Senior Specialist, Data Analysis

MSD Malaysia; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 251,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Other insurance

Retirement (401k)

Paid holidays

Vacation

Sick days

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. is seeking a Senior Specialist in Modeling & Informatics to join the Cheminformatics group. You will develop AI/ML workflows and apply advanced computational approaches to innovating medicines within a cross-functional team.

You will publish findings, communicate results internally and externally, and evaluate new technologies and software from commercial sources or collaborations. A Ph.D. in a related field is required for this role.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in cheminformatics, bioinformatics, computational biology or chemistry, computer science, statistics or related fields (education requirement).
• Experience applying cheminformatics or AI/ML to drug discovery problems (essential).
• Strong communication skills and publication record in peer-reviewed journals (required).

Responsibilities

• Implement AI/ML and cheminformatics workflows to support early target discovery data analysis.
• Analyze and summarize complex chemical biology data; visualize findings for cross-functional teams.
• Deliver optimized informatics algorithms to speed up drug discovery pipelines for small molecules, peptides, and degraders.
• Leverage ML, statistics, and cheminformatics to improve hit identification across screening paradigms.
• Collaborate with experimental and computational scientists to advance project goals.
• Communicate results via presentations and publications.

Skills

Cheminformatics AI/ML

Data science methods

Python

R

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in cheminformatics or related field

Tools

OEChem

RDKit

DeepChem

TensorFlow

Keras

PyTorch

Pandas

Scikit-Learn

Job description

Position Title

Senior Specialist, Modeling & Informatics

Position Description

We are seeking an exceptional and highly motivated informatician to join the Cheminformatics group within Modeling and Informatics (M&I) at our our company. This role requires strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills and experience working in a cross-functional team environment. It involves both the development of innovative computational methods involving AI/ML and cheminformatics, as well as direct application of advanced computational approaches to the invention of novel medicines. M&I is an inclusive team within our Research & Development Division Discovery Chemistry organization, comprising approximately 50 computational chemists, cheminformaticians, and data scientists. We leverage cutting-edge capabilities in structure-based modeling, predictive science, and AI/ML to drive drug design and development globally, with a proven track record of pipeline impact. The selected candidate will work closely with the M&I team, our world-class chemistry teams, as well as cross-functionally with experimental and computational colleagues in the early target discovery space on innovative science that has a wealth of opportunities to impact drug discovery and ultimately save and improve patient lives.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement and apply effective AI/ML and cheminformatics workflows to impact early target discovery space data analysis.
• Analyze, interpret, and summarize complex chemical biology data and utilize a variety of data visualization tools to communicate findings.
• Deliver optimized informatics algorithms and workflows to expedite drug discovery pipelines in the early target discovery space for small molecules, peptides, and targeted protein degraders.
• Leverage novel ML, statistics, and cheminformatics techniques to improve hit identification for different screening paradigms.
• Analyze and integrate internal and external knowledge to facilitate biological and chemical signature identification.
• Proactively engage with cross-functional teams of experimental and computational scientists and collaborate effectively to advance project and pipeline goals.
• Continue research in areas of AI/ML and cheminformatics relevant to drug discovery, and evaluate new technology and software from commercial sources, open innovation, or external collaborations.
• Effectively communicate scientific results internally and externally through presentations and publications.
• Share AI/ML and/or data engineering knowledge to augment team skills and capabilities.

Position Qualifications

Education Minimum Requirement

Ph.D. in cheminformatics, bioinformatics, computational biology or chemistry, computer science, statistics or related fields

Required Experience and Skills

• Experience applying cheminformatics or AI/ML approaches to problem-solving in drug discovery.
• Broad understanding of modern data science methods, particularly machine learning, e.g., predictive modeling, active learning, explainable ML.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, as well as problem-solving skills.
• Track record of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Proficiency in scripting (Python and/or R), SQL, and cheminformatics toolkits (OEChem, RDKit, DeepChem).

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Demonstrated ability to develop and apply AI/ML to problems of chemical or biological interest.
• Experience with IT infrastructure such as database systems, cloud computing (such as Databricks, AWS), and high-performance computing in Linux environments.
• Expertise in machine learning libraries (TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, Pandas, Scikit-Learn).
• Experience with workflow applications and data analytics software (Pipeline Pilot, Knime, Spotfire).
• Experience with high throughput screening data analysis methods.
• Experience in chemical and biological signature identification and/or biomarker discovery.
• Familiarity with or experience with multiple therapeutic modalities (small molecules, peptides, ADCs, etc.).
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams that include experimental scientists.

Required Skills

• Academic Research
• Algorithms
• Biological Data Analysis
• Biomarker Discovery
• Biovia Pipeline Pilot
• Chemical Informatics
• Computational Biology
• Data Analysis
• Data Management
• Data Modeling
• Data Visualization
• Drug Discovery Research
• KNIME
• Machine Learning (ML)
• Python (Programming Language)
• Scientific Research
• Scientific Writing
• TIBCO Spotfire
• Virtual Screening

Preferred Skills

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit: EEOC Know Your Rights EEOC GINA Supplement.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts.

The salary range for this role is $159,600.00 - $251,200.00 This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

• medical
• dental
• vision healthcare
• other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days

More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where we have codified our legacy for over a century. Our success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.