Senior Scientist, Oncology Drug Discovery

Merck & Co.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 188,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co. in Boston is seeking a Senior Scientist to join the Discovery Oncology team. You will lead and support cancer drug discovery projects, develop and optimize assays, and generate high‑quality data to advance programs.

The role requires strong wet lab expertise in molecular biology, flow cytometry, and biomarker analyses. You will communicate results clearly, collaborate across teams, and contribute to multiple projects simultaneously.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting oncology drug discovery with data‑driven decisions.
• Hands‑on wet lab in molecular and cellular biology techniques.
• Experience with multi‑color flow cytometry, Incucyte, cell viability assays.
• Experience with protein and biomarker analysis (Western blot, JESS, ELISA/MSD).
• Ability to collaborate with in vivo pharmacology teams for endpoint samples.
• Strong data analysis and statistics using GraphPad Prism and FlowJo.
• Ability to design experiments, troubleshoot, interpret results.
• Strong written and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize assays for cancer drug discovery.
• Design and execute well‑controlled experiments.
• Analyze data, interpret results and troubleshoot issues.
• Generate actionable insights to inform project decisions.
• Present progress at internal team and department meetings.
• Contribute to multiple projects simultaneously.

Skills

Molecular biology

Cell biology

Flow cytometry

Incucyte

Biomarker analysis

CRISPR

shRNA

Lentiviral transduction

Data analysis

GraphPad Prism

FlowJo

DOE

Experiment design

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Education

PhD in related field

MS with industry experience

BS with industry experience

Tools

Incucyte

JESS

ELISA

Meso Scale Discovery

Job description

Merck & Co. in Boston is seeking a Senior Scientist to join the Discovery Oncology team. You will lead and support cancer drug discovery projects, develop and optimize assays, and generate high‑quality data to advance programs.

The role requires strong wet lab expertise in molecular biology, flow cytometry, and biomarker analyses. You will communicate results clearly, collaborate across teams, and contribute to multiple projects simultaneously.