Senior Specialist: Data Engineer for Upstream Biologics

Job Description Location: West Point, PA; Rahway, NJ; Boston, MA. We are a global biopharmaceutical leader with a portfolio of prescription medicines, oncology, vaccines and animal health products. We are driven by our purpose to develop and deliver innovative products that save and improve lives. With 69,000 employees operating in more than 140 countries, we offer state‑of‑the‑art laboratories, plants and offices that are designed to inspire our employees as we learn, develop and grow in our careers. We are proud of our over 125 years of service to humanity and continue to be one of the world's biggest investors in research & development. Senior Specialist, Data Engineer – Join our Digital Insights team within the Development Sciences and Clinical Supply (DSCS) Digital Technologies organization. The DSCS Digital Technologies organization is responsible for the invention and application of new digital tools and workflows to support scientists across drug substance development, drug product development and analytical development. Digitally enabling DSCS will accelerate better experiments, efficient filing and launch, robust supply chains and higher‑confidence decisions across the portfolio. In this role, the successful candidate will design, build, and maintain data pipelines that capture, curate, and deliver experimental and process data from Upstream Biologics Process Development teams—cell culture, bioreactor operations, media and feed optimization, and high‑throughput process development—into downstream digital initiatives. The engineer will also support ontology alignment, integrate new data streams, and deliver analysis‑ready datasets to support process characterization models, scale‑up predictions, and multivariate analytics that de‑risk and accelerate biologics manufacturing from bench to commercial scale. Responsibilities Build and maintain robust, scalable data pipelines that ingest experimental and process data from upstream biologics source systems. Deliver analysis‑ready datasets to support upstream digital initiatives, including process characterization models, scale‑up predictions, multivariate analytics, and high‑throughput process development workflows. Map instrument outputs and experimental results ensuring ontology alignment and interoperability across upstream data sources. Develop and maintain data visualizations, dashboards, and reports that enable upstream scientists to explore process data across runs, molecules, and scales. Support system‑of‑record standards by ensuring consistent data entry practices. Identify and flag data quality issues, gaps in metadata, and inconsistencies across source systems, contributing to continuous improvement of upstream data capture practices. Collaborate with upstream process development scientists, analytical scientists, and engineers to understand evolving data needs and translate them into pipeline requirements. Coordinate with adjacent domain engineers to ensure seamless data handoffs at domain boundaries. Maintain and version all pipeline code in GitHub, following team standards for code review, documentation, and deployment. Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills. Embrace and model our core values of inclusion, including fostering a supportive culture where all can thrive. Collaborate effectively in a dynamic, integrated, and multidisciplinary team environment. Education Minimum Requirement Ph.D. in Computer Science, Data Science, Molecular Modeling, Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a closely‑related field. M.S. in Computer Science, Data Science, Molecular Modeling, Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a closely‑related field with at least 2 years of industrial/pharmaceutical or relevant experience. B.S. in Computer Science, Data Science, Molecular Modeling, Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a closely‑related field with at least 4 years of industrial/pharmaceutical or relevant experience. Required Experience and Skills Proficient in Python and/or R programming; comfortable working in development environments such as Jupyter, Posit/RStudio, or VS Code. Solid SQL skills with hands‑on experience writing and optimizing queries against relational databases and data warehouses. Experience with ETL/ELT processes and building data pipelines in a scientific or pharmaceutical context. Familiarity with version control systems (Git/GitHub) and collaborative software development practices. Ability to work in a team environment with cross‑functional interactions. Motivated to learn new skills, willingness to take on new challenges, and scientific curiosity. Preferred Experience and Skills Experience with upstream biologics unit operations, particularly cell culture (fed‑batch, perfusion), bioreactor operation and scale‑up, media and feed optimization, or harvest and clarification. Experience with data pipeline and analytics platforms such as Databricks, including notebook‑based development, workflow orchestration, and Delta Lake. Experience with data visualization tools (Streamlit, Shiny, PowerBI, Spotfire, or Tableau) for building scientist‑facing dashboards and exploratory data applications. Familiarity with ontology frameworks or standardized data models (e.g., Allotrope Simple Model, ISA‑88, OPC‑UA) and experience mapping instrument data to structured schemas. Understanding of Design of Experiments (DoE) methodologies and process characterization study designs—sufficient to structure data for statistical analysis of critical process parameters (CPPs) and critical quality attributes (CQAs). Evidence of cross‑functional collaborations spanning laboratory, manufacturing, modeling, and digital teams. Required Skills Analytical Acumen Animal Vaccination Biopharmaceutical Industry Data Format Data Modeling Data Visualization Tools Engineering Principle Equipment Qualification Estimation and Planning Mechanical Systems Analysis Molecular Modeling New Product Introduction (NPI) Pharmaceutical Sciences Primary Cell Culture Preferred Skills Analytical Acumen Animal Vaccination Biopharmaceutical Industry Data Format Data Modeling Data Visualization Tools Engineering Principle Equipment Qualification Estimation and Planning Mechanical Systems Analysis Molecular Modeling New Product Introduction (NPI) Pharmaceutical Sciences Primary Cell Culture US and Puerto Rico Residents Only: We require applicants to be residents of the United States or Puerto Rico. Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. If you require accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact us. 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. Salary range: $117,000.00 – $184,200.00. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long‑term incentive, if applicable. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including 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 Job Posting End Date: 07/09/2026. Requisition ID: R404620. #J-18808-Ljbffr Merck & Co.