Senior Scientist Biology-Discovery

Merck seeks a Senior Scientist to join the Affinity Selections team in Rahway, NJ, focusing on mRNA Display technology development and optimization. The role involves designing and executing affinity-selection campaigns, analyzing NGS data, and advancing discovery platforms against challenging therapeutic targets through collaborative, multidisciplinary work.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, troubleshoot, and optimize mRNA Display affinity-selection campaigns against biological targets
• Analyze experimental and NGS data to identify hits and support project progression decisions
• Develop and improve selection strategies, workflows, and overall platform performance
• Draft, maintain, and update SOPs, protocols, and technical documentation
• Present scientific findings and collaborate across multiple scientific disciplines

Requirements

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biophysics, Chemical Biology, or related discipline; or MS with 4+ years of relevant research experience
• Strong understanding of molecular biology, protein biochemistry, affinity-based screening, and NGS-based analysis
• Demonstrated ability to design, execute, optimize, and troubleshoot complex experimental workflows
• Ability to analyze and integrate data from multiple experimental approaches to guide decision-making
• Strong critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills
• Hands-on experience with mRNA Display technology is strongly preferred
• Experience with phage display, yeast display, ribosome display, or related genotype-to-phenotype technologies