Senior Spray Drying Process Engineer - Small Molecule Drug

Merck; Elkton (VA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 184,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive

Medical coverage

Retirement benefits (401(k))

Job summary

Merck is seeking a Senior Process Engineer, Technical Operations for Small Molecule Drug Product, focusing on spray drying. You will provide technical leadership and process ownership across design, qualification, technology transfer, and manufacturing of spray-dried materials.

The role requires interfacing with Manufacturing, QA, Engineering, and R&D to ensure robust transfer and scalable processes, while driving continuous improvement and data-driven decision making in a cGMP environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with spray drying and particle engineering.
• Solid understanding of scale-up for spray dryers (lab to commercial).
• Direct involvement in technology transfer and process validation (PPQ).
• Working knowledge of cGMP and regulatory expectations.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for spray-dried drug product processes and unit operations.
• Act as process owner/SME for spray drying and associated equipment.
• Lead or coordinate scale-up, tech transfer, and validation activities (PPQ).
• Interpret process and material data to drive data-driven decisions and improvements.
• Lead campaigns, prepare batch records, and support regulatory inspections.

Skills

Spray drying

Process ownership

Data interpretation

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Engineering leadership

Education

Degree in Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Job description

Merck is seeking a Senior Process Engineer, Technical Operations for Small Molecule Drug Product, focusing on spray drying. You will provide technical leadership and process ownership across design, qualification, technology transfer, and manufacturing of spray-dried materials.

The role requires interfacing with Manufacturing, QA, Engineering, and R&D to ensure robust transfer and scalable processes, while driving continuous improvement and data-driven decision making in a cGMP environment.