Director, Analytical R&D

Our team in West Point, Pennsylvania, is seeking an exceptional leader who is passionate about leading a team of Scientists to deliver analytical solutions that enable and accelerate process and product development and manufacturing and ensure the safety and quality of our products.

You and your team will create productive working relationships with project teams and key partner groups in Bioprocess, Formulation, Analytical, and Discovery, to advocate for utilizing various automation platforms to improve efficiency, speed, and capacity. In this role, the focus is on designing analytical strategies with the goal of developing high-throughput methods to enable vaccine characterization and support process and product development. The successful candidate will be accountable for proactive resourcing planning, risk assessment strategies, and will focus on talent development and partnering to build an integrated culture of innovation across modalities. This role will also steer the development and implementation of strategies within the Vaccines Analytical Separations, potency, and residuals teams and at interfaces with strategic partners across CMC development, Regulatory, Quality, commercialization, and manufacturing areas.

Some of the main responsibilities include:

• Actively working with staff to encourage and facilitate their personal and scientific development.
• Providing strategic, scientific, and operational management to the group responsible for developing automation-focused high-throughput methods for vaccine process development and clinical manufacturing.
• Actively working with staff to encourage and facilitate their personal and scientific development.
• Maintaining a strong internal network and engage effectively with external vendors who specialize in automation, as well as with regulatory stakeholders is expected, as well as advancing a culture of scientific excellence.
• Establishing future automation and operational strategies while incorporating new technologies into the laboratories.

Education Minimum Requirements:

Ph.D. in analytical chemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, virology or related field with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience; OR M.S. with a minimum of 10 years of experience; OR Bachelor's with a minimum of 15 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Experience and Skills:

Required:

• A strong aptitude for and previous experience in managing inclusive scientific teams and attracting, developing, and retaining diverse talent.
• Extensive knowledge of and hands-on work in applying regulatory guidance and quality standards related to product release and safety.
• Strong understanding of automation technologies, and experience developing and implementing laboratory automation strategies.
• Expertise in driving technological advancements to improve efficiency and productivity through both physical laboratory automation and digital strategies. Knowledge to align these strategies with pipeline/business objectives and identify opportunities for implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with stakeholders including scientists and IT/technology experts to ensure workflow/digital solutions meet business needs and requirements.
• Advocated for the adoption of automation and operational excellence in high-throughput analysis through effective management of resources and instrumentation, by prioritizing testing requirements, foster collaboration, and sharing a comprehensive vision for training and development across a diverse talent pool.
• Demonstrated expertise in analytics for a wide variety of large molecules, including recombinant proteins, virus-like particles, and viral vaccines. Specializing in assay development within an automation-focused team, with a proven track record in managing the entire assay lifecycle, including validation and transfer, to support clinical release of vaccines
• Ability to manage effectively a portfolio of projects and multi-task in a highly dynamic environment, and influence cross-functional teams in a professional and positive manner.

Preferred:

• Strong external scientific reputation including publications, regulatory guidance documents, presentations at scientific meetings, membership on (or leading) cross-company working groups or consortia.
• Proven ability to direct the development of new, innovative approaches including your past work with new assay or robotic technology evaluation and shaping scientific strategy both at the platform and program level.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and an ability to excel in a team-based environment.

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

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

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as "remote".

The salary range for this role is
$169,700.00 - $267,200.00

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.

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. More information about benefits is available at .

You can apply for this role through (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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.

Employee Status:
Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Required Skills:
Adaptability, Adaptability, Analytical Method Development, Assay, Assay Development, Automation Engineering, Biologics License Application (BLA), Business, Cell Physiology, Chromatographic Techniques, Decision Making, Dosage Forms, Immunochemistry, Innovation, Laboratory Automation, Management Process, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Operational Performance Management (PM), Operations Management, People Leadership, Process Analytical Technology (PAT), Product Development, Professional Networking, Regulatory Compliance {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:
08/4/2025
*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.

Requisition ID: R359550