2026 Future Talent Program - Research – Chemical Biology- Co-Op

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education that lasts up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

We are Chemical Biology in the Quantitative Biosciences department at Our Company, where we leverage robust scientific methodology and state-of-the-art instrumentation to collaborate on driving the next medical breakthrough. Our mission is to advance the best drug candidates into the clinic by utilizing advanced capabilities that enable higher-resolution interrogations of novel biology and elucidation of mechanisms of action.

We are seeking a highly motivated Co-op scientist to contribute to our early drug discovery work. The successful candidate will focus on high-content imaging, morphological profiling, and multimodal data integration to study complex biological systems and support molecular mechanism-of-action studies.

Key Responsibilities:

•           Aggregate, organize, and analyze high-content imaging data (e.g., cell painting, phenotypic profiling, live-cell imaging) to integrate multimodal datasets.

•           Perform hands-on laboratory work including mammalian cell culture, perturbation experiments, and imaging-based assay execution.

•           Analyze and interpret datasets and present findings to team.

Learning Opportunities:

•       Gain hands-on experience in image-based profiling and multimodal data integration.

•           Develop skills in experimental design, computational data analysis, and data-driven biological insight generation.

•           Collaborate with experienced scientists in a fast-paced research environment.

Required Qualifications:

•           Must be currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student (BS, MS, or PhD) in biological sciences, bioengineering, computational biology, or related field.

•           Must have experience with high-content imaging or microscopy-based data & analysis of multimodal biological datasets (examples: imaging data combined with RNA-Seq, small molecule/CRISPR-based high throughput screens, and / or proteomics data).

•           Must possess proficiency with data analysis tools or programming languages (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB, or similar).

Preferred Qualifications:

•           Prior hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and imaging assays, including Cell Painting.

•           Prior experience with multimodal data aggregation and visualization.

Co-Op Details:

• Location: Cambridge, MA

• Commitment: 6 months (start date flexible; by June 15th, 2026)

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary range:

The salary range for this role is $39,600.00-$105,500.00 USD

FTP2026

RL2026

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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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”.

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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:

Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

Yes

Job Posting End Date:

02/6/2026

*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.