Senior Scientist, Molecular & Viral Safety Full-time

Senior Scientist

The Molecular & Viral Safety group within Cell-Based Sciences is seeking a detail-oriented, technically skilled Senior Scientist to support daily operations in our Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) laboratory and contribute to multidisciplinary analytics. This hands-on role is ideal for someone with a strong background in molecular biology techniques and an interest in basic bioinformatics and computational workflows.

The successful candidate will be responsible for executing established protocols for nucleic acid extraction, library preparation, sequencing, and will perform routine data processing and basic bioinformatics analyses. The senior scientist will collaborate within a dynamic, integrated, and multidisciplinary team supporting both vaccine and biologics modalities and will contribute to the development and implementation of next-generation sequencing technologies to help ensure that our products are free of adventitious agents as well as provide sequencing support to other priority programs of our Company.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform DNA and RNA extraction from a variety of sample types (e.g., tissues, cell cultures, in-process samples) following standardized procedures.
• Prepare NGS libraries using automated and manual workflows for platforms such as Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
• Operate, troubleshoot, and maintain laboratory instrumentation including sequencers, thermocyclers, and liquid handling robots.
• Perform quality control (QC) assessments using fluorometric quantification (e.g., Qubit), electrophoresis, and fragment analysis (e.g., TapeStation).
• Process raw sequencing data and perform routine bioinformatics tasks such as quality trimming, read mapping, basic variant calling, and generating summary metrics/reports using established pipelines.
• Execute and adapt basic command-line bioinformatics tools (e.g., FastQC, BWA/Minimap2, Samtools, bcftools) and utilize workflow managers or pipelines where applicable.
• Prepare, visualize, and interpret data outputs (e.g., coverage plots, QC summaries, variant tables) and communicate results to cross-functional teams.
• Work with bioinformatics colleagues to validate and implement new analysis pipelines and troubleshoot analysis issues.
• Utilize and be familiar with high-performance computing (HPC) environments, job schedulers (e.g., SLURM), and basic cluster file system concepts; transfer and manage sequencing data securely between local workstations and shared compute resources.
• Adhere to good laboratory practices (GMP), standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety policies, and quality assurance protocols to ensure accuracy, compliance, and reproducibility.
• Record, manage, and organize experimental data using electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs) and other digital systems, ensuring data integrity and traceability of computational analyses.
• Support laboratory operations, including inventory management, ordering, and restocking of consumables and reagents.
• Contribute to technical reports, study summaries, and sections of regulatory filing documents, including documentation of computational methods and software versions.
• Participate in method optimization, implementation of new technologies, and continuous improvement of laboratory and computational workflows.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues across functions (e.g., analytical development, process development, quality, manufacturing, bioinformatics) in a fast-paced, integrated, multidisciplinary team environment.

Education Minimum Requirement

• Ph.D.; or
• Master's degree with a minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience; or
• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 8+ years of relevant experience in virology, microbiology, molecular biology, biological sciences, or a related discipline, preferably in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Required Experience and Skills

• Strong background and direct experience with core virology, molecular biology, and/or microbiology techniques (e.g., PCR/qPCR, nucleic acid extraction).
• Extensive experience with Next-Generation Sequencing workflows, including library preparation, run setup, and sequencing performance evaluation.
• Experience with automated liquid handling platforms or automated library preparation systems.
• Experience developing molecular methods and strong, systematic troubleshooting skills.
• Demonstrated ability to follow SOPs, generate high-quality data, and maintain accurate laboratory documentation.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to deliver on multiple priorities under strict timelines in a rapidly changing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a diverse, cross-functional, team-based environment.
• Demonstrated scientific contributions through publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, or internal technical reports.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrated creativity, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to deliver complex objectives under strict timelines in a rapidly changing environment.
• Familiarity with laboratory quality systems and regulated environments (e.g., GLP, GMP, or GCP).

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience with LIMS, digital tracking systems, and/or electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) applications, including good documentation practices and data integrity principles.
• Prior experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and/or knowledge of biologics and vaccine manufacturing or analytics.
• Prior hands-on experience running basic bioinformatics pipelines and analyzing sequencing datasets (e.g., metagenomics/adventitious agent screening, small genome assembly, viral variant analysis).
• Basic working knowledge of bioinformatics concepts and command-line tools for NGS data processing and QC.
• Familiarity with Linux command-line environment and basic scripting (e.g., bash, Python or R) to run, monitor, and document analysis pipelines.
• Experience working with or willingness to learn HPC environments and job schedulers (e.g., SLURM) and best practices for data transfer and storage.
• Exposure to adventitious agent testing, viral safety, or related biosafety disciplines is a plus.

Required Skills: Accountability, Adaptability, Analytical Method Development, Assay Development, Bioanalytical Analysis, Biochemical Assays, Bioinformatic Analysis, Bioinformatics, Bioinformatics Software, Bioinformatics Tools, Cell-Based Assays, Chromatographic Techniques, Communication, DNA Sequencing, Gene Sequencing, Genome Sequencing, Genomic Analysis, GMP Environments, Illumina Sequencing, Innovative Thinking, Microbial Genomics, miRNA Sequencing, Molecular Biology

Preferred Skills:

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday – Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence. This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

Salary Range: $117,000.00 – $184,200.00

The salary range for this role 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 https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (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