Scientist/Engineer Downstream Vaccines and Advanced Biotechnologies Process R&D

Merck & Co. - West Point, PA

Full-time - Entry Level

Onsite - West Point, PA

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

The Scientist/Engineer position in Downstream Vaccines and Advanced Biotechnologies Process R&D is focused on supporting the discovery and development of vaccine programs. The role involves working within a global team to develop and manufacture Drug Substance and Drug Product Intermediates for vaccines, contributing to the entire pipeline from preclinical to commercialization stages. The successful candidate will engage in hands-on laboratory work, optimizing and troubleshooting downstream processes, while collaborating with other scientists and engineers.

Responsibilities

• Conduct laboratory benchwork to execute, optimize, and troubleshoot downstream process unit operations.
• Contribute to the development of new principles, concepts, and methods to enable process development.
• Design, execute, and analyze process development experiments to maximize understanding of purification bioprocesses for vaccine products.
• Analyze, summarize, and present experimental results in a collaborative team environment.
• Conduct lab work in compliance with company expectations of data integrity and safety.
• Analyze downstream/bio-purification experiments using basic analytical techniques including SDS-PAGE, UV-Vis, HPLC, and Light Scattering.

Requirements

• Must have a degree in a relevant field: Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology, Biological Sciences, or Biotechnology.
• For BS, at least two (2) years of post-graduate experience in a bioprocess/biotechnology-related position (vaccines and/or therapeutic proteins).
• For MS, at least one (1) year of post-graduate experience in a bioprocess/biotechnology-related position (vaccines and/or therapeutic proteins) or relevant academic research thesis.
• Must have scientific understanding of downstream bioprocess purification processes.
• Technical understanding of bioprocess scaling principles.
• Prior hands-on bioprocess development experience through academic lab or industry experience.

Nice-to-haves

• Prior hands-on experience with purification bioprocesses such as Tangential Flow Filtration, Dead-End Filtration, Chromatography, or Virus Removal.
• Prior hands-on experience with analytical techniques such as SDS-PAGE, UV, and HPLC.
• Prior hands-on experience with scale-up and tech transfer of purification bioprocesses.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Dental insurance coverage
• 401k retirement savings plan
• Paid holidays
• Flexible scheduling options
• Professional development opportunities