Principal Scientist (Scientific Director Level)- Nonclinical Drug Safety

Merck seeks a Principal Scientist to lead nonclinical drug safety strategy for discovery programs across immunology, oncology, and other therapeutic areas. The role involves risk assessment, program de-risking, and cross-functional collaboration from target identification through First-In-Human enabling studies.

Responsibilities

• Represent nonclinical drug safety on discovery teams and governance committee reviews
• Identify and assess risks associated with therapeutic targets using literature and internal data
• Define and oversee nonclinical safety strategy for programs in all modalities
• Lead early development teams and inform preclinical studies supporting product development
• Collaborate with nonclinical staff across sites to execute appropriate studies

Requirements

• PhD, DVM, MD, or equivalent degree in relevant field
• Minimum 8+ years pharmaceutical industry experience in nonclinical safety assessment or toxicology
• Demonstrated success navigating cross-functional matrix organizations and driving team decisions
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with ability to work across organizational levels
• Experience with biopharmaceutical and small molecule drug development preferred
• Knowledge of regulatory submissions and responses preferred

Compensation: $176,200.00 - $277,300.00 base