Scientist, Upstream Bio Process

Job Description

SCIENTIST/ENGINEER – Upstream Vaccines and Advanced Biotechnologies Process R&D

Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity, and teamwork of an individual like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement, and teamwork. As part of our global team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.

Applications are sought for an opportunity in the Vaccine and Advanced Biotechnologies Process R&D department (VaxPRD), which is part of the our company's Research Labs division. The individual will support our company's discovery & development efforts for Vaccine programs at West Point, PA.

 

Vaccine Process Development Scientist/Engineer Role Summary

Vaccines and Advanced Biotechnologies Process R&D (VaxPRD) is responsible for the development and clinical manufacturing of Drug Substance (DS) and Drug Product Intermediates (DPI) for the vaccine and advanced therapy pipeline, spanning from preclinical to commercialization stages. We are part of the Process R&D organization, which enables modality-agnostic DS/DPI process development and clinical manufacturing for our company's pipeline. Our vaccines upstream process development team develops safe, scalable, robust, cost-effective upstream processes that enable clinical and commercial manufacture of vaccines and adjuvants across all vaccine modalities. 

Under the direction of the group leader, the individual will be responsible for upstream process development of vaccine candidates. The successful candidate will plan, perform, and critically evaluate lab scale process development and scale-up studies, develop robust, efficient, scalable processes for vaccine production, and support transfer of processes to clinical or commercial manufacturing facilities. The individual is expected to function in a multidisciplinary environment, contributing subject matter expertise to teams engaged in development and clinical manufacture of vaccine candidates.

This position requires the employee to be willing to work with infectious agents and/or pathogens and may require occasional travel and off-hour/weekend work.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and analyze process development experiments to maximize understanding of cell culture and fermentation processes to enable robust vaccine manufacturing.

• Conduct laboratory bench work to execute, optimize, and troubleshoot cell culture and fermentation processes (e.g., shake flasks, bench scale and pilot scale bioreactors).

• Apply data analysis and basic data science/modeling approaches (e.g., statistics, design of experiments) to design experiments, interpret datasets, and support process understanding and optimization.

• Contribute to the development and scale‑up of upstream processes from lab scale to pilot scale and support technology transfer to manufacturing scale.

• Perform upstream unit operations as needed, including lab scale cell culture, fermentation, centrifugation, filtration, and in-process assays.

• Maintain and coordinate raw material and equipment inventories; ensure equipment is operated and maintained in a safe, compliant manner.

• Prepare clear technical reports and presentations to summarize and communicate experimental results and recommendations in a collaborative team environment.

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to contract staff or new hires in laboratory techniques and best practices, as appropriate.

• Keep accurate, detailed laboratory records; comply with all required training and maintain a strong focus on laboratory/facility safety for self and team members.

Education Minimum Requirement

Must have a BS or MS in a relevant field such as:

• Engineering: Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering

• Science and Technology: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Cell Biology

Required Experience and Skills

• For BS: at least two (2) years of post‑graduate experience in a bioprocess/biotechnology related position

• For MS: at least one (1) year of post‑graduate experience in a bioprocess/biotechnology related position or relevant academic research thesis.

• Strong scientific understanding of fermentation and cell culture processes, with hands-on experience in bioprocess development.

• Excellent scientific understanding of cell biology relevant to vaccine production, including cell metabolism and molecular biology.

• Demonstrated proficiency with bench scale bioreactors, shake flasks, or other cell propagation systems for optimization of cell culture or fermentation processes.

• Demonstrated ability to perform quantitative data analysis (e.g., statistical analysis of experimental data using software tools for data handling and visualization).

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; strong self-motivation, adaptability, and a positive attitude.

• Ability to learn new techniques, balance multiple projects, keep accurate records, follow instructions, and comply with company policies.

• Excellent organization, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

• Willingness to work with infectious agents and/or pathogens.

• Willingness to travel occasionally and to work off-hours/weekends as needed to support operations or technology transfer.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience with vaccines and/or therapeutic proteins

• Experience with data science and modeling tools (e.g., statistics, design of experiments, and/or coding/scripting such as Python or similar tools for data analysis and modeling).

• Prior experience with lab scale (10 L–200 L) CIP/SIP stainless steel bioreactors.

• Prior experience in optimizing recombinant protein expression (quality and quantity of product).

• Prior experience with fermentation bioprocesses (e.g., E. coli, yeast).

• Direct experience with upstream bioprocess unit operations (e.g., cell culture, bioreactors, centrifugation, filtration, in process analytics) in and industrial environment.

• Prior experience with the application of PAT for monitoring upstream bioprocesses

• Prior experience with the application systems biology approaches (e.g., “-omics”) to increase process understanding and/or solve upstream bioprocess challenges

·       Sound understanding of process scale-up principles

EligibleforERP

PRD

To learn more about the PRD team, click: Join Our Process Research & Development Team.

Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Animal Vaccination, Bioanalytical Techniques, Bioreactor Operation, Biotechnology, Cell Culture Process Development, Cell Cultures, Cell Physiology, Chemical Engineering, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Data Analysis, Data Analysis Tools, GMP Compliance, Mammalian Cell Culture, Microbial Fermentation, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Optimistic Attitude, Parasitology, Primary Cell Culture, Process Optimization, Process Scale Up, Process Scheduling, Product Development {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

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:

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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

$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. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

Yes

Job Posting End Date:

03/11/2026

*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.