Senior Scientist, NGS Profiling & Expression Full-time

Molecular Profiling Senior Scientist

The Profiling & Expression department within Translational Medicine helps bridge Discovery and Development programs in multiple therapeutic areas through expertise in multimodal molecular analysis of tissues and model systems. We are a platform-based functional group leveraging a close partnership of pathologists, gene expression scientists, image analysis specialists, assay developers and data scientists to contribute to target validation, generation of quality mechanistic data, and the discovery and development of response and PD biomarkers with line of sight to the clinic. The Molecular Profiling group, within the Profiling & Expression department, provides key work for understanding: target tissue distributions in normal and diseased tissues, characterization of preclinical model systems, mechanism of action and proof of biology for candidate therapeutics, and drug response prediction.

The Molecular Profiling Senior Scientist will work primarily with our research division's Discovery Oncology organization, providing targeted and NGS gene expression profiling support to reverse translation and preclinical target and biomarker validation efforts. Early discovery and pre-clinical work in support of other therapeutic areas will also be provided as needed. This high throughput lab requires an organized, highly motivated individual who can work collaboratively across multiple organizations in the development of therapeutic targets in the Discovery Portfolio.

Job responsibilities include the following:

• Provide insight and guidance to cross-functional collaborators regarding experimental design for gene expression-based work
• Wet-lab support for project-based work including RNA isolation and gene expression profiling from bulk tissue, bulk sorted cell, and single cell populations
• Present and lead discussions on experimental results and data interpretation at team and/or department meetings
• Serve as Molecular Profiling representative to the Oncology translational research group as well as other program teams

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor's (with 7+ years), Master's (with 4+ years) or Ph.D. in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology or related field and relevant experience

Required Experience and Skills:

• Experience with molecular biology techniques, including RNA/DNA isolation and NGS library preparation
• Experience with targeted RT-qPCR and NGS platforms
• Experience with multi-omics NGS platforms, low cell number sorted populations, and/or single-cell RNAseq
• Experience in analysis of mid-density and/or whole transcriptomics gene expression data types
• Prior experience in Oncology or Immunology
• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to contribute effectively in a team-based environment
• Highly organized and able to manage time effectively
• Ability to interface with translational, discovery, and clinical cross-functional colleagues to drive assay development and implementation into discovery and/or clinical programs as needed

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience with RNA/DNA QC platforms such as the Qubit, Fragment Analyzer, Agilent Bioanalyzer or Tapestation
• Experience with liquid automation for sample RNA/DNA isolation and NGS library prep
• Experience with NGS analysis data visualization software such as Cell Ranger, Partek, OmniBrowser, or BioTuring
• Familiarity with computer software: Illumina BaseSpace, Illumina Dragen, Spotfire, Graphpad Prism, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis
• With management guidance, ability to incorporate innovative scientific and technical advances to support Profiling & Expression priorities

Required Skills:

DNA Isolation, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Oncology, RNA Isolation, RNA Sequencing

Preferred Skills:

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The salary range for this role is $131,400.00 – $206,800.00

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.

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