecular biology

Protein biochemistry

Affinity-based screening

NGS data analysis

Experimental design

Data integration

Scientific communication

Education

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

Job description

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.