Specialist, Engineering (Hybrid)

MSD Malaysia; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 87,000 - 137,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ, seeks a Job Description Specialist, Digital Operations Agentic Intelligence, to build AI-enabled data foundations and governed agents.

You will implement data pipelines, semantic layers, dashboards, and automated workflows, collaborating with cross-functional teams in a regulated healthcare setting. The role emphasizes disciplined development practices, testing, and secure deployment, with opportunities to grow in Copilot Studio, Vertex AI and Power Platform

Qualifications

• Experience: 2+ years in data engineering, software development, BI, or AI/ML roles.
• Core programming with Python and SQL for data tasks and automation.
• Data pipelines, modeling, quality checks, and governance awareness.

Responsibilities

• Agentic AI Development & Governance: design, build and test governed agents and AI-enabled workflows.
• AI-Ready Data Foundations & Integration: build data pipelines, semantic layers, datasets.
• BI, Web Apps & Automation: develop dashboards, reports, Power Apps, automations.
• Testing, Evaluation & Release Readiness: create test cases and validate outputs.
• Engineering Standards, Documentation & Enablement: use GitHub, VS Code, templates and runbooks.

Skills

API Development

Automation Systems

Bioprocessing

cGMP Compliance

CMMS

Data Analysis

Data Modeling

Data Pipelines

Data Storage Systems

Data Structures

Deployment Management

GitHub

JSON

Learning Agility

Python (Programming Language)

SQL Databases

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent experience required

Tools

Databricks

Dataverse

Power BI

SharePoint

Copilot Studio

Gemini/Vertex AI

Microsoft Power Platform

VS Code

Job description

Job Description Specialist, Digital Operations Agentic Intelligence (m/f/d)

Digital is the multiplier that will allow Development Sciences and Clinical Supply (DSCS) to deliver better experiments faster, efficient filing and launch, more robust supply chains and higher-confidence decisions across the portfolio. The DSCS Digital Technologies (DDT) organization is tasked with the mission to pioneer and deploy innovative digital technologies that drive the acquisition, automation and utilization of data to enhance insights, efficiency, and quality of DSCS processes and methods. The Specialist, Digital Operations Agentic Intelligence, is a hands‑on technical contributor within the Agentic Intelligence team. This role supports the organization’s shift from traditional business intelligence and manual reporting toward governed, AI‑ready data foundations and production‑grade intelligent agents.

This role is intended for a technically strong early‑career professional who can build with direction, learn quickly, follow engineering standards, and contribute to reusable agent patterns, governed data foundations, evaluation frameworks, and secure deployment practices. The Specialist will work across tools such as Python, SQL, Databricks, Dataverse, Power BI, GitHub, Copilot Studio, Gemini/Vertex AI or comparable enterprise AI platforms, and Microsoft Power Platform.

The Specialist, Digital Operations Agentic Intelligence will: Contribute to the development of AI‑ready data foundations, semantic data layers, data pipelines, dashboards, web applications, automations, and intelligent agents that support DSCS digital operations. Contribute to the design, build, testing, documentation, and operational support of governed data products, reporting solutions, automations, and intelligent agents. Translate business needs into clear technical requirements, data requirements, agent instructions, test cases, and acceptance criteria with guidance from senior team members. Apply disciplined development practices, including Git‑based version control, documentation, testing, reusable templates, and release‑readiness checks. Collaborate across business, data, technology, quality, and compliance stakeholders to deliver scalable, secure, and trustworthy digital solutions. Demonstrate curiosity, ownership, strong problem‑solving, and a builder mindset while continuing to develop knowledge of DDT systems, DSCS processes, and enterprise technology standards.

Primary Activities & Responsibilities Include:

• Agentic AI Development & Governance: Support the design, build, and testing of governed agents and AI‑enabled workflows using Copilot Studio, Gemini/Vertex AI or comparable enterprise AI platforms, Microsoft Power Platform, APIs, connectors, and approved data sources. Contribute to agent lifecycle activities, including intake, proof of concept, MVP readiness, deployment validation, sustainment, monitoring, and retirement.
• AI‑Ready Data Foundations & Integration: Build and maintain data pipelines, curated datasets, semantic layers, and reusable data products using Python, SQL, Databricks, Dataverse, Power BI, SharePoint, and other approved enterprise platforms. Ensure data is accessible, traceable, documented, fit for purpose, and aligned with applicable governance expectations.
• BI, Web Applications & Automation: Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, web applications, Power Apps, Power Automate flows, and workflow automations that help users interact with data, submit inputs, trigger processes, review recommendations, and act on insights.
• Testing, Evaluation & Release Readiness: Create and execute test cases for agents, automations, data pipelines, and reports. Support evaluation of response quality, grounding accuracy, task success, failure modes, regression performance, monitoring needs, access controls, and responsible deployment requirements.
• Engineering Standards, Documentation & Enablement: Use GitHub, VS Code, branching, pull requests, code review, reusable templates, design notes, runbooks, decision logs, and handover materials to make solutions maintainable, reviewable, and scalable across the team.

Required Experience and Skills

• Experience: 2 + years of experience in data engineering, software development, web application development, automation, data science, business intelligence, AI/ML, or a related technical role. Relevant internship, academic, research, or project experience may be considered.(M.S. with 1+ year, or B.S. with 2+ years of relevant experience)
• Core Programming & Data Skills: Hands‑on experience with Python and SQL, including the ability to read, write, debug, and optimize code or queries for data transformation, analysis, automation, and reporting use cases.
• Data Engineering Foundation: Working knowledge of data pipelines, data modeling, data quality checks, semantic layers, metadata, lineage, and structured data products. Experience with Databricks, Dataverse, cloud data platforms, or comparable enterprise data environments is strongly preferred.
• Agentic AI & LLM Application Development: Exposure to Generative AI, Large Language Models, prompt engineering, AI‑enabled automation, or agentic workflow concepts through work experience, academic projects, training, hackathons, or self‑directed learning. Interest in developing hands‑on experience with Copilot Studio, Gemini/Vertex AI, Microsoft Power Platform, retrieval‑augmented generation, workflow orchestration, and responsible AI practices.
• Software Engineering Practices: Experience using GitHub or comparable source‑control systems, including repositories, branching, pull requests, code review, version control, and structured documentation. Comfort working in VS Code or comparable development environments is required.
• Testing, Evaluation & Governance Mindset: Ability to define test cases, validate outputs, identify failure modes, check data and answer quality, support regression testing, and understand basic principles for secure and responsible AI deployment, including access control, privacy, auditability, human oversight, monitoring, and escalation.
• API, Integration & Automation Aptitude: Exposure to APIs, connectors, workflow automation, structured payloads such as JSON, permissions, service accounts, and troubleshooting integration issues are preferred.
• BI, Visualization & Communication: Familiarity with Power BI or comparable BI platforms, with the ability to interpret business metrics, explain technical concepts clearly, and write concise technical documentation, user instructions, requirements, and test notes.
• Collaboration & Regulated Environment Awareness: Collaborative mindset, attention to detail, willingness to learn, and familiarity with pharmaceutical, biotech, GxP, or other regulated environments.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent experience required.
• This role can be based at any of our locations at West Point, PA, Rahway, NJ or Schachen Switzerland.

Required Skills

• API Development
• Automation Systems
• Bioprocessing
• cGMP Compliance
• Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)
• Data Analysis
• Data Modeling
• Data Pipelines
• Data Storage Systems
• Data Structures
• Deployment Management
• GitHub
• JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)
• Learning Agility
• Python (Programming Language)
• SQL Databases

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only: 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 $87,300.00 - $137,400.00. 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. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.

• medical
• dental
• vision healthcare and 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.

Employee Status: Regular Relocation: Domestic VISA Sponsorship: Yes Travel Requirements: 10% Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid Shift: Not Indicated Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): n/a Job Posting End Date: 09/22/2026 *A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date. 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.