Translational Medicine Director - Clinical Development

Merck & Co.; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 260,000 - 410,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive

Benefits package

Job summary

Merck & Co. in Rahway, NJ invites applications for a Physician-Scientist serving as Principal Scientist (Clinical Director) in Translational Medicine/Early Clinical Development within Infectious Diseases.

You will lead early clinical development from preclinical to Phase 2, integrating translational science with discovery and late-stage clinical research. The role requires an MD or MD/PhD with a strong background in translational research, biomarker strategies, and cross-functional leadership

Qualifications

• MD or MD/PhD degree required.
• Strong background in translational research.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams across therapeutic areas.

Responsibilities

• Working with basic science teams on disease areas, providing clinical expertise for target validation and preclinical/clinical study design.
• Collaborating with discovery scientists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, and other specialists to move programs from preclinical to clinical development.
• Leading early development strategy with internal/external staff for design and execution of early clinical development plans.
• Leading clinical pharmacology studies across all phases, including formulation changes, DDI studies, and studies in special populations.
• Providing regulatory filings support with preparation of documents and presentations.
• Developing and executing studies to validate clinical biomarkers across modalities (blood/tissue sampling, imaging, wearable devices).
• Engaging with external thought leaders and partnering opportunities; attending conferences and publishing results.
• Collaborating across global research sites to advance programs.

Skills

Clinical Research

Early Clinical Development

Infectious Disease

Translational Medicine

Education

MD or MD/PhD

Job description

Merck & Co. in Rahway, NJ invites applications for a Physician-Scientist serving as Principal Scientist (Clinical Director) in Translational Medicine/Early Clinical Development within Infectious Diseases.

You will lead early clinical development from preclinical to Phase 2, integrating translational science with discovery and late-stage clinical research. The role requires an MD or MD/PhD with a strong background in translational research, biomarker strategies, and cross-functional leadership