{"id":2043471,"url":"https://alion.io/job/merck-co-formulation-scientist-discovery-pharmaceutical-sciences-onsite","title":"Formulation Scientist, Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences (Onsite)","company":{"id":3768,"name":"Merck & Co.","domain":"msd.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/msd","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":100,"open_postings":123,"ghost_share":0.008,"stale_share":0.122,"repost_share":0.089,"time_to_fill_p50_days":15,"computed_at":"2026-10-25T05:49:26Z"}},"role":"Science & Research","role_family":"Science & Research","seniority":"middle","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["South San Francisco, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":108000,"max":170100,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":170100},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"HPLC","optional":false},{"name":"Molecular Cloning","optional":false}],"status":"closed","first_seen_at":"2026-10-07T18:43:41Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-07","last_verified_at":"2026-10-23T16:23:50Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":"2026-10-23T16:23:50Z","days_open":15,"trust":{"level":"not_scored","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":15},"description":"Job Description\nOur Company's Research Laboratories South San Francisco (SSF) Discovery Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of Our Company, is focused on driving discovery research. Our multi-disciplinary discovery research site offers state-of- the-art resources to explore the most promising science combined with our Company's world-class R&D expertise in small molecules and biologics. Located within the heart of the Bay area’s biomedical community, research conducted in our new laboratories spans exploratory biology through early clinical development and is an integral part of our Company's powerful world-class network of drug and vaccine discovery.\nAt our Company, we are inspired by the belief that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to scientific excellence can create medicines and vaccines that save and improve lives. Every employee is building on our proud legacy of scientific breakthrough. Our ability to impact the lives of patients worldwide depends on the integrity, creativity, humility, and scientific acumen of our team. We are creating an organization that is inspired by invention and founded on a culture of respect and collaboration. At our Company's Research Labs, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills through collaboration with talented and dedicated colleagues while advancing your career.\nDiscovery Pharmaceutical Sciences (DPS) enables drug discovery and drug product development through application of pharmaceutical science and drug delivery research, from target identification through clinical candidate selection for both small and large molecules. We utilize our expertise to characterize novel molecules and develop preclinical formulations to successfully advance quality drug candidate compounds from discovery to development.\nDPS in South San Francisco, CA, is seeking a passionate Scientist (R2) with strong academic fundamentals and a drive to develop new medicines to join our team. In this role, the individual will be responsible for supporting the physico-chemical characterization and formulation development of proteins or small molecule drug candidates.\nAdditional responsibilities are as follows:\nDevelops and applies basic principles and scientific concepts to execute work in a laboratory environment in compliance with Safety and Environmental requirements.\n\nProactively identifies and troubleshoots potential issues with procedures, data, or instrumentation (for example UPLC), leading to improvements in scientific understanding.\n\nExecutes routine experiments and data interpretation with appropriate technical guidance.\n\nCan understand overall project timelines to manage prioritization of individual contributor deliverables with appropriate supervision.\n\nBuilds awareness of relevant new and current technologies to grow as a pharmaceutical scientist.\n\nEducation and Experience\nB.S. degree with three years’ experience or MS degree in Chemical/ Biochemical/ Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related disciplines.\n\nRequired Experience and Skills\nAbility to learn and apply new scientific principles to execute daily responsibilities\n\nDemonstrated ability to collate and conduct basic data analysis\n\nStrong verbal and written communication skills\n\nStrong organizational, logistical, and technical problem-solving abilities\n\nAbility to work in a fast-paced collaborative team environment\n\nLearning and growth mindset; willingness to master new analytical techniques and formulation processes.\n\nDesired Experience and Skills\nPrior experience in a laboratory environment\n\nPassion to learn and develop as a pharmaceutical scientist\n\nPrior experience in a laboratory environment\n\nPassion to learn and develop as a pharmaceutical scientist\n\nCandidates with experience in pre-clinical / clinical formulation development and physico-chemical characterization of proteins or solid oral dosage form are preferred.\n\nCandidates with experience in automation and high-throughput testing are preferred\n\nRequired Skills:\nAnalytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Chemical Analysis, Chemical Engineering, Data Analysis, Drug Delivery, Immunochemistry, Laboratory Analytical Techniques, Materials Science, Molecular Biology, Molecular Cloning, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Pharmaceutical ResearchPreferred Skills:\nCurrent Employees apply HERE\nCurrent Contingent Workers apply HERE\nUS and Puerto Rico Residents Only:\nOur company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.\nAs an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Asa federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:\nEEOC Know Your Rights\nEEOC GINA Supplement\nWe are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.\nLearn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts\nThe salary range for this role is\n$108,000.00 - $170,100.00This 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.\nThe successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.\nWe 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.\nYou 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.\nSan Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance\nLos Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance\nSearch Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully\nMerck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.\nEmployee Status:\nRegularRelocation:\nDomesticVISA Sponsorship:\nNoTravel Requirements:\n10%Flexible Work Arrangements:\nNot ApplicableShift:\nNot IndicatedValid Driving License:\nNoHazardous Material(s):\nn/aJob Posting End Date:\n10/12/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. 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