Senior Scientist, Respiratory Biology (Discovery Research)

Job Description

The Senior Scientist will join the Respiratory Biology Discovery group and contribute to target identification, target validation, translational biology, and mechanism-of-action studies supporting early discovery programs in chronic lung diseases, including COPD, bronchiectasis, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and inflammatory airway diseases.

The successful candidate will leverage human-relevant in vitro, ex vivo, and translational experimental systems, with a particular emphasis on primary airway and alveolar epithelial biology, epithelial-stromal and immune-stromal interactions, tissue remodeling, fibrosis, regeneration, and biomarker discovery. The Senior Scientist will generate high-quality mechanistic datasets that inform target prioritization and program decisions and will collaborate closely within multidisciplinary discovery and translational teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, execute, and interpret in vitro and ex vivo studies to support respiratory target discovery, validation and translational biology programs.
• Develop and apply disease‑relevant experimental systems, including primary airway epithelial cultures, air‑liquid interface (ALI) models, organoid systems, precision-cut lung slices (PCLS), and co-culture platforms.
• Generate mechanistic datasets to investigate epithelial dysfunction, tissue remodeling, fibrosis, immune responses, and regenerative biology in chronic lung diseases.
• Apply imaging techniques, including immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), and high‑content imaging, with image‑based analysis to interrogate disease-relevant biology.
• Perform and interpret flow cytometry/FACS‑based immune and cell phenotyping.
• Support translational biomarker discovery and validation using patient-derived samples and multiplex biomarker platforms (Meso Scale Discovery, Luminex, Olink, AlphaLISA).
• Integrate cellular, molecular, imaging, and biomarker datasets to inform project decisions and translational strategies.
• Generate reproducible, high-quality data packages and communicate findings through presentations, technical reports, and cross-functional discussions.
• Collaborate closely across biology, pharmacology, DMPK, and translational and clinical teams within a matrixed discovery environment.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Bachelor's (with 7+ years), Master's (with 4+ years) or Ph.D. biology, immunology, pharmacology, physiology, pulmonary biology or related discipline and relevant experience

Required Experience and Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in respiratory biology and human primary cell culture systems, including airway and/or alveolar epithelial models
• Experience developing and applying disease-relevant in vitro and ex vivo systems such as ALI cultures, organoids, co-culture models, or precision-cut lung slices
• Strong hands-on experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques
• Experience with flow cytometry/FACS, imaging-based approaches (IHC, IF, ICC, confocal microscopy), image analysis, and multiplex biomarker platforms (Meso Scale Discovery, Luminex, Olink, AlphaLISA or equivalent)
• Experience supporting translational biology, target validation, and mechanism-of-action studies
• Ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret experimental studies
• Strong scientific communication skills and ability to present findings in cross-functional settings

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• ​Prior experience in respiratory drug discovery, fibrosis, tissue remodeling, regenerative biology, or inflammatory lung disease research
• Experience with macrophage, fibroblast, epithelial, or immune-stromal co-culture systems
• Experience working with patient-derived respiratory tissues and primary human lung cells
• Familiarity with transcriptomic datasets including bulk RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq
• Experience with organoid biology, human tissue-based models, or spatial biology approaches
• Knowledge of translational biomarker strategies and human disease-relevant endpoints

#EligibleforERP

Required Skills:

Cell Biology, Cell Culture Techniques, Image Analysis, Immunocytochemistry (ICC), Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Luminex Assays, Meso Scale Discovery, Molecular Techniques, Pulmonary Disease Research, Target Validation

Preferred Skills:

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US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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The salary range for this role is

$131,400.00 - $206,800.00

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

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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:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic/International

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

10/14/2026

*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.