Sr. Scientist, Preclinical Dev.

Applications are sought for an opportunity in the Vaccine Process Development (VPD) department, which is part of our Company's Research Labs division. The individual will support our Company's discovery & development efforts for Vaccine programs at West Point, PA. 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/DP 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. Responsibilities Independently 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. Prepare clear technical reports and presentations to summarize and communicate experimental results and recommendations in a collaborative team environment, including contributing to regulatory documentation and filings. Supervise/mentor and provide technical guidance to contract staff or new hires in laboratory techniques and best practices, as appropriate. Serve as workstream lead focused upon development of process operations or advancing upstream technologies and/or control strategies. Keep accurate, detailed laboratory records; comply with all required training and maintain a strong focus on laboratory/facility safety for self and team members. Additional Responsibilities Contribute to the development of new principles, concepts, and methods to enable process development, scale-up of processes to pilot scale, and technology transfer to manufacturing scale Develop and apply advanced process characterization tools/analytics (e.g., PAT, Systems Biology) toward developing, improving, and understanding upstream bioprocesses. Independently design, execute, and analyze process development experiments to maximize understanding of cell culture and fermentation processes to make vaccine products. Analyze, summarize, and present experimental results in a collaborative team environment. Interface with multidisciplinary groups and coordinate multiple program activities with Process R&D, Analytical R&D, Vaccine Basic Research, Commercialization, and various functional groups. Education Minimum Requirement Engineering: Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology: Cell Biology, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, or Biochemistry Required Experience and Skills For BS, at least six (6) years of experience in bioprocess/biotechnology-related position (vaccines and/or therapeutic proteins) For MS, at least five (5) years of experience in bioprocess/biotechnology-related position (vaccines and/or therapeutic proteins) Must have strong scientific understanding of fermentation and/or cell culture processes. Prior experience in optimizing recombinant protein expression (quality and quantity of product). Prior experience with fermentation bioprocesses (E. coli, Yeast) or mammalian systems (CHO, HEK293, etc.) Sound understanding of process scale‑up principles across scales from high‑throughput, lab, pilot, and commercial. Must have experience with hands‑on bioprocess development preferably across multiple organisms/expression systems. Excellent scientific understanding of cell biology for vaccine production including cell metabolism and molecular biology Demonstrated proficiency in bench scale bioreactor, shake flask, or other cell propagation systems for the optimization of cell culture or fermentation processes Position requires employee to be willing to work with infectious agents and/or pathogens. Position requires occasional travel and off‑hour/weekend work. Preferred Experience and Skills 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 Ability to interface with discovery colleagues to influence pre‑clinical development (expression system selection, protein engineering, etc.). 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). Demonstrated experience/training with project management, enabling process development efforts. Required Skills Adaptability Animal Vaccination Biodesign Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Sciences Bioprocessing Cell Cultures Chemical Engineering Cross‑Functional Teamwork Data Analysis Drug Delivery Technology Flow Cytometry Following Instructions High‑Throughput Screening Innovative Thinking Interpersonal Relationships Mammalian Cell Culture Microbiology Molecular Biology Techniques Multi‑Color Flow Cytometry Preformulation Process Optimization Production Process Development Project Management {+ 2 more} Salary The salary range for this role is $117,000.00 - $184,200.00 Benefits 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 Travel Requirements: 10% Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid Job Posting End Date: 06/2/2026 Requisition ID: R397517 Equal Employment Opportunity 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr Merck & Co.